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Members of Edison's Indian community donned traditional garb and waved Indian flags in celebration of Indian's 76th year of independence on Sunday, Aug. 13.
Organized by the Indian Business Association, a group of local merchants in the South Asian enclave, this year's parade served as tribute tot he legacy of India’s 200 million Muslims, "who played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle and continue to contribute to Indian culture, entertainment, society and defense of democracy," the Indian American Muslim Council said.
Things took a turn when nationalist militant group Bajrang Dal showed up waving hateful flags, though, in an act of Muslim intimidation, the Indian American Muslim Council in New Jersey said.
Niyaz Khan, vice president of the Indian American Muslim Council in New Jersey, condemned the "hateful" move and noted that large-scale violence against Muslims and Christians has been steadily on the rise in India, according to Khan.
"The group members have also been calling for Muslim genocide, and leading violent religious processions which devolve into attacks on mosques and Muslim homes," Khan said.
In 2018, the CIA categorized the Bajrang Dal as a “religious militant organization” in its World Factbook. In India, the Hindu nationalist group has a long history of violence and often engages in vigilante violence against minority groups.
"Allowing such a flag to feature in a parade meant to commemorate unity and progress is an insult to the values of a multicultural society and a dark reminder of the divisive forces that continue to plague our world.
"This regressive act tarnishes the celebration of hard-fought freedom with the stain of religious bigotry and intolerance."
“We’re far from deterred by the efforts of certain people, both in India and in the US, who are trying to erase the rich legacy of Indian Muslims and other minorities," said Mohammed Jawad, a New Jersey resident and President of IAMC National. "We’re proud of who we are. We’re not going anywhere."
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