According to the AFWA probe, no such bill has been passed in the US.
A viral post claims that the US had recently passed a bill recognising the Hindu New Year. (Photo: India Today/Riddhish Dutta)
Several people on social media recently claimed that the United States has now recognised the Hindu New Year by passing a bill.
Such claims have been archived here.
US
— (BJP) (@Chandamishra82) August 1, 2022
AFWA’s investigation found the US passed no such bill. The governor of Georgia, however, recently proclaimed April 2 as Hindu New Year.
AFWA Probe
We found a Times Of India report from September 25, 2021, which mentioned that several states in the US had proclaimed October as the “Hindu Heritage” month, noting that Hinduism has “contributed greatly” to America through its unique history and heritage.
Per this report, the month of October was selected because major Hindu festivals like Dussehra and Deewali are often celebrated during that month.
Another report published in The Print on April 6 mentioned that the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, declared April 2 as Hindu New Year Day in recognition of the large Hindu community living in the state.
However, we did not get a single media report that confirmed the viral claim. We reached out to Mat McDermott, the director of communication of the Hindu American Foundation. In an email to AFWA, McDermott confirmed that no such bill has passed in the US.
He said, “There has been no national law passed recognising Hindu New Year. Perhaps what started it was that in November 2021 a bill was introduced to make Diwali a national holiday, but that bill is still sitting in committee, so it has neither been passed nor rejected.”
“Representative Raja Krishnamoorti has also introduced a resolution (which isn’t a law, but rather an official statement of Congress) recognising Diwali on the national level. That too is sitting in committee awaiting a vote,” he added.
Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the claim of the US passing a bill to recognise the Hindu New Year is nothing but a rumour.
— ENDS —
ClaimThe United States of America recently passed a bill recognising the Hindu New Year. ConclusionNo such bill has been passed in the US. However, earlier this year, the governor of Georgia declared April 2 as Hindu New Year Day in recognition of the large Hindu community living in the state.
JHOOTH BOLE KAUVA KAATE
The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.
- 1 Crow: Half True
- 2 Crows: Mostly lies
- 3 Crows: Absolutely false
