In an effort to provide the Hindu students on campus a safe space to discuss their campus experiences, Hindu YUVA and students from OM at Northwestern, a spiritual campus group, hosted a special event called the “Wildcat Hindu Experience” on April 13, 2023.
Supported by Northwestern Seva, the Sikh student organization, the event was attended by 35 students. They were addressed by Amar Shah, the Hindu Chaplain, and Tahera Ahmad, the Associate University Chaplain, and the Director of Interfaith Engagement at Northwestern, a news release noted.
According to the release, the main aim of the event was to bring Hindu students together and demonstrate their resilience in the face of recent attacks aimed at individual Hindu students and Hindu student organizations. The student leaders, dean, and chaplains showed their solidarity with the Hindu students.
“The pain of experiencing Hinduphobia was sad to listen to from the students who spoke their vulnerability out with a lot of bravery”, said Mona Dugo, dean of students. Sparsh Gautam, president of Hindu YUVA, and Kushal, co-president of OM at Northwestern, acknowledged that religious intolerance has no space in diverse and vibrant communities.
Through events like the “Wildcat Hindu Experience”, Hindu YUVA will continue to engage interfaith community and leaders while advocating for the safety of and freedom for all Hindu students on campus.
