Paromita Das
New Delhi: The West has long harbored a deeply ingrained bias against Hindutva, often equating it with extremism while ignoring the broader cultural, historical, and spiritual aspects of Hindu identity. This hostility is not just limited to political discourse but has seeped into academic institutions, media, and policy-making. Western intellectual circles, particularly those influenced by left-liberal academia, have consistently attempted to delegitimize Hindutva by portraying it as an exclusionary and radical ideology. The recent controversy at the University of Houston is yet another example of this entrenched prejudice, where Hinduism itself is being misrepresented under the guise of scholarly study.
University of Houston’s Hinduphobic Course: A Case Study in Academic Bias
The University of Houston has come under fire for its course titled Lived Hindu Religion, which, rather than providing an objective study of Hinduism, appears to be a politically motivated attack on the faith. Bharatiya-American student Vasant Bhatt has bravely exposed the blatant Hinduphobia in the syllabus, which distorts Hindu beliefs and promotes anti-Bharat propaganda.
The syllabus falsely claims that the word “Hindu” is a colonial construct and that “Hindutva” is a divisive political ideology. This narrative erases the ancient roots of Hindu civilization and dismisses the cultural and spiritual dimensions of Hindutva, which represents the civilizational consciousness of Bharat. Furthermore, the course reportedly labels any assertion of Hindu identity as “potentially fundamentalist,” reinforcing a negative stereotype that unfairly targets Hindus who take pride in their faith.
Misrepresentation of Bharat’s Political Landscape
Beyond distorting Hinduism, the course extends its bias to Bharat’s contemporary politics. Bhatt has revealed that the professor leading the course has described Bharatiya Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “Hindu fundamentalist” and has falsely claimed that Bharat systematically persecutes religious minorities. Such an assertion contradicts empirical data. A 2021 Pew Research study found that 89% of Bharatiya Muslims feel safe practicing their religion, a statistic that directly refutes the misleading claims made in the course.
The hypocrisy of such narratives is glaring, as these same institutions often overlook the plight of persecuted religious minorities in neighboring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, where Hindus and other non-Muslims face systemic discrimination, violence, and forced conversions. Instead, Western academia selectively targets Bharat, despite its diverse and pluralistic ethos.
A Larger Pattern of Hinduphobia in the West
The University of Houston incident is not an isolated case. It is part of a broader trend where Western institutions—both academic and media—consistently misrepresent Hindutva and Hinduism. The same bias can be seen in the coverage of Bharat by outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the BBC, which often frame Hindu nationalist movements as dangerous while downplaying or ignoring radical Islamist threats in South Asia.
This bias stems from multiple factors:
- Colonial Hangover: Western academia still largely views Bharat through an Orientalist lens, treating Hinduism as an exotic, regressive, or caste-driven belief system rather than recognizing its dynamic and inclusive nature.
- Leftist Ideological Influence: Many Western universities are dominated by left-wing intellectuals who sympathize with Marxist interpretations of history, which often vilify Hindu cultural revivalism as “right-wing extremism.”
- Religious and Evangelical Interests: Christian missionary groups, which have historically been involved in large-scale conversions in Bharat, often fund anti-Hindu narratives to further their proselytizing agenda.
- Islamist Lobbying: Radical Islamist organizations have been actively influencing global discourse on South Asia, portraying Bharat as a hostile nation toward Muslims while downplaying their own histories of religious persecution.
Western Hypocrisy on Academic Freedom
One of the biggest contradictions in this discourse is the West’s selective approach to academic freedom. When Hindu students like Vasant Bhatt raise valid concerns, they are dismissed or ignored under the pretext of preserving “academic independence.” Yet, the same universities that tolerate anti-Hindu rhetoric would never allow similar distortions of Christianity, Islam, or Judaism in their syllabi. This selective tolerance exposes the hypocrisy of these institutions, which claim to stand for inclusivity while marginalizing Hindu voices.
The Urgent Need for Counter-Narratives
It is high time that Bharatiya intellectuals, policymakers, and diaspora communities take a stand against this biased portrayal of Hindutva and Hinduism. The Bharatiya government must engage more actively in global academia to ensure that an authentic representation of Hindu philosophy and Bharatiya political history reaches international audiences.
Bharatiya-American organizations should also push for reforms in university curriculums and call out instances of blatant Hinduphobia. Initiatives such as the Hindu Students Council and Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) have made progress in this direction, but much more needs to be done to counter the systemic bias in Western academic and media institutions.
Time to Reclaim the Narrative
The controversy at the University of Houston is just one example of a larger, long-standing Western bias against Hindutva and Hindu identity. This systemic prejudice, fueled by ideological, religious, and political motives, has repeatedly painted Hindu cultural consciousness in a negative light while turning a blind eye to genuine threats against Hindus worldwide. If Hindus and their allies do not challenge these distortions, the misrepresentation will continue unchecked, affecting future generations.
The time has come to reclaim the narrative, demand academic integrity, and ensure that Hinduism is studied with the same respect and objectivity afforded to other major world religions. Only then can we put an end to the West’s persistent bias against Hindutva and Hindu civilization.
The post The West’s Persistent Bias Against Hindutva: A Distorted Narrative in Academia appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates.
