Honorable Senator Todd Kaminski's petition to label Swastika as a hate symbol is misguided and unconstitutional as it attempts to mis-label a significant Hindu Symbol and fails to consider the symbol's Hindu religious and cultural significance.  It is akin to labeling the symbol of cross or Star of David as a hate symbol.

What does the word 'swastika' mean?

In Sanskrit, the word swastika is a combination of ‘su’ (meaning ‘good’) and ‘asti’ (meaning ‘to exist’) — often getting translated as ‘all is well.’ The swastika is thus understood to be a symbol of auspiciousness and good fortune. It is used as a positive symbol by 1.8 billion Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.

Though the Nazi symbol was originally called the hakenkreuz (meaning ‘hooked cross)’, early translations of Adolf Hilter’s “Mein Kampf” into English substituted swastika for hakenkreuz, thereby popularizing the notion of a “Nazi swastika”.

What is the symbolism of the swastika?

Though many Hindus displaying the swastika do so in the spirit of auspiciousness, its meaning is much deeper and ancient.  The four limbs can be interpreted as representing:

The four Vedas (foundational scriptures of Hinduism), the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Atharva Veda.
The four traditional stages of life: Brahmacharya (youth/student), Grihasta (adult/family), Vanaprastha (elder); Sannyasa (old age/renunciation of the world).
The four goals of life: Dharma (right conduct), Artha (prosperity), Kama (pleasure), Moksha (spiritual liberation).
The four yugas (cyclical world ages): Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, Kali Yuga. We are currently in the shortest yuga, and the last before the cycle begins again, the Kali Yuga.
The four seasons: Though not everyplace on Earth experiences the seasons in the same way and some places translate the procession of the year’s natural phenomena in different terms, the four limbs of the swastika can also be taken to represent winter, spring, summer, fall. The procession of the seasons mirroring the procession of the stages of life.
The four cardinal directions.
The swastika is one of humanity’s oldest and most consistently used symbols across nearly every human culture. It has more than 10,000 years of positive associations behind it.

In that context and to educate people about this ancient symbol in proper context, we propose that the language of the bill be amended.

Actual text of the bill can be found at: https://www.billtrack50.com/BillDetail/1284279

We propose the bill to be amended as follows:

Purpose of the Bill:

To require New York school children be educated regarding the meaning of hakenkreuzs (often incorrectly referred to as swastikas) and nooses as symbols of hatred and intolerance.

Justification:

As incidents of hate crimes have skyrocketed across New York State and the nation as a whole, it is imperative that the Legislature mandate compulsory education for school children on the meaning and significance of hateful symbols used to instill fear in communities across our State. In particular, it is vital for students to be aware of the meanings of the Hakenkreuz (often incorrectly referred to as a Swastika) commonly exhibited as the emblem of Nazi Germany - as well as the noose - commonly exhibited as a symbol of racism and intimidation. This measure will do just that, by mandating schools educate students regarding these two symbols of hate, with an eye towards stamp-ing out hate, bigotry, and intolerance from our great State.

The Proposed Amended Bill with Swastika’s history and tradition in proper perspective

Section  1.  Legislative findings.  The legislature hereby finds the recent spike in hate crimes across our state and nation as a whole to be highly disturbing and a societal epidemic in need of remedy. As many of our youth are not aware of the hateful connotations behind Hakenkreuzs (often incorrectly referred to as Swastikas) and nooses, it is necessary for the legislature to mandate compulsory education in all schools across our great state in regard to the meanings of these two symbols of hate. Requiring students be educated in the significance of these displays of bigotry will go a long way toward fostering a more inclusive and tolerant society for all.

Section. 2.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 801-b to read as follows:

§ 801-B. INSTRUCTION REGARDING SYMBOLS OF HATE.  THE REGENTS SHALL ENSURE THAT THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH TWELVE INCLUDES A COMPONENT ON THE MEANING OF THE HAKENKREUZ (A SYMBOL THAT IS INCORRECTLY REFERRED TO AS THE SWASTIKA) AS THE EMBLEM OF NAZI GERMANY, AS WELL AS THE NOOSE AS A SYMBOL OF RACISM AND INTIMIDATION.  THE REGENTS SHALL DETERMINE HOW TO INCORPORATE SUCH COMPONENTS INTO EXISTING CURRICULA, AND THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE ANY REGULATIONS NEEDED TO CARRY OUT SUCH DETERMINATION OF THE REGENTS.

(1)  THE REGENTS SHALL ENSURE THAT THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH TWELVE INCLUDES A COMPONENT ON THE MEANING OF THE SWASTIKA AS A SYMBOL OF PEACE, WELL-BEING AND PROSPERITY FOR DOZENS OF CULTURES AND NEARLY TWO BILLION PEOPLE CURRENTLY LIVING, IS THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD, AND WHICH PRE-DATES NAZI GERMANY AND BEARS NO RELATION IN MEANING OR PURPOSE TO THE HAKENKREUZ (THE EMBLEM OF NAZI GERMANY).

(2)  THE REGENTS SHALL ENSURE THAT THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH TWELVE WILL DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TERM SWASTIKA (A SANSKRIT WORD AND A SYMBOL WHICH MEANS PEACE, WELL-BEING, AND PROSPERITY) AND THE HAKENKREUZ WHEN REFERRING TO THE GEOMETRICALLY SIMILAR YET DISTINCT EMBLEM OF NAZI GERMANY.

Signatories:

Asamai Hindu Temple & Community Center, Hicksville, NY