Georgia has become the first U.S. state to introduce a bill to formally recognise ‘Hinduphobia’ and anti-Hindu prejudice, according to media reports.
If the bill becomes law, the penal code in Georgia will be updated and consequently enable law enforcement agencies to consider Hinduphobia and take appropriate action, reported Wion News.
The introduction of the bill became significant since Indian-origin lawmakers have been voicing concerns over a rise in Hindu-hatred cases in the country.
The bill, SB 375, dated April 4, was introduced in the Georgia General Assembly, the state legislature, and its sponsors include both Democrats and Republicans, reported Wion.
The four sponsors of the bill are Georgia State Senate members Shawn Still and Clint Dixon, both Republicans, and Democrats Jason Esteves and Emanuel Jones.
Advocacy Group Welcomes
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), an advocacy group, welcomed the move and said history will be created if the bill is passed in future.
The group wrote on X handle: “The State of Georgia has introduced SB 375, which formally updates the state’s penal code to recognize Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu prejudice, and enables law enforcement and other agencies to consider Hinduphobia while cataloging such discrimination and taking appropriate action.”
“We are proud to work closely with Senator @SenShawnStill on this important bill and thank him along with Senator @emanueldjones, Senator @jasonesteves, and Senator @VoteClintDixon for supporting the needs of the Hindu community in Georgia and the United States,” the group said.
“We also thank Hindus of Georgia PAC for their leadership in this important initiative,” the statement posted on X handle further said.
“SB 375 builds upon the important work that we started in April 2023, when Georgia became the first state to pass a County Resolution condemning Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry while celebrating the positive contributions of Hindus in Georgia and beyond,” the statement said.
The advocacy group said it is looking forward to advocating for the bill once the Georgia legislative session reopens.
(With inputs from IBNS)
