Saints & Sinners, Come On Out: |
The First Ever Desi Drag Night in Our Nation's Capital! |
DC, mark your calendars for June 5th! Join us at Sinners & Saints for the FIRST‑EVER Desi Drag Show in the capital!
Hosted by DC’s own Delusional Desi Diva Ani So Exotic. LA’s Rae Oblivion and Chicago’s own DCAmeron May and Abhijeet will serve you jaw‑dropping South Asian fantasy realness—get ready to be whisked away to the subcontinent for one unforgettable night. And that’s not all: after the main event, dance floor opens to your favorite Bollywood bops (plus all the best desi jams).
No cover—just pure vibes. Bring your crew and let’s make history! |
A Day of Action and Togetherness in Richmond Hill |
Join Sikh and Hindu communities in Richmond Hill for a vibrant day of community service, cultural celebration, and solidarity.
We're proud to be co-sponsoring this event alongside the Sikh Coalition, NYC Commission on Human Rights, and NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes. Phulaa da Pul / Phoolon Ka Pul will feature Know Your Rights training, music, food, children’s activities, and opportunities to connect across cultures and faiths. All are welcome. |
Register for Our Pride-Themed Baithak! |
Join us for the fourth installment of HfHR’s Baithaks for Liberation series, held in honor of Pride Month!
This discussion, moderated by Dr. Gautham Reddy, will bring together Dr. Raja Gopal Bhattar and Aruna Rao to center queerness in rethinking Hindu theology, ritual, and practice. Grounding the discussion in the lived realities of the LGBTQ+ South Asians, our panelists will examine how Hindu traditions can affirm and nurture queer belonging.
Together, we will envision what it means to uphold queer sacredness while challenging Brahmanical cisheteropatriarchy, cultivating a radically inclusive Hinduism rooted in joy and justice for all. |
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Friday, June 6th: Qais Essar and Sonny Singh Live at Wyldflower Arts: Oakland friends, join us for a night of music as Afghan American rabab virtuoso Qais Essar and Sikh American trumpeter/vocalist Sonny Singh come together in SANGAT—a powerful new collaboration that dissolves musical, political, and spiritual boundaries. HfHR is proud to co-sponsor this event alongside ASATA. Learn more here.
Sunday, June 8th: Los Angeles Chapter Meetup: Los Angeles friends, join us at a member's home near Leimert Park to unpack all things Hinduphobia -- What is Hinduphobia? How is it weaponized by the right wing? And how can we, as a progressive Hindu movement, fight back? Learn more here. |
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This Week in Human Rights History: |
The Belchi Massacre, 1977 |
This week in human rights history, we remember the Belchi massacre—a brutal episode of caste violence that unfolded in Bihar, India, in May 1977. In the village of Belchi, eleven people were killed—eight Dalits and three members of the backward Sunar caste.
The massacre was met with silence—until former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, then out of power, made a dramatic journey through floodwaters, including on the back of an elephant, to visit the grieving families. Her visit forced the nation to confront what had happened. |
HfHR in Action: From California to Texas |
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| Over this Memorial Day week, HfHR showed up from coast to coast.
In Sacramento, we stood with our Sikh allies to support SB 509, a critical bill to combat transnational repression. Meanwhile, in Dallas, our board member Dr. Bidisha Biswas represented us at the India AID Conference, sharing our vision for justice and equality. Bidisha spoke on a panel alongside our partners at IAMC and the Ambedkar King Study Circle.
From California to the conference hall, we’re proud to be part of these movements for change. |
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To Kashmir, From Around the World: Explore Messages From Our Vigil |
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On Monday, May 19th, Hindus for Human Rights held a vigil for peace and justice in Kashmir, in which politicians, activists, artists, academics, and more shared their messages of hope for and solidarity with the people of Kashmir in the aftermath of both the Pahalgam attacks and the India-Pakistan ceasefire. We've compiled these powerful and transformative messages on our website -- watch them now at the link below. |
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What's Happening in Kashmir? Take a Look at Our Reading List |
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In light of the horrifying attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, we've published a reading list of the key developments, reports, and human rights concerns from the days following the attack, with the intention to help readers stay informed, grounded, and committed to justice for all Kashmiris. We mourn this targeted attack of our fellow Hindus, but we also recognize that we cannot talk about Pahalgam without also describing the human rights crisis Kashmir has experienced over the past decades. Since 1990, the Indian Army has committed human rights atrocities with impunity, robbing Kashmiris of their constitutional autonomous status in 2019. |
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We're thrilled to have Aakar Patel join the Hindus for Human Rights Advisory Board! A syndicated columnist who has edited English and Gujarati newspapers, Aakar's books include 'Why I Write', a translation of Saadat Hasan Manto’s Urdu non-fiction (Tranquebar, 2014), 'Our Hindu Rashtra: What It Is. How We Got Here', a study of majoritarianism in India and Pakistan (Westland, 2020), 'Price of the Modi Years', a history of India after 2014 (Penguin Random House, 2021), 'The Anarchist Cookbook', a guide on why and how to protest (HarperCollins, 2022) and the novel 'After Messiah' (Vintage, 2023). He is Chair of Amnesty International India.
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We're excited to announce our newest addition to the Hindus for Human Rights team -- writer, social media manager, and cultural critic extrordinaire Vrinda Jagota. She's joining as our NYC Advocacy Organizer, where she'll be helping to build a robust, grassroots movement against Hindutva and towards truth, justice, peace, and progressive politics across all five boroughs. |
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When Grief Defies Hate: The Courage of Himanshi Narwal |
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Amongst the many tragedies to occur during the Pahalgam attack, Himanshi Narwal was widowed when her husband, Indian Army Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, was killed. But amidst the sorrow and the pain, something rare happened—Himanshi turned her pain until a call for unity: "People going against Muslims or Kashmiris, we don't want this. We want peace, and only peace." Since then, Himanshi has been met with relentless trolling online.
But why? Our new blog post unpacks this and more. |
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Hindus for Human Rights UK at London Nakba Day Demo |
| Earlier this month, Hindus for Human Rights UK presented a bloc of Hindu solidarity with Palestine and against the ongoing genocide.
Our signs, presence, and fight for freedom in Palestine was met with joy by many British Hindus, approaching us to share their delight at seeing progressive, pro-Palestine representation of our community. That very fact is why we're proud to state: British Hindus Stand with Palestine. |
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Become an HfHR Member Today! |
An HfHR membership gives you access to a community of progressive, change-oriented Hindus, our exclusive WhatsApp community, affinity groups, weekly community calls, merch discounts, local organizing groups, and more. Join today! |
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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.
Let us know what you think of our monthly recap! If you have ideas for news items you want to see included, or suggestions for action items or articles to highlight, let us know with the button below. |
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