Newsletter (August 2026): Hundreds Confront RSS Chief at Madison Square Garden, India’s 80th Independence Day, and More
August was a landmark month. IAMC chapters across eight cities marked India’s 80th Independence Day, our campaign against RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s U.S. visit culminated in hundreds of New Yorkers confronting his event at Madison Square Garden, and we hosted a Congressional Briefing bringing eyewitness accounts of India’s crackdown on the student movement.
BULLET POINT SUMMARY:
- IAMC marked India’s 80th Independence Day across eight U.S. cities
- Hundreds of New Yorkers confronted RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at Madison Square Garden, after 1,000+ Americans, 60+ groups mobilized against the event
- Congressional Briefing featured firsthand accounts of India’s crackdown on the student movement
- Released our Semi-Annual Report on human rights and religious freedom in India (January–June 2026)
Keep scrolling to learn more about each of these achievements in detail.
IAMC MARKS INDIA’S 80TH INDEPENDENCE DAY ACROSS EIGHT U.S. CITIES
IAMC chapters in Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, Buffalo, Dallas, Houston, Michigan, and New Jersey celebrated India’s 80th Independence Day with flag hoistings, cultural performances, and calls to defend India’s constitutional values. Events drew hundreds of families, interfaith partners, and elected officials — including California State Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab, Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy, and Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux — with letters and recognitions from Congressman Ro Khanna, Senator Raphael Warnock, and Senator Cory Booker.
PRESS CONFERENCE, MOBILIZING AGAINST RSS CHIEF MOHAN BHAGWAT’S U.S. VISIT
Ahead of Bhagwat’s Madison Square Garden appearance, over 1,000 Americans wrote to the State Department urging that he be denied a visa, while NYC Council Members, a congressional nominee, and over 60 civil rights groups called on Madison Square Garden to cancel the event. IAMC also published a briefing on the RSS covering its origins, activities, and global threat.
“HINDUTVA NOT WELCOME IN USA”: HUNDREDS CONFRONT BHAGWAT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
Hundreds of Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Dalit, Hindu, and Jewish New Yorkers filled the entrance to Madison Square Garden on August 29 to confront Mohan Bhagwat, handing the RSS the largest public rejection it has faced on American soil. IAMC organized the demonstration alongside dozens of faith and civil rights groups, joined by congressional nominee Brad Lander. IAMC separately condemned the deception behind the event after two leading NYC faith leaders said they had been misled into participating.
CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF INDIA’S CRACKDOWN ON THE STUDENT MOVEMENT
On August 5, IAMC hosted a Congressional Briefing titled “Eyewitness Accounts: India’s Crackdown on the Student Movement,” featuring N. Sai Balaji (former president, JNU Students’ Union), Shabnam Hashmi (social activist), and Dr. Monami Basu (professor, Delhi University). Watch the recording here.
HUMAN RIGHTS & RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN INDIA: SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT (JAN–JUNE 2026)
IAMC released its Semi-Annual Report on Human Rights and Religious Freedom in India, documenting the state of religious freedom and minority rights in India over the first six months of 2026.
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