Statement on Sadhvi Rithambara’s Padma Bhushan Award

2025-01-27

Justice For All Statement on Sadhvi Rithambara’s Padma Bhushan Award

Justice For All expresses grave concern over the Indian government’s decision to confer the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, upon Sadhvi Rithambara. While the recognition highlights her contributions to social work and the upliftment of women and children—achievements that are indeed commendable—this recognition cannot overshadow her well-documented history of hate speech and incitement to violence against Christians and Muslims in India.

Sadhvi Rithambara’s award has been widely celebrated by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a militant organization with a long history of fomenting communal violence. Her prominent role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which culminated in the demolition of the 400-year-old Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, stands as a stark reminder of her divisive legacy. Rithambara was named in the Liberhan Commission report, which investigated the mosque’s destruction, and was charged with inciting communal disharmony, although she was later acquitted—a troubling pattern of impunity that has emboldened similar actions in India.

Rithambara’s incendiary rhetoric has extended to direct threats, such as her warning to Christians following the murder of a nun by a VHP member. In 1995, following the murder of a nun named Rani Maria in Madhya Pradesh—allegedly by a BJP-VHP activist—Sadhvi Rithambara issued a stark warning to Christians, stating, “If a single choti or janeu is cut, Christians will be wiped out from the face of India.”

Such statements are deeply antithetical to the principles of secularism enshrined in India’s constitution. While her social work is acknowledged, honoring someone with such a record of hate speech and communal incitement undermines India’s secular democratic ethos.

The Modi government’s decision to recognize Rithambara with this award signals an alarming shift toward a Hindu majoritarian state. It sets a dangerous precedent, sending a message to extremist elements that hate speech and violence against minorities are not only tolerated but can lead to accolades and state recognition. This development comes at a time when some Hindu religious leaders openly call for genocidal violence against India’s minorities—a trajectory that demands urgent global attention.

Justice For All calls on the U.S. State Department to impose visa restrictions on Sadhvi Rithambara under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which allows for inadmissibility based on foreign policy concerns. Her documented incitement of communal violence, hate speech, and her involvement in actions that undermine religious freedom warrant serious scrutiny to prevent her entry into the United States. Such restrictions would send a clear message that the U.S. does not condone hate speech, religious persecution, or actions that threaten the rights of minorities.

We urge the Indian government to reflect on the message this award sends, not just to its own citizens, but to the global community. Recognizing individuals with a legacy of hatred and division undermines India’s aspirations as a pluralistic democracy and erodes its standing on the world stage.

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https://maktoobmedia.com/india/sadhvi-rithambara-who-called-for-war-against-muslims-in-india-among-19-padma-bhushan-awardees/
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/117585106.cms
https://www.thenewsminute.com/news/sadhvi-ritambhara-hindutva-rabble-rouser-and-durga-vahini-founder-awarded-padma-bhushan