ATLANTA (Diya TV) — Georgia has become the first state in the United States to introduce a bill that would formally recognize “Hinduphobia” and anti-Hindu discrimination within its penal code, a move advocates call historic and long overdue.
Senate Bill 375, introduced on April 4, has drawn bipartisan support in the Georgia General Assembly. The bill, sponsored by Republican Senators Shawn Still and Clint Dixon along with Democratic Senators Jason Esteves and Emanuel D. Jones, defines Hinduphobia as “a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviors towards Hinduism.” If passed, the legislation would require state and local law enforcement agencies to consider Hinduphobia in the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws.
“Over the past few years, we have seen a marked increase in hate crimes against Hindus across the country,” Still said after introducing the bill.
Advocacy organizations such as the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) have applauded the bill, which they say builds on the groundwork laid in April 2023 when the Georgia legislature passed a resolution formally condemning Hinduphobia. The 2023 resolution highlighted Hinduism as one of the world’s oldest religions, practiced by more than 1.2 billion people globally, and emphasized peace, acceptance, and mutual respect.
“We are proud to work closely with Senator Shawn Still on this important bill and thank him, along with Senator Emanuel D. Jones, Senator Jason Esteves, and Senator Clint Dixon, for supporting the needs of the Hindu community in Georgia and the United States,” CoHNA said in a statement.
The organization has been at the forefront of advocacy along with the Hindus of Georgia Political Action Committee (GA PAC), pressing for state-level recognition of anti-Hindu bias amid concerns about rising hate crimes targeting the community.
According to the Pew Research Center’s 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study, Hindus represent about 0.9% of the U.S. population—roughly 2.5 million people. In Georgia alone, more than 40,000 Hindus, many of whom trace their roots to western India, especially Gujarat, live primarily in and around Atlanta, Wikipedia’s State of Georgia page notes.
Concern over anti-Hindu discrimination has grown among Indian American leaders. The Gavishti Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks hate crimes against Hindus, reported 1,314 religiously motivated incidents targeting Hindus in the U.S. between January 1, 2023, and the bill’s introduction date.
At a 2024 meeting of Hindu leaders and organizations, U.S. Representative Shri Thanedar, a Michigan Democrat, urged the need for strong measures to confront Hinduphobia and highlighted growing incidents of hate against Hindus nationwide.
Similarly, Suhag Shukla, co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation, emphasized the rise of anti-Hindu bias, particularly on college campuses, and called for better education and awareness about Hinduism among law enforcement.
However, the bill has not gone without critique. Hindus for Human Rights, another advocacy organization, expressed concern about the potential misuse of the term “Hinduphobia.” The group said that while anti-Hindu violence is real, criticism of caste-based discrimination, Hindu nationalism (Hindutva), or Hinduism itself—especially from marginalized groups—should not be automatically labeled as hate.
Likewise, the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective, a group of North America-based academic activists, has argued that the term Hinduphobia has sometimes been weaponized “to silence and gaslight Dalit organizers and caste-oppressed communities.” They point to research indicating that the term is frequently misused in debates about social justice within the South Asian diaspora.
Despite differing opinions, the introduction of SB 375 marks a significant moment for Georgia’s Hindu community and could set a precedent for other U.S. states. Rajeev Menon, co-founder of CoHNA, called the bill “a pivotal moment for the Hindu community in Georgia and across the United States.”
If signed into law, Georgia’s measure would make anti-Hindu bias part of state anti-discrimination enforcement, joining protections that already cover race, color, religion and national origin.
