Qfyilyi

Swastika is religious symbol in India and many countries don't find it offensive but due to Nazi connections, will a traveler will get in trouble if he carries anything with the swastika symbol in the USA? Like a T-shirt, Tattoo or religious book with that logo? Do I need to hide it, or avoid even carrying it?

It is not illegal to display a swastika in the US; however, the symbol is generally understood in the US to be a symbol of Nazism and displaying it publicly is likely to be extremely hurtful to those around you (perhaps in particular members of groups targeted by Nazis), not to mention earn you significant unwanted attention. If it is on a religious book and it is clear that it is a religious symbol unrelated to the Nazi party, then that is more likely to be OK. I would definitely avoid wearing it on a t-shirt or displaying a swastika tattoo.

Source: I am a US resident.

I mostly agree with @ajd, and it'll depend a bit on where in the country you are. While I hate stereotyping, in the US it's not a bad starting point.

T-shirts and apparel with a swastika is almost certain to get you negative attention, especially in more liberal parts of the country, though one might think that more liberal areas would be more likely to understand the difference. In heavily conservative areas, you're more likely to be harassed for being Indian than for a swastika (yes, I've seen it happen). I know it sounds like I'm bashing my country, but this is mostly a worst-case scenario type of thing - better to be prepared and understand than not. :)

The current socio-political environment in the US and the increase in white supremacist activity definitely puts a damper on this particular religious freedom. It's not illegal, and you won't be imprisoned or fined, but I'd be concerned about your safety and well-being.

If you happen to be coming to Michigan, let me know. We have a pretty heavy Indian population here. I can ask a few friends for advice, if they have any, on this particular issue. :)

There are unfortunately groups of people, especially when in a "group" who are unable to differentiate between one symbol and another.

A recent demonstration of this can be seen in the video below:

https://youtu.be/OkFb6Z4qBo4 (taken from this reddit thread)

I'm not sure the UK is much different in terms of the US with regards to "Social Norms", the other answers go into this in much better detail but I wanted to show a potential reaction.