Open Letter To Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi: Recall Your July Heritage Month Resolution

From Dr. Jai G. Bansal, Global Director, Hindu Heritage Month, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America

Dear Congressman Krishnamoorthi,

I write to you as Global Director of Hindu Heritage Month (HHM), an initiative launched in 2021 under the auspices of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), to express grave concern and serious reservation over your recently introduced resolution designating July as Indian American Heritage Month.

Let me begin by reminding you of something you should know better than most members of Congress.

On September 30, 2021, you formally recognized October as Hindu Heritage Month in a statement entered into the Congressional Record. You declared:

“Madam Speaker, today I rise to join the many Hindu faithful in the United States in recognizing the month of October as Hindu Heritage month.”

Your statement was welcomed by the Hindu American community as an acknowledgment of its distinct religious and civilizational heritage.

Five years later, Hindu Heritage Month has become an established annual institution. It is celebrated throughout the United States, with recognition from numerous state and municipal governments, and has inspired participation among Hindu communities beyond America’s borders. Thousands of volunteers, community leaders, religious institutions, and cultural organizations have invested years of effort in building this tradition.

October was not chosen arbitrarily. It is a particularly sacred and festive period in the Hindu calendar, when major celebrations such as Navaratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, and, in many years, Diwali bring Hindu communities together in worship, cultural expression, and celebration. The choice of October reflects a deliberate connection between Hindu Heritage Month and the living religious and cultural traditions of the community.

Against this background, your latest move threatens to undercut and damage an established Hindu American institution and undermine a heritage brand that the community has spent five years building.

The fact that this initiative comes from a congressman who himself publicly recognized October as Hindu Heritage Month in 2021 makes it particularly disturbing.

We therefore call upon you to withdraw your October 26 resolution. Proceeding with an initiative that threatens to dilute the identity and recognition of an established Hindu American tradition would demonstrate a troubling disregard for the community’s years of work.

Our request is straightforward: withdraw your latest resolution and respect October as the established Hindu Heritage Month. The community’s established traditions deserve to be respected and protected, not disregarded or undermined for political convenience.

I look forward to your response.