Anti-Hindu Hate Incidents Among Highest, Reports California Civil Rights Department

India-West News Desk

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has revealed troubling data on hate incidents in the state, showing that anti-Hindu incidents rank second highest among religiously motivated hate crimes. According to the findings from the year-long CA vs Hate program, 23% of religious hate incidents reported via the program’s hotline targeted Hindus.

This percentage follows anti-Jewish incidents at 37% and surpasses anti-Muslim incidents at 15%.

The CRD’s report, released on May 20, details that out of the 1,020 hate incidents reported, 580 were verified. The report categorizes 35% of these incidents as motivated by race and ethnicity, 15% by gender identity, and just under 11% by sexual orientation. However, it does not specify the exact percentage of incidents driven by religious animus.

Samir Kalra, Managing Director of Policy and Programs at the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), commented on the findings: “The report confirms what we already knew: Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu incidents are more prevalent than previously reported. At HAF, we have seen an uptick in reports of hate crimes and bias incidents from community members, particularly towards the latter half of 2023 and the beginning of 2024.”

Kalra highlighted several incidents involving the vandalism and desecration of temples, as well as harassment and intimidation of Hindu individuals by extremist groups in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The increase in anti-Hindu hate incidents aligns with the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report, which recorded 22 hate crimes against Hindus in 2022. However, critics argue that hate crimes are generally under-reported due to the voluntary nature of law enforcement reporting and the high burden of proof required to charge hate crimes.