We urge Burlington Marriott to cancel Vidya Bharati's leadership gala and Eventbrite to remove the event from their website. 

On the face of it Vidya Bharati  is an educational charity that helps the poorer sections of the Indian population access education but at its core it is a recruitment and propaganda tool for the hydra-headed Brahminical Fascist organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh- RSS. The RSS uses the chronic underfunding of the education sector by the Indian government as an opportunity to propagate its hatred and sectarianism based ideology of Brahminical Fascism and build a cadre to capture and retain state power. 

The origin of Vidya Bharati goes back to 1946, when a school named Gita School, was started by the then RSS head Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar, a Brahmin inspired by the fascist ideology of Nazi Germany. However, the ban on the RSS after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by another Brahmin associated with the RSS, Nathuram Godse, in 1948, put an end to Golwalkar’s Gita Schools. It was in 1952, in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, that a school named Saraswati Shishu Mandir, established by another RSS affiliated Brahmin- Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh- laid the foundation for what is today the network called Vidya Bharati. 

Brahminical Fascism weaponizes Brahminical values- ritual purity, caste hierarchy and patriarchy- to create a homogenized “Hindu” religious identity and, using it as a ruse, the privileged castes (Brahmins, Baniyas, Kshatriyas) co-opt and subjugate marginalized groups (Shudras, Dalits, Adivasis). This identity is reinforced by targeting religious minorities (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs) as the “other” and “internal enemies.” Once Brahminical Fascists gain state power, as in India today, they use institutions to enforce caste-based social control (e.g., anti-conversion laws, bans on interfaith marriage), undermine labor and environmental protections, and enable crony capitalism.

As Indians who believe in a free, equitable, and just society, we find Vidya Bharati's mission to be in complete opposition to these ideals. The ideology promoted by Vidya Bharati, Brahminical Fascism, contradicts the ideals of the Indian Constitution and the value systems of the Bahujan majority. Vidya Bharati’s values contrast with the inclusion and mutual respect that form the foundation of an ethical society.

It’s also instructive that Brahminical groups like Vidya Bharati ignore crucial education issues such as government school closures and reduced education funding under RSS-led governments, which have led to declining education standards and access.

Burlington Marriott is a prestigious venue that hosts many events celebrating diversity. Allowing Vidya Bharati to hold their leadership gala would contradict the values that Burlington Marriott and our broader community strive to uphold. Vidya Bharati’s influence extends beyond cultural expression; it actively promotes beliefs that undermine India’s rich, pluralistic cultural tapestry.

We exhort Burlington Marriott to cancel this event and Eventbrite to remove the event from their platform to send a powerful message of solidarity to the people who are working towards a just and peaceful Indian society.

-Aazaad Lab, Boston South Asian Coalition