Hinduism course: Indian-American student alleges 'Hinduphobia' at US university

Houston: An Indian-American student and activist has said said the content of the course on Hinduism offered by the University of Houston is "Hinduphobic" and "distorting India's political landscape".

According to an Indian tv channel report, the university has said it is reviewing the concerns raised by the student named Vasant Bhatt.

The University of Houston's Lived Hindu Religion course is offered to the students online, with video lectures delivered by Professor Aaron Michael Ullrey weekly.

Bhatt, a political science major at the university, has lodged a complain before the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences under which this course is being offered.

According to the student, Professor Ullrey reportedly said that Hinduism was not an "ancient, lived tradition", but a "political tool" weaponised by "Hindu nationalists, and a system of oppression against minorities".

According to the report, Bhatt shared a quote from the syllabus that stated that the word 'Hindu' is recent and not found in scriptures.

"Hindutva", or "Hindu-ness", is a term that Hindu nationalists, those who believe Hinduism should be the official religion of India, use to designate their religion and denigrate others, namely Islam," Bhatt quoted the syllabus according to the report.

The development comes a day after India rejected the latest report by the the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), calling the findings as "biased and politically motivated assessments".

"We have seen the recently released 2025 Annual Report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which once again continues its pattern of issuing biased and politically motivated assessments. The USCIRF's persistent attempts to misrepresent isolated incidents and cast aspersions on India's vibrant multicultural society reflect a deliberate agenda rather than a genuine concern for religious freedom," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

“Political disagreements are welcomed but fabricating extremism under the basis of Hindu identity is not," Hindu on Campus, a student-led platform for diaspora Hindus fighting Hinduphobia, said, adding that Hinduphobia has been in existence in the US for decades.

Later, Bhatt told the broadcaster that the response conveyed to him by the dean was not convincing.

"The department attempted to deflect from the core issue by questioning my process and discrediting my valid concern — rather than investigating the substance of the complaint," Bhatt said of the response from the religious studies department.

IANS