Proposed $8M religious grants ignite community debate

In Indian Link’s Federal Election 2025 survey conducted this month, one question addressed the substantial funding promises made to Hindu organisations by both the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal-National Coalition. It drew the highest volume of commentary across the entire questionnaire.

Here are some comments from the 22% who agreed that religion-specific announcements are appropriate:

• I think it is important to make us count as a significant vote bank.
• Well, the small Jewish groups get all sorts of benefits so why shouldn’t Hindus?
• There seems to be an over pandering to the Muslim vote. Hindus need to assert identity and be heard.
• As one of the fastest growing migrant communities in Australia, and also those who suffer highly from cost-of-living pressures and crackdowns on student policies, I am happy for our politicians to be making statements aimed at Hindu communities. It also has inclusivity benefits.
• Good.
• Hindu temples and Hindus have been targeted recently in Australia and some safety or priority needs to given to safety. Hindus are generally peace living people and also contribute a lot to the economy. Mostly both family members work hard to ensure they are doing well in the country they chose to migrate.
• Other communities get much more attention.
• The Hindu community is a growing and increasingly important bloc of voters.
• It is good. You should have asked similar question for Muslim community as pre-election commitments announced for them too. This shows your bias mindset. Not fair journalism. Religious funding 
• Why are you only asking about Hindu policies – there are Indian Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians too. Stop being divisive first. 

And from the 53% of respondents who expressed dissatisfaction with the move:

• These sorts of commitments only come about during election time… there has to be consistency plus there needs to be evidence-based support to rationalise such support. Right now it’s merely money for votes and that’s not the kind of dependency we want to create in our community. Religious funding  
• It’s a gimmicky thing to do – aiming to grab votes from the community. Policies should be fair and common to all Australians regardless of culture. Policies should be made to reflect cultural inclusion – not directly to regulate a religion or culture.
• There is no real connection or relationship here other than seeking votes, which is disingenuous and therefore a complete lie. Not the best way to have any meaningful relationship.
• These pledges are offered out at election times only and religion should not be part of politics. Every human should be treated equal.
• Governments should be secular.
• This is Australia so Hindu-specific policies have no place here.
• Policies should be for all and not different for specific religions.
• Religion should not be involved in any decision involving the country or the country’s workings. Also, we need to tax religious organisations. Religious funding 
• I don’t believe in differentiation by religion.
• Typical vote bank politics.
• We are a secular country.
• Divide and rule. Very dangerous.
• Keep religion away from politics, it’s a dangerous game…. it divides communities.
• Policy should not be for religion groups.
• It’s pandering.
• There’s no need to further amplify the divide already existing within religious communities.
• This is Indian style policy, not Western values.
• Policies tied to a religion is always a slippery slope. See the current state of India!
• It’s either vote buying or currying favours with others
• It divides the Australian community. They need to focus more on the First Nations people.
• It’s discrimination.
• Policies should be fair and equitable.
• Secularism is important in a democracy
• It behooves the government to uphold social cohesion
• Political parties are doing this just to get Hindu votes
• We live in Australia and should have equal policies for all. I think Hindus are treated pretty well compared to other minority groups and Aboriginal people.
• Hindu policy wouldn’t help the entire Indian diaspora as not all of us are Hindu.
• Hindus are not a homogenous group and have different values and beliefs. Playing on cultural groups is divisive and reflects wealth and cultural capital. Not ok.
• When you migrate to another country, it’s important not to assert dominance based solely on the number of people from your religious community.
• I like my politics to be non-discriminatory. Else we are going down the road of politics in India and USA. It is dirty and corrupt. Religious funding 
• As a religiously agnostic person, I believe politics shouldn’t have anything to with religion (whatever is the equivalent of the principle of ‘separation of church and state’). I believe there should be no special favours or exemptions for any religions and/or religious bodies.
• We should practice our faith in our way without being a burden on the wider society.
• Religion should stay outside of all this.
• Tokenism does not serve the community and reinforces the belief they are easily placated, and therefore expendable.
• Goes against the fundamental essence of the law. If such a policy/law is to be announced, it needs to be aimed at ‘religious communities’ at large rather than a specific community.
• Indian immigrants are of diverse backgrounds so (policy announcements) shouldn’t be Hindu-specific
• Inclusion should not be viewed as a privilege. It’s a treatment everyone deserves to receive.
• Religion and politics don’t mix.
• Unnecessary
• Any pandering to Hindu Nationalist extremism is toxic and horrendous
• Not needed for specific religious groups. Hindus have received enough support from Australian and Modi Governments. Religious funding 
• Religion must be kept away from politics.
• The rise of far-right extremism and nationalist rhetoric in India has been fuelled by prioritising Hindu beliefs above others, as superior or more worthy. This should not happen in a proudly and historically secular, inclusive country like India – and should extend to its diaspora in Australia.
• They don’t know enough to make policies about other religions
• Already the Hindu community gets enough support from its own government – no additional support needed.
• If they’re only targeting specific communities, it begs the question of why? What are their motives? Why are they trying to buy a vote?
• Policies should be for all and not different for specific religions
• Why Hindu? India is more than just Hindu. The Indian community is more than just Hindu. That’s just politicians pandering and ignoring the rise of Hindu fascism in India.
• Tokenism does not serve the community and reinforces the belief they are easily placated, and therefore expendable. Religious funding 
• Goes against the fundamental essence of the law. If such a policy/law is to be announced, it needs to be aimed at ‘religious communities’ at large rather than a specific community
  
• Government needs to govern for all. Religious people are a minority within a minority. People who have Hindu heritage are not necessarily Hindu.
• Inclusivity.
• Does not solve any problems
• Multicultural instincts go a long way in promoting human relationships.
• In a multicultural country like Australia, it is important to make policy announcements that consider all communities equally.
• I feel that India’s strength is in its secularism.
• I don’t want to see religion linked to politics.
• I support cultural inclusion but balanced with fairness to all (e.g. holiday greetings)
• Making community or religion specific announcements to please certain community groups happy is not a good policy in the long run. It creates divide and it is not appropriate for political parties to engage in pleasing political agenda. There should be a genuine try to understand which religious minority group contributes positively in building a prosperous and peaceful Australia.
• This question should not be framed for Hindus only. It should be framed in general for all religions announcements.

Read more: Indian Link Federal Election Survey 2025: Voting intentions in the Indian community