CoHNA Welcomes the Veto of SB403 as a Victory for Justice and Equality before Law

This post first appeared on CoHNA.

Sacramento, October 7, 2023: The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) welcomes California Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of SB403. He called it “unnecessary” and we agree.

“This is a victory for common sense” said Nikunj Trivedi, President of CoHNA. “We have always said that this was unnecessary since existing law adequately covers discrimination of all forms. We are delighted to see Gov Newsom reiterate that position.”

In fact this is something Senator Wahab had also acknowledged in earlier versions of the bill.

SB403 stirred strong passions among the Indian American and Hindu community who saw it as a targeted attack on a group of immigrants based on unproven accusations and unscientific studies by Hinduphobic organizations. CoHNA is glad to see that an attempt to single out and profile a community based on country of origin and faith has failed. It is indeed shocking that something so flawed came so close to being written into law and so much hate speech against a minority was platformed by the very institutions that need to guard against it.

“This was a culmination of a united effort from the Hindu Community and other right thinking people,” said Sudha Jagannathan a member of the Bahujan community and a Board Member of CoHNA, who led the CoHNA campaign against the bill. “I feel personally vindicated today since I have always maintained that Hinduphobic groups who pushed this bill while claiming to represent the Dalit and Bahujan people like me, did not really speak for us.”

“Today marks a victory for common sense, for civil rights and for equality before law in California. It is a tribute to all who fought for justice and today’s news is dedicated to the spirit of Milind Makwana, the Dalit activist who died fighting against this law and who will live on in our hearts forever,” said Pushpita Prasad, CoHNA Board Member and longtime California resident. “Now we must make sure that such hate is not allowed to grow in state and educational institutions,” she added.

The win today is a culmination of the efforts of the entire Hindu American community, and the hundreds of organizations, temples, business and allies that fought against profiling based on birth.

“We rose above the lies, the insinuations and the wild accusations – and we prevailed. Our offer to help fund a real and objective study on prevalence of caste based discrimination – not the unscientific and anecdotal sham of a ‘study’ by Equality Labs – still stands. We will work with any group that wishes to explore this neutrally and without the biased claim that immigrants bring their prejudices with them.” said Suresh Krishnamoorthy, Treasurer and Board Member of CoHNA.

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FAQs

What does this post say about Governor Gavin Newsom's veto of SB403?

The post says CoHNA welcomed California Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of SB403 and agreed with his description of the bill as unnecessary. It presents the veto as a victory for common sense, civil rights, and equality before law.

Why did CoHNA oppose SB403?

CoHNA argued that existing law already covered discrimination in all forms. The post says the bill was viewed by many in the Indian American and Hindu community as a targeted attack based on unproven accusations and unscientific studies.

How does the post describe the Hindu American community's role in the outcome?

The post describes the veto as the result of a united effort by the Hindu American community, along with organizations, temples, businesses, and allies. It says these groups fought against profiling based on birth, origin, and faith.

Who is quoted in the post about SB403?

The post quotes CoHNA President Nikunj Trivedi, CoHNA Board Member Sudha Jagannathan, CoHNA Board Member Pushpita Prasad, and CoHNA Treasurer and Board Member Suresh Krishnamoorthy. Their comments frame the veto as a civil rights victory and criticize the bill’s assumptions.

What further action does CoHNA mention after the veto?

The post says CoHNA’s offer to help fund a real and objective study on the prevalence of caste based discrimination still stands. It also says CoHNA is willing to work with any group that wants to explore the issue neutrally.