Standing Up to Hate
Audrey Truschke advocates for knowledge, equality, and human rights. This has earned her hate from far-right groups and individuals.
Academic institutions, colleagues, and human rights and civil society organizations stand in solidarity with Professor Truschke. With their support, Professor Truschke withstands assaults that imperil herself, her family, and academic freedom.
For more on the types of assaults that Professor Truschke faces and how you can help, please see the Hindutva Harassment Field Manual, a project of the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective (also, listen here and watch here).
Audrey Truschke also advocates for academic freedom on behalf of others, serving at Rutgers as Chair of Rutgers AAUP Academic Freedom Committee 2022–2025. E.g., see this video from Dec 2023.
Casteism is our Birthright (2024–25)
Professor Truschke served as co-chair of the Rutgers University Task Force on Caste Discrimination, which published its report on caste-based discrimination at Rutgers and in American Higher Education broadly in 2024. This report resulted in the Rutgers administration acknowledging that caste-based discrimination is not allowed on campus and devoting resources to addressing the problem. Within a few months of the report’s release, Professor Truschke was named in a lawsuit that also targeted numerous other individuals at Rutgers, claiming that discussion of caste-based discrimination was unlawful. A New Jersey judge threw out the lawsuit in 2025.
Slay the Demon (2023)
Professor Truschke was the youngest of ten scholars and thinkers named as the ten heads of Ravana—an evil demon that is killed by the hero Rama in Hindu mythology— in a far-right book and subsequent talks.
One targeted scholar responded with a poem
Don’t Say Plagiarism (2022)
Along with other colleagues, Professor Truschke called attention to Dr. Vikram Sampath’s plagiarism (also here); additional examples. In response, Truschke faced hate mail and threats.
Plagiarized scholar calls for retraction and apology
Open letter of support by 150+ concerned scholars; Academe blog of AAUP on retaliatory censorship by the Indian state in February. As of May 5, 2022, Twitter is declining to censor further tweets.
SLAPP lawsuit by HAF (2021–)
In 2021, Professor Truschke began a research project on far-right Hindu nationalist groups in the United States, exploring their operations, connections with India-based groups, and cultural and social harms within America. Within months, one of the groups, HAF, filed a defamation lawsuit against Audrey Truschke (2021). Dr. Truschke was defended pro-bono by Cornell University’s First Amendment Law Clinic. A judge threw threw out the lawsuit in 2022.
Explainer and Religion News Service article. Abbreviated Timeline (see full timeline and list of documents)
Read Dr. Truschke’s attorneys’ press release upon the lawsuit’s dismissal here.
Hindu Right Blitzkrieg (2021)
In Spring 2021, Professor Truschke faced an orchestrated Hindu nationalist campaign of harassment, petitions, and violent threats, dubbed a Blitzkrieg by one observer. Dr. Truschke’s colleagues at Rutgers and across the world, as well as the Rutgers administration, stood behind her.
Support for Audrey Truschke: Rutgers administration (statement, article); Rutgers faculty-grad union statement; Faculty of South Asian origin letter; South Asian Studies program statement; Human rights and civil society groups letter; Rutgers University Senate Executive Committee resolution.
Professor Truschke wrote about the threat such attacks pose to academic freedom.
Don’t Say Nazi (2019)
In 2019, Professor Truschke spoke at a political protest in New York about the historical links between Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) and the Nazis. A video of the speech was widely shared on social media, prompting a widespread Hindu nationalist backlash.
Rutgers support news coverage; faculty + activist support letter
Speak No More (2018)
In 2018, Professor Truschke was scheduled to give a talk in Hyderabad, India. The Bajrang Dal threatened violence is the talk proceeded, and so the event was cancelled.
news coverage and op-ed by Professor Truschke
Aurangzeb (2017–)
In 2017, Professor Truschke published a succinct biography on Aurangzeb Alamgir, a 17th-century Indian Mughal king. The backlash, especially in India, lingered for years and included threats and harassment. Dr. Truschke was also compelled to censor the Indian edition of the book.
Hated Historian — Reflection
In 2020, Professor Truschke authored a reflection on living with hate mail that covers her experience 2015–2020.
