CoHNA celebrates end of DOJ investigation on BAPS temple

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) issued a statement in support of the US Justice Department's decision to close its investigation on the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, over alleged "caste discrimination" and worker exploitation. The organization also demanded accountability from media, activists, and institutions for using unproven allegations to vilify the Hindu community.

The now-closed investigation stemmed from a federal lawsuit filed in May 2021, alleging that construction workers, many from marginalized communities, were brought to the United States on R-1 religious visas, paid as little as $1.20 per hour, forced to work long hours, and housed in substandard living conditions.

The allegations prompted multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, Department of Labor, and Department of Homeland Security, to launch inquiries and conduct searches at the construction site.
In a statement issued on Sept. 19, CoHNA said, "Despite these allegations being unproven, media outlets amplified them without scrutiny. The New York Times published an article while the FBI was still conducting its raid. The Trentonian sensationalized the episode, referring to it as "The Temple of Doom," reviving tired Hinduphobic tropes from the 1980s Indiana Jones franchise."

CoHNA president Nikunj Trivedi highlighted the significant damage to the reputation of Hindu communities and said, "This outcome proves that truth eventually wins. But who will repair the damage once reputations are destroyed?"

He added, "The Hindu community refuses to be the perpetual scapegoat for imported debates that have nothing to do with American realities. We demand that media and policymakers engage with Hindu voices directly, instead of relying on activists whose sole agenda is to divide and defame."

Additionally, CoHNA also demanded that media organizations that published reports that maligned the community's image should issue corrections. It also demanded that universities and corporations that adopted caste discrimination policies should withdraw such measures.

CoHNA also asked Seattle authorities to repeal its 2023 ordinance on Caste Discrimination and New York lawmakers to pause pending caste legislation, until proper community consultation and evidence-based research is conducted.