Indian-American Student Calls Houston University ‘Hinduphobic’ After Row Over Hinduism Course

Last Updated:March 27, 2025, 20:28 IST

Indian-American student Vasant Bhatt claims the University of Houston's Hinduism course is "Hinduphobic" and distorts India's political landscape. The university is reviewing his concerns.

Houston University said that it was reviewing concerns raised by a student regarding the course content of a course on Hinduism. (IMAGE: X)

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

Vasant Bhatt, a political science major at the University of Houston and Hindu-American activist while speaking to India Today Digital said that the University of Houston’s Lived Hindu Religion offered to students leads to false narrative and branding of India.

He said he raised the issue with the dean of the university’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and expressed his reservations about the course taught by professor Aaron Michael Ullrey weekly.

Houston University said that it was “reviewing the concerns raised" by the student.

“Hinduism, according to Professor Ullrey, was not an ancient, lived tradition but a colonial construct, a political tool weaponised by Hindu nationalists, and a system of oppression against minorities," Bhatt told the broadcaster.

Bhatt shared a quote from the syllabus which went like this: “The word ‘Hindu’ is recent, 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".

“The professor repeatedly implies that India is a Hindu nationalist state actively oppressing minorities," Bhatt was quoted as saying.

“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.

The university authorities also told the India Today Digital that they are reviewing the incident.

“The University of Houston upholds academic freedom and does not typically oversee specific faculty lectures. We do maintain curriculum oversight to ensure courses meet academic and pedagogical standards. We also take concerns about the validity of course content seriously. We are reviewing the concerns raised and will address the issue as needed," Shawn Lindsey, Senior Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications, University Marketing and Communications, University of Houston, said in a communication to the news outlet.

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