Tuesday, October 6, 2026
5:00 p.m. ET
Open Gov Hub
1100 13th Street NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Free

Hindus for Human Rights is proud to co-sponsor this literary salon with PEN America, in conjunction with Open Gov Hub.

The salon will feature the work of incarcerated student activist Umar Khalid and other writings that explore activism, social movements and the power of the written word.

Arrested in September 2020 under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Khalid faces charges connected to the alleged larger conspiracy surrounding the 2020 Delhi riots. His continued incarceration has drawn concern from human rights organizations and advocates over prolonged pretrial detention and the criminalization of dissent.

In recognition of Banned Books Week, the gathering will explore how literature can document injustice, preserve contested histories and create space for voices targeted by censorship and repression.

Guests are invited to bring a poem, short reading, limerick or haiku relating to the evening’s theme of protest, or to read from Khalid’s work. A few guests will be welcomed to share excerpts that inspire them.

RSVP here

More information from PEN America

Tuesday, October 6, 2026
9:30 a.m. PT / 12:30 p.m. ET

Join the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and AAPI Data for a national community briefing exploring the latest findings from:

• The 2026 AAPI Voter Survey

• The State of AANHPIs report

• NCAPA policy primers

Representative Ted Lieu of California will deliver opening remarks.

The briefing will feature:

• Karthick Ramakrishnan, AAPI Data

• Christine Chen, APIAVote

• Adam Carbullido, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations

• Seema Agnani, National CAPACD

Register: aapidata.com/oct6briefing

SOLD OUT: DC Kids Interfaith Garba

UPDATE: SOLD OUT

Sunday, October 4, 2026 | 3:00–5:00 PM
Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC

Bring the family for an afternoon of Garba, community, and interfaith celebration.

DC Kids Interfaith Garba brings children and families together to share in the joy of dance and celebrate across faith traditions in a welcoming community space.

Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026
Time: 3:00–5:00 PM
Location: Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC
Tickets: bit.ly/DCKidsGarba

Supported by Hindus for Human Rights and BOL.

Gandhi Jayanti: Secularism, Pluralism and Constitutional Values in India

Saturday, October 3, 2026 | 11:00 AM CT | 9:30 PM IST | Zoom

Friends of India, Texas presents a Gandhi Jayanti conversation with Prof. Zoya Hasan, Professor Emerita at the Centre for Political Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Prof. Hasan will discuss secularism, pluralism and constitutional values in India, drawing on her extensive scholarship on democracy, political representation, equality, social justice and minority rights.

Moderator: Farah Ahmad
Hosted by: Friends of India, Texas
Zoom Meeting ID: 812 1868 0009
Passcode: 028369

Gandhi Jayanti: Gandhi’s Legacy, Democracy, and Social Change

Friday, October 2, 2026 | 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET | Online via Zoom

On Mahatma Gandhi’s 157th birth anniversary, Hindus for Human Rights invites you to a special online conversation exploring Gandhi’s legacy and its continuing relevance to movements for democracy, nonviolence, equality, and social change.

The program will feature:

Dr. Clayborne Carson
Martin Luther King Jr. Centennial Professor Emeritus at Stanford University and longtime scholar of the Black freedom struggle and Gandhian nonviolence.

Dr. Siby K. Joseph
Director of the Jamnalal Bajaj Memorial Library and programs at Sevagram, Gandhi’s final ashram in India.

Dr. Veena Howard
Professor of Asian Religions at CSU Fresno, Endowed Chair in Jain and Hindu Dharma, and Director of the M.K. Gandhi Center.

Dr. Michael W. Sonnleitner
Educator, scholar of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., satyagrahi, and member of Hindus for Human Rights.

The evening will also feature opening remarks from Yogendra Yadav.

📅 Friday, October 2
🕕 6 PM Pacific / 9 PM Eastern
💻 Online via Zoom
🎟️ Register: tinyurl.com/hfhrgandhi

Hosted by Hindus for Human Rights.

In Defense of Indian Democracy: Washington, DC Protest

Date: Friday, October 2, 2026
Time: 5 PM ET
Location: Gandhi Statue, Washington, DC

Gather on Gandhi’s birthday for a peaceful protest in defense of Indian democracy, electoral accountability and women’s rights.

In the spirit of Gandhi’s nonviolent struggle for freedom, the protest calls for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation and for justice and safety for India’s women. Join others committed to defending democratic rights and challenging abuses of power through peaceful collective action.

A New Approach to Interfaith Dialogue: Truth-Telling, Confession, Repentance & Shared Principles

Thursday, October 1, 2026 | 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Reception: 6:00–7:00 p.m.
The Riverside Church | 490 Riverside Drive, New York City

As religious nationalism grows in the United States and around the world, Faith Beyond Religious Nationalism invites us to begin interfaith dialogue with an honest examination of our own traditions. This gathering will explore how faith can be distorted to justify exclusion and how truth-telling, confession, repentance, and shared principles can help communities respond together.

The conversation features Peter Beinart, New York Times contributing opinion writer, editor-at-large of Jewish Currents, and author of Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning; Sunita Viswanath, co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights; and the Rev. John J. Thatamanil, Professor at Union Theological Seminary.

Imam Shamsi Ali, the Rev. Adriene Thorne, the Rev. Neal Christie, and the Rev. Peter Cook will also join the conversation. This is the first in a planned series of self-reflective dialogues across faith traditions.

RSVP here or scan the QR code on the flyer. To learn more about this dialogue and Faith Beyond Religious Nationalism, visit www.faithinthepublicsquare.com. or QR code on the flyer.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026
5:30–7:00 p.m. IST
Jawahar Bhawan
Dr Rajendra Prasad Road. (the Raisina Road entry is closed), New Delhi
Opposite Shastri Bhawan

Join us for the Delhi launch of Seeing Equally: An Anthology of Progressive Hindu Voices, edited by Anantanand Rambachan and Hindus for Human Rights co-founder Sunita Viswanath.

The anthology brings together progressive Hindu voices engaging questions of equality, justice, caste, gender, pluralism and the possibilities of a more inclusive Hinduism.

The launch will feature a panel with:

Apoorvanand - Educator, columnist and political commentator

Rahul Dev - Senior journalist and author

Karthika V.K. - Publisher of Westland Books

Contributors to Seeing Equally:

• Swami Raghavendra

• Swami Korneshwar

• Mahant Ram Das

• Sadhvi Madhuri

Come celebrate the book and join a timely conversation about the future of progressive Hindu thought and practice.

Dallas friends: join us for dinner and conversation, meet other supporters in the region and meet Sravya Tadepalli, HfHR’s new Executive Director. Location shared after RSVP.

🗓 Sunday, Sept. 27
⏰ 4 PM

RSVP: tinyurl.com/hfhrdallas

Date: Thursday September 24, 2026

Time: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Central Time

Location: Zoom

Abstract

Whether liberty and equality have survived as values after our world’s recent history is the question I ask. For answers I go to the modern stories of India and its neighbors in South Asia, which I’ve been studying for a while, and also to the Gulf and the Middle East, and to events unfolding in Europe and the US. The talk will recognize that liberty and equality, historically demanded in universal terms, i.e. for everyone, and at times inscribed for everyone in prestigious documents, were in practice always and everywhere confined to certain social groups and some geographical areas. The ambit of liberty and equality widened spectacularly in the 20th century, but has narrowed in this the 21st century, with supremacyand security acquiring the status of great national goals. I will conclude with a reflection on the possibilities of restoring the primacy of liberty and equality.

About Speaker

Rajmohan Gandhi has been a journalist, a professor of history and politics, an author, a member of the Rajya Sabha, and a worker for dialogue and reconciliation. Currently he serves as editor-in-chief of the website www.weareonehumanity.org. His father Devadas Gandhi (1900-1957) was Mahatma Gandhi’s fourth and youngest son.

This event is free and open to the UT community and the general public.

REGISTER HERE!

James Lawson: Teacher of Satyagraha — A Conversation on Rajmohan Gandhi’s New Biography

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 | 9:30–10:45 AM | Zoom

The M.K. Gandhi Center at Fresno State invites you to an interactive conversation on Rajmohan Gandhi’s new biography of Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., one of the most influential strategists and teachers of nonviolent resistance in the U.S. civil rights movement.

The discussion will explore Lawson’s life, his commitment to confronting racism through creative nonviolent action, and the urgent lessons his work offers movements for justice today.

Presenters:
Rajmohan Gandhi, historian, biographer and peace activist
Dr. Dennis C. Dickerson, Reverend James M. Lawson Chair in History Emeritus, Vanderbilt University
Dr. Michael Onyebuchi Eze, Associate Professor of Africana Studies, CSU Fresno
Fr. John Dear, peace activist, author and longtime friend of Rev. James Lawson

Moderator: Dr. Veena Howard, Professor of Asian Religious Traditions and Director of the M.K. Gandhi Center at Fresno State

Hosted by: Fresno State Department of Philosophy and M.K. Gandhi Center: Inner Peace and Sarvodaya
Registration: Zoom registration via the QR code/link on the flyer.

Teach-In & Discussion: Join the Fight Against Caste Oppression

Join organizers and community members for a teach-in and discussion on caste oppression and worker exploitation, focused on the experiences of workers trafficked from India to New Jersey.

Learn more about the workers’ struggle, the role caste discrimination has played in their exploitation, and how you can support their campaign going forward.

📅 Sunday, September 13, 2026
⏰ 1:00–4:00 PM
📍 New Brunswick, New Jersey + Zoom
🍴 Lunch provided

The event is hybrid. RSVP to receive the in-person location or Zoom link:

bit.ly/anti-caste

The teach-in is being organized in collaboration with labor, Dalit and community organizations in New Jersey.

Standing Together: A Walk and Vigil With September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows

Join September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows on September 10 for a 25th anniversary commemoration of 9/11 rooted in remembrance, reflection, peace and human rights.

Founded by family members of people killed on September 11, Peaceful Tomorrows has spent 25 years transforming grief into action against violence and war. This gathering will honor those who were lost while recommitting to a future grounded in human rights, accountability, compassion and peace.

Participants are welcome to join for the full program or for any portion of the evening.

📅 Thursday, September 10, 2026
📍 New York City: Union Square to Ground Zero

Program:
5:00 PM — Reflecting & Recommitting
Union Square Park, Southwest Plaza near the Gandhi statue. Speakers and reflection on 25 years of advocacy for survivors of violence, accountability, human rights and alternatives to the “War on Terror.”

6:00 PM — Walk for a More Peaceful Tomorrow
Walk together from Union Square to Ground Zero.

7:15 PM — Vigil at Ground Zero
A gathering at the 9/11 Memorial Site for remembrance and reflection. Meet at Fulton & Greenwich Streets.

RSVP & full details:
Standing Together: 25th Commemoration Event

We, The People of India: A Conversation with T.M. Krishna

Saturday, September 5, 2026
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM ET
Virtual on Zoom: https://cedarlane.org/calendar/tm-krishna

Hindus for Human Rights is proud to co-sponsor a virtual conversation with acclaimed Carnatic musician, writer, and public intellectual T.M. Krishna, hosted by Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation.

Drawing from his new book, We, The People of India: Decoding a Nation’s Identity & Values, Krishna will explore what it means to belong to India today, and how the country’s democratic, constitutional, cultural, and pluralistic traditions can help us imagine a more inclusive future.

Known for challenging caste hierarchy, religious majoritarianism, and exclusion within both Indian society and classical music, Krishna has long argued for a vision of India rooted in equality, dignity, artistic freedom, and the idea that the nation belongs equally to all its people.

Join us for a timely conversation about citizenship, democracy, identity, and the continuing struggle over what India is and whom it belongs to.

Featuring: T.M. Krishna
Hosted by: Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Co-sponsored by: Hindus for Human Rights
Location: Online via Zoom: https://cedarlane.org/calendar/tm-krishna
Time: 10:00 AM ET / 7:30 PM IST

7th Annual Ambedkar King Study Circle Conference

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
Time: To be announced
Location: Los Cerritos Community Center, Fremont, California
Organizer: Ambedkar King Study Circle

The Ambedkar King Study Circle presents its seventh annual conference, bringing together students, activists, artists, scholars, and community members to examine the relationship between democracy, freedom, culture, law, and emerging technology.

Conference Theme

Democracy & Freedom: Promise vs. Practice
How Culture, Law and AI Control the Narrative

The conference will explore the distance between democratic ideals and lived realities, including the ways cultural narratives, legal structures, and artificial intelligence can shape public understanding and political power.

Call for Presenters

Students, activists, and artists are invited to submit abstracts and share their research, experiences, creative work, and ideas. Registration and presenter submissions are now open.

Register or submit an abstract: https://akscusa.squarespace.com/conf-26 — Deadline: 5pm PST, September 1 2026

The Ambedkar King Study Circle works toward an egalitarian society by challenging caste, class, race, gender, and religious oppression, drawing inspiration from the legacies of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Hindus Say No to the RSS: Rally for a Secular, Interfaith India

Saturday, August 29, 2026 | 12–4 PM
Madison Square Garden, Seventh Avenue between West 31st and 33rd Streets, New York City

Join Hindus for Human Rights and allies outside Madison Square Garden as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat appears in New York City.

For a century, the RSS has advanced a Hindu nationalist vision of India that threatens Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and others who do not fit its narrow definition of the nation. We will gather as Hindus and New Yorkers to reject the RSS and stand for an India rooted in secularism, equality, religious pluralism and human rights.

All who oppose religious supremacy and believe in an inclusive, interfaith India are welcome.

Masks are recommended. Please check Hindus for Human Rights’ social media channels for updates.

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 6:00 PM
Gas Works Park, Kite Hill facing the water | Seattle, WA

Join South Asians Resisting Imperialism (SARI) for an informal community picnic with chai, carrom and conversation. Meet members of this Seattle-based anti-imperialist organization, learn about its work against class, caste and imperialism, and find out how to get involved.

Learn more: https://www.instagram.com/southasiansresist/

Understanding the New Student Visa Restrictions

Tuesday, August 25, 2026
12:00–1:00 PM ET | 11:00 AM–12:00 PM CT | 9:00–10:00 AM PT
Online webinar

New student visa restrictions could have significant consequences for current international students and those planning to study in the United States. Join legal and community experts for a timely discussion of what has changed, who may be affected, and what students and families should consider.

Featured panelists:

• Tejas Shah, SABA Foundation

• Anna Stepanova, Murthy Law Firm

• Mala Bajpai, SABA North America

Presented by the SABA Foundation, the South Asian American Justice Collaborative, SABA North America, and Murthy Law Firm.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/saajcostudentvisa

Baithaks for Liberation: Sanctuary, Song, and Struggle

Saturday, August 22, 2026
12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT
RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/August2026Baithak

What possibilities emerge when spiritual traditions meet across boundaries of race, geography, and history?

For this edition of Baithaks for Liberation, Hindus for Human Rights co-founder Punya Upadhyaya joins acclaimed interdisciplinary artist and devotee Nikesha Breeze for a conversation exploring the living intersections of Black memory, Hindu devotion, and Native ceremony.

Grounded in the high desert of Taos, New Mexico, the discussion will reflect on the Taos Hanuman Mandir as a sanctuary where sacred lineages meet. Punya and Nikesha will explore the devotional power of the Hanuman Chalisa, African American memorial art, shared pilgrimage from Selma to the high desert, and the ways relational and ancestral memory can challenge spiritual gatekeeping.

Join us for a conversation about sanctuary, song, ceremony, and the spiritual resources that sustain collective struggles for freedom.

Caste in Tech: A Transnational Analysis

Thursday, August 20, 2026
7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT
Online

This talk explores the impact of U.S. technology companies on India, the world’s fastest-growing internet market and home to a large tech workforce. The discussion will examine caste discrimination, labor exploitation, and corporate partnerships with authoritarian regimes, while considering the challenges and possibilities of transnational organizing.

Hosted by: Tech Workers Coalition Global
Register: https://twcl.ink/twc-edu-aug-2026

INDIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY GATHERINGS

Saturday, August 15, 2026
Multiple locations across the United States and the United Kingdom
Presented by Hindus for Human Rights

Hindus for Human Rights communities will gather in seven cities to celebrate Indian Independence Day and renew our commitment to the unfinished work of freedom.

India’s independence was won through collective resistance to colonial rule and a far-reaching vision of a pluralistic country grounded in equality and shared belonging. These gatherings will honor that history while creating space for celebration, reflection, community, and action.

Participants will affirm a vision of India that resists caste, religious nationalism, authoritarianism, and attacks on democratic freedoms. Together, we will celebrate the people and movements carrying forward the struggle for dignity and equal rights.

GATHERINGS

Austin
10:00 a.m.
Outside Hancock Recreation Center

Philadelphia
3:00 p.m.
Fishtown Community Library

Bay Area
12:00 p.m.
Chandni Restaurant, Newark, California

Seattle
1:00 p.m.
Zoka Coffee on 56th Street, Seattle

New York
11:00 a.m.
Demonstration outside the Consulate General of India

Washington, DC
See the local event graphic for complete gathering details.

London
See the local event graphic for complete gathering details.

All community members and allies are welcome. Please consult the accompanying event graphics for the latest local information.

We Stand With Assam: Poetry and Spoken Word Fundraiser

Friday, August 14, 2026
7:00 to 8:00 PM | Online via Zoom
Minimum donation: $10

On the eve of India’s Independence Day, join an evening of poetry, spoken word, warmth and friendship in solidarity with communities in Assam recovering from devastating floods.

The event will honor the friends and volunteers working tirelessly to provide relief. One hundred percent of donations will fund ration kits and medical supplies for immediate support.

The Zoom link will be emailed to participants after registration.

Registration: https://events.humanitix.com/poetryforassam

Students Fighting Fascism in India: What Lies Ahead?

Sunday, August 9, 2026
3:00 PM UK | 10:00 AM US Eastern | 7:30 PM India.
Online via Zoom, with an in-person watch gathering planned
Register: tinyurl.com/Cockroachindia

India’s student movement has won a major victory with the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. But the struggle for democratic, accountable and equitable education is far from over.

Join a conversation about the future of the movement and the continuing fight against police brutality, Islamophobia, Hindu supremacist politics and attacks on democracy across India.

Featuring:

• Arundhati Roy, writer and longtime supporter of left and student movements for democracy

• Neha Bora, President of the All India Students’ Association

• Danish Ali, Joint Secretary of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union

• Additional speakers to be announced

Participants will hear directly from leading voices in the student resistance and discuss how people in India and around the world can continue building meaningful solidarity.

An in-person watch gathering is also being planned, with the venue to be announced. Attendees are invited to remain afterward for informal conversation, tea, banner painting and planning future solidarity activities.

All are welcome.

Eyewitness Accounts: India’s Crackdown on the Student Movement

Join the Indian American Muslim Council for a congressional briefing featuring eyewitness accounts and analysis of the Indian government’s arrests, criminal prosecutions, expulsions and other forms of retaliation against student activists and young people.

Wednesday, August 5, 2026
12:00 PM ET / 9:30 PM IST
Online via Zoom

Panelists:

• N. Sai Balaji, former president, JNU Students’ Union

• Shabnam Hashmi, social activist

• Dr. Monami Basu, professor, Delhi University

Zoom link: https://iamc.com/briefing05aug26

Stand With India’s Students: Peaceful Demonstration in Irving, Texas

Sunday, July 26, 2026
6:00–8:30 PM
Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza, Irving, Texas

Join the Texas Voice Coalition for a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with India’s students as they demand justice, accountability, democratic rights, and a fairer education system.

Students across India have taken to the streets over examination failures, recruitment crises, institutional corruption, and the lack of meaningful government accountability. This gathering offers Texans an opportunity to stand with their movement and affirm that students have the right to organize, protest peacefully, and be heard.

Organized by: Texas Voice Coalition
Contact: texasvoicecoalition@gmail.com

Educate. Agitate. Organize.

Stand With India’s Students: Washington, DC

Join Hindus for Human Rights and The Azadi Project for a peaceful gathering in support of Sonam Wangchuk and India’s students.

Students and job seekers across India are demanding fair examinations, accountable institutions and a serious response to the failures affecting their education and futures. Community members will gather at the Mahatma Gandhi statue to stand with their movement and affirm their right to be heard.

Sunday, July 26, 2026
5:00–6:30 PM

Mahatma Gandhi Statue
Massachusetts Avenue and Q Street NW
Opposite the Embassy of India
Washington, DC

The gathering will include speakers, community solidarity and a call for education justice and accountability. All are welcome.

Supported by: Hindus for Human Rights and The Azadi Project
Petition: change.org/supportsonamwangchuk

London in Solidarity With India’s Students

Join the Students’ Federation of India–United Kingdom for a solidarity gathering and open mic at Trafalgar Square.

The event will bring together students, artists and community members in support of India’s students as they demand a fair education system, institutional accountability and an end to repression. Attendees are invited to perform, speak or share creative expressions of resistance.

Date: Sunday, July 26, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Trafalgar Square, London
Organized by: Students’ Federation of India–United Kingdom

Those interested in participating in the open mic can register through the link in the organizers’ bio.

Austin Rally: Stand With Indian Students

Join Hindus for Human Rights and Friends of India Texas for a solidarity rally supporting the students across India demanding fair examinations, education accountability and an end to police violence.

Students and young people have taken to the streets over examination failures, recruitment problems and the lack of meaningful institutional accountability. Instead of listening to their demands, authorities have responded to peaceful demonstrations with repression and police brutality.

We will gather at Austin City Hall to stand with India’s students and affirm their right to protest, to be heard and to build a future they can trust.

Date: Sunday, July 26, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Austin City Hall, Austin, Texas
Organized by: Hindus for Human Rights and Friends of India Texas