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Montgomery library Hindi book event canceled over VHPA link
The cancellation followed a letter sent April 8 by a coalition of advocacy groups.
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Staff Reporter - Mon, 13, Apr 2026
- 02:33 EDT
- 48
Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) / Wikipedia
Montgomery County Public Libraries canceled a Hindi-language event in Germantown after objections from advocacy groups.
Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) has canceled a planned Hindi-language book event at its Germantown Library following objections from a coalition of religious and civil rights organizations over the involvement of a group they described as a “hate group.”
The event, titled ‘Many Languages, One Library: Celebrating Hindi,’ had been scheduled for April 12. It was intended to mark the introduction of 160 new Hindi-language books to the library’s collection. The books were funded in part by the Balvihar Hindi School, which is affiliated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), a group linked to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in India.
MCPL announced the cancellation on its website.
“This Sunday’s Hindi language event will not be taking place,” the library said. “Due to significant interest from the community, Montgomery County Public Libraries is reimagining how it celebrates the Hindi-speaking community and new additions to its collection, with a focus on ensuring an inclusive and community-centered approach.”
The statement added, “We appreciate the generosity of the local community who donated funds for the collection, and we look forward to celebrating with them.”
The library did not clarify whether the donated books will still be added to its collection or when a rescheduled event might take place.
The cancellation followed a letter sent April 8 by a coalition of advocacy groups, including Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council, the Sikh Coalition, Dalit Solidarity Forum USA, and Peace Action Montgomery. The coalition said the VHPA is linked to Hindutva, a political ideology that seeks to define India primarily as a Hindu nation, and argued that such associations risk introducing exclusionary ideas into public institutions.
“This concern is not about Hinduism, Hindu culture, or the Hindi language,” the coalition wrote. “It is about political ideology entering public institutions under the guise of cultural programming.”
VHPA Vice President Shyam Tiwari disputed those claims in comments to Bethesda Today. He described the campaign against the event as a “misinformation campaign” by what he called “Hinduphobic groups.”
Tiwari said the Hindi book initiative began as a grassroots effort by local residents seeking to contribute to their community and maintained that VHPA does not promote hostility toward other religions.
Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., is among the most diverse counties in the United States, with a large South Asian American population. MCPL operates 22 branches, including the Germantown Library, and reported more than 7.4 million circulations last year while maintaining a collection of over 1.6 million items.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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