August Newsletter: HfHR and Paigam roll out first two episodes of Voices of Peace! Take the Rapid Test for Hindutva Virus. And much more!

September 1, 2021

HfHR's Monthly Newsletter serves as your guide to our progressive Hindu advocacy over the past month! Read on to learn about our webinars, podcasts, articles, advocacy updates, anti-caste initiatives, and more.

Namaste Dear Friend

August was the month of Independence Day celebrations in various countries including India, which unfortunately proved to be a sorrowful month, to say the least, for Afghanistan. Today, we share Rabindranath Tagore's "Chitto Jetha Bhayshunyo" as we send prayers to our Afghan brethren in their time of hopelessness and distress. This poem is also a serendipitous reminder to our Indian brethren of how Gurudev envisioned the Indian democracy and where it is currently heading to. For us, this poem is a continuous inspiration to strive for "that heaven of freedom" !

We have strongly advocated for the rights and safety of all communities in Afghanistan, held our Annual Strategic Retreat, rolled out our first two episodes of Voices of Peace, wrote articles, organized Congressional Briefings and much more!

Advocacy Initiatives

August 5th marked two shameful milestones in the history modern India. Two years ago, the Indian government unilaterally revoked Article 370, which granted a degree of autonomy to the state of Jammu & Kashmir. One year ago, on the same day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted the Bhumi Pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) for a temple to Lord Rama in the city of Ayodhya. This temple is being built over the ruins of a medieval mosque, the Babri Masjid, which was illegally demolished by a Hindu mob in 1992. On this occasion, HfHR brought out messages from Kashmir and Ayodhya, describing the situation on the ground, and calling on each of us to keep fighting for justice, pluralism, and peace.

On August 11th HfHR held a U.S. Congressional Briefing on India's Prisoners of Conscience wherein the speakers exposed how the Indian state has weaponized draconian laws and subverted the criminal justice system to incarcerate human rights defenders and religious minorities on false criminal charges.

HfHR fully endorsed Amnesty International's statement calling on Pakistan's government to drop ludicrous blasphemy charges against an 8-year-old Hindu boy--the youngest person in Pakistan's history to be charged with blasphemy, which can carry the death penalty.

HfHR Co-founder Raju Rajagopal innovatively designed a Rapid Test for the Hindutva Virus. Have you checked for the Hindutva Virus? Refer to the checklist below and diagnose yourself before its too late!

HfHR Annual Strategic Retreat

We held our Strategic Retreat in New Mexico wherein few members joined us physically and some others virtually. This was the first time we had this mixed format, but our highly experienced and well-organized facilitator Alissa Wise made sure everyone had an equal chance to be a part of the sessions. Alissa brought to the table her decades of experience leading Jewish Voice for Peace and streamlined the discussions accordingly. Several key issues related to the organization's current status and future plans were discussed in depth and important decisions taken.

Thank you, Alissa for leading the retreat with such great enthusiasm and in an outcome-oriented manner!

Here are a few glimpses from the retreat:

Solidarity for Afghanistan

We are heartbroken by the events in Afghanistan over the last few days. As the Taliban takes over and establishes control over the country, we are deeply worried for the safety and wellbeing of all Afghans, but particularly women, children, LGBTQ+ people, and minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, and Hazaras.

HfHR co-founder, Sunita Viswanath, has been working tirelessly to find ways to ensure the safety of all endangered communities, especially Hindus and Sikhs, in Afghanistan as part of her Women for Afghan work, an organization she co-founded.

She was featured on NDTV, pleading for India to rescue the Hindus and Sikhs stuck in Kabul and on NPR's 'Here and Now' speaking about what the future may hold for the women and children of Afghanistan under Taliban rule. She wrote a timely yet heartbreaking article in USA Today titled Time to panic: Lives of 500 Afghan women and children are at stake as time runs out.

Grassroots Media Advocacy

On August 15th, HfHR and PAIGAM celebrated the 75th year of India’s independence with the people of India by by launching the first episode of Voices of Peace title Rab Rakha (May God Protect You) by bringing forth uplifting voices of different faiths in the tiny village of Bhaloor in Moga, Punjab. This video captures the labor of love of 1,400 Sikh and Hindu families who are helping build a mosque for the five Muslim families living in the village.

In the second episode of Voices of Peace titled Jantantra-Mantantra: Rule of the people above rule of a person's will brought to light the events that unfolded at Jantar Mantar on August 8th and August 10th--the stark differences in State's response to the protestors; the difference between Hindutva and Hinduism, autocracy and democracy, and hatred and peace.

Youth Initiatives

We're excited to announce the third episode of our new youth podcast, Ganesha's Tusk by HfHR volunteer Samara Desai, who was a winner in the Civil Rights Essay and Art Contest organized by HfHR and Indian American Muslim Council in February 2021. In this podcast, Samara discusses Hindu epics, history, mythology, and how these tales inform and influence the youth of today.

This is a Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) initiative to dialogue with youth on their reflections on Hinduism. If you have feedback or suggestions for future episodes, or if a young person in your life would like to offer an episode, we would love to hear from you! Please write to us at info@hindusforhumanrights.org.

Listen to Ganesha's Tusk

HfHR Blogs, Articles, Webinars and Podcasts

HfHR Advocacy Director Nikhil Mandalaparthy shared a reflection for August 5th, titled Remembering a Temple, a Gurdwara, and a Masjid on August 5th, tying together the stories of a Hindu temple in Pakistan, the Oak Creek gurdwara in the United States, and the Babri Masjid in India.

Donate to our Legal Defense and Advocacy Fund

Please consider making a donation of any amount to Hindus for Human Rights' Legal Defense and Advocacy Fund. You can donate here; make sure to write "Legal Defense and Advocacy Fund" as a comment accompanying your donation. We need your support now, more than ever.

Donate to HfHR

By now you would have realized how busy we have been this month! We want to keep the intensity of this enthusiasm and passion going forward. Your support energizes us to build a bold and radically inclusive Hindu platform which opposes Hindutva and caste, and prioritizes the rights of marginalized communities.

Once again, thank you for your continuous support and well-wishes!

With our love, gratitude and solidarity,

HfHR Board and Staff
Bidisha, Deepak, Nikhil, Punya, Raju, Sravya, Sunil, Sunita, Swati, Swathi, Urmila, Vijay

Please Join Us

As Always, Get Involved. We would love to hear from you — write to us. Volunteer. Start a chapter. Hold a birthday fundraiser and raise both awareness and money!

And please consider a donation to HfHR so that our platform and movement for a Hindu resistance to Hindutva can grow stronger and more impactful.