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UC Berkeley first campus to recognize Hindu Heritage Month
Move comes nine months after an earlier proposal was rejected amid campus debate.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 08, Dec 2025
- 14:08 EST
- 14
Associated Students of the University of California, Berkeley / Wikipedia
UC Berkeley on Dec. 3 approved a Hindu Heritage Month proclamation, reversing an earlier decision and becoming the first U.S. university to formally recognize the observance.
The Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) Senate, passed the measure after months of negotiations between the executive vice president’s office and student groups including the CoHNA Youth Action Network (CYAN) and Hindu YUVA.
Also Read: UC Berkeley rejects Hindu Heritage Month resolution
The proclamation formally recognizes the term Hinduphobia, acknowledges incidents of vandalism against Hindu temples in the Bay Area, affirms Sanātana Dharma, and notes the absence of a dedicated Hindu caucus within the ASUC.
In a joint statement released on Dec. 7, the Hindu student groups said the passage “signals a positive step in improving Hindu representation within student government,” adding that six months of discussions with the EVP’s office showed that “conversations are possible despite even the most contentious of disagreements.”
CoHNA described the outcome as the result of “a year of perseverance, advocacy and negotiation.” The organization credited its CYAN Berkeley chapter and Hindu YUVA, highlighting the efforts of student leaders Aryan Shinde and Arya Kulkarni.
Thank you to my partners in crime, Arya and Maana, for the past two incredible years. Can’t believe all that we’ve accomplished for the Hindu community at UC Berkeley within such a short period of time. Going to miss you guys @CoHNAOfficial @HinduYUVAUSA https://t.co/hU9tVR7oJ3 pic.twitter.com/EUElZYI8sm
— Aryan (@aryanshinde21) December 8, 2025
“Can’t believe all that we’ve accomplished for the Hindu community at UC Berkeley within such a short period of time,” Shinde wrote on X.
The groups also criticized what they described as past gatekeeping by some “South Asian” organizations on campus and said the approval marks an “important first step” toward repairing relations between Hindu students and the ASUC.
They expressed hope that future conversations will be shaped “not by external political narratives, but by the voices of Hindu students on campus.”
The Senate’s reversal follows a contentious episode earlier in 2025, when the ASUC voted down the first Hindu Heritage Month proposal, prompting a campus-wide and national debate.
Opponents of the initial proposal argued that it risked being associated with Hindu nationalism, a claim supporters said was unfounded and stigmatizing.
The debate drew wider attention after reports that Hindu students were dismissed or spoken to disrespectfully during deliberations, contributing to concerns about Hinduphobia and the politicization of Hindu identity on university campuses.
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