• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. US Hindu students seek swastika, Hakenkreuz distinction.
  2. Mira Trivedi's campaign led to New Jersey policy change.
  3. Maryland students secured similar policy changes in schools.

Hindu students across the US are asking schools to make a clear distinction between the ancient swastika and the Nazi Hakenkreuz. The campaign has grown after students faced situations where religious use of the swastika was mistaken for Nazi imagery.

What Sparked Action?

The campaign began after a student's experience in New Jersey and later became part of a wider effort to change school policies. The student, identified as 15-year-old Mira Trivedi, started the campaign after her class eighth social studies lesson. According to Religion News Service (RNS), her teacher has described the swastika as a hate symbol connected to Hitler's antisemitism.

However, for Trivedi, this was different from what she had grown up seeing. Her family used the swastika during Hindu festivals and other auspicious occasions. After the class, Trivedi spoke to her teacher and explained the symbol's much older religious history. Her teacher then stated that changes to teaching would only come from senior officials. She then decided to take the matter further.

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From One Student To A School Board

In May 2025, Trivedi presented her concerns to her vice principal, principal, and school board in central New Jersey. Her efforts led the board to educate 35 teachers about the difference between the Hindu swastika and the Nazi symbol.

Maryland Students Take The Campaign Further

A similar effort took place in Maryland's Howard County Public School System. Hindu students Saisha Vyas and Priya Bakshi challenged the district's treatment of the swastika. Bakshi wanted to wear a necklace featuring the religious symbol at school, but district rules prohibited it. The two students then prepared educational material and met with school officials and Jewish groups to explain the difference between the Hindu swastika and the Nazi symbol.

Their campaign resulted in a policy change in February. The district changed its rules to specifically prohibit the Nazi Hakenkreuz rather than the religious swastika. The change affects nearly 50,000 students. Notably, the swastika is a sacred symbol associated with well-being and good fortune in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. However, the confusion over the two symbols continues to persist.

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