SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Diya TV) — The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) is among a number of groups objecting to California’s Senate Bill 509 (SB 509), citing concerns about the bill’s wide language and the possible ramifications on the Hindu community. SB 509, presented by State Senator Anna M. Caballero, seeks to address transnational repression by requiring the California Office of Emergency Services to create specialized training programs.
CoHNA argues that the bill’s ambiguous definitions may inadvertently apply to individuals who are promoting Hindu rights, potentially describing their activities as transnational repression. They point out that no cases of transnational repression have been documented in California and wonder about the state’s attention to what is a federal matter.
Instead, CoHNA would like legislators to respond to the increasing number of anti-Hindu and anti-India hate incidents within the state.
In March, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills was desecrated. Surveillance footage showed two perpetrators vandalizing the temple’s welcome sign and sidewalk with anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti. The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crime as a hate crime.
Over the last few years, Gandhi statues have been toppled in the Central Valley, a Hindu temple in the Bay Area was vandalized and there were two arson attempts on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The second arson attempt on the consulate, a story broken first by Diya TV, caused an international outcry. None of these cases have yet to be solved.
