Calls For Accountability Grow Over Bulldozer In Edison Parade

EDISON, NJ —Community members and religious leaders have called on the council to probe the presence of a bulldozer during the India Independence Day parade in Edison.

On Aug. 14, a bulldozer, with a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, was part of the parade. The bulldozer is a symbol of the demolition of Muslim homes in India, religious and human rights groups have said. More: Muslim Groups Condemn Presence Of Bulldozer At Parade In Edison

During Monday’s council meeting, many residents said they were disappointed at seeing the bulldozer at the parade, which is viewed as an anti-Muslim symbol.

“The concern we have here as citizens is that they're trying to bring this ideology of hate in Edison,” resident Nausher Ahmed said. “I request you to look into their permit, and see in future all the floats are inspected to make sure there's no hate in there. It should be inclusive.”

Bishop Nikolaos Brown of Ignite Church said that as a resident of Edison, he never expected something like this to occur in the township.

“Let me be very clear that this act of hatred and injustice not only has repercussions here in Edison, but across the state, across the country and across the world,” Brown said. He called on Mayor Sam Joshi to release a statement, as promised, condemning this act.

“I'm calling to those leaders. We've put you in place for a reason. Do your job.”

Councilwoman Margot Harris said she was unaware of the bulldozer and its symbolism.

She said the Indian Business Association was responsible for the parade, and they have to be held accountable. “I just want to say that I do condemn in the strongest of terms, what took place last week. And we do need to hold those who are responsible accountable,” Harris said.

“This is a real eye opener. And I think going forward, we can all use some education, we could use some schooling in cultural sensitivity - on what kinds of symbols are particularly toxic to what cultures.”

Councilman Nishith Patel said he was “deeply disturbed by the symbolism” of the bulldozer at the parade.

“If I knew what this represented, I would have condemned it on the spot. And I would not have participated, even though it is my culture that I was celebrating,” Patel said.

“The bulldozer represented intolerance of a culture, division, it represented hatred, and I firmly condemned the use of this image in this march. The only thing we should be intolerant of is intolerance itself.”

Councilmembers told the community that the matter will “not be dropped” and investigated further.

The 18th Annual India Day Parade was held on Aug. 14, beginning at the intersection of Cinder Rd & Oak Tree Rd in Edison and ending at Middlesex Ave & Oak Tree Rd in Woodbridge.

The bulldozer became a divisive symbol in India after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used them to demolish the homes and livelihoods of the Muslim community. Critics say the demolitions are part of a retaliatory response to Muslims protesting or being vocal critics of the government.

In a report published earlier this year, Amnesty International called the practice “bulldozer justice” and condemned it as openly discriminatory and a violation of International Human Rights Laws.

Last week, Council on American-Islamic Relations, NJ (CAIR-NJ) and the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) have condemned the presence of a bulldozer.

This week, the Woodbridge/Perth Amboy chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) released a statement criticizing what they say was the "offensive" use of a bulldozer. More: Woodbridge/Perth Amboy NAACP Criticizes Bulldozer In India Parade

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