Comment by Riaz Haq on June 14, 2022 at 6:23pm

A mysterious new report tells you who funds Hindu nationalism in US, and with how much money
While Hindu groups like the HSS flag the report as 'unreliable', anti-Hindutva activists say that it's based on available data but not getting enough attention.
VANDANA MENON

https://theprint.in/features/a-mysterious-new-report-tells-you-who-...

Drawing upon publicly available resources, the report details the financial ties of groups in the US that are spending millions to influence American education and further the interests of the Indian government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Over almost 20 years — 2001 to 2019 — seven of these charitable groups spent at least $158.9 million, sending some of it to groups in India. Around half of this money, nearly $85.4 million, was spent between 2014 and 2019.

While Hindu groups in the US have flagged the unreliability of the report, anti-Hindutva activists have said that it is based on publicly available data but not getting enough public attention.


Titled ‘Hindu Nationalist Influence in the United States, 2014-2021: The Infrastructure of Hindutva Mobilizing,’ the report is authored by Jasa Macher and facilitated by the South Asian Citizens Web. It’s a researched update on a 2014 report, authored by someone who uses the same initials and email address: JM.

But Google the author and you won’t find a digital footprint — only references to their report.

“We find it strange that a report on the alleged nefariousness of various organisations, including our own, is likely written under an unacknowledged pseudonym, seemingly created solely for the purpose of this report,” wrote the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) to ThePrint in an email response.

Following the money
So, where does the money come from? Philanthropists among the diaspora, fundraising drives, wealthy family foundations and American taxpayers themselves.

Organisations like the Bhutada Family Foundation and the Puran Devi Aggarwal Family Foundation donated around $2 million to groups like the HAF, the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), and Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA between 2006 and 2018, according to tax records. While the report points out that the donors’ ideological opinions can’t be assumed based on the fact that they’ve donated to Hindu non-profit groups, it lists the Sangh affiliations of those who head these family foundations.

According to a 2021 Al Jazeera report, five Right-wing groups — Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA, HAF, Infinity Foundation, Sewa International, and VHPA — received $833,000 of U.S. federal Covid relief funds, paid for by the American taxpayer. The HAF filed a defamation suit against the reporter, Raqib Hameed Naik, as well as others named in the report, including members of another US-based group, Hindus For Human Rights. ThePrint has reached out to the organizations mentioned in this article for their comments on the report.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 15, 2022 at 7:17am

As Prophet, BJP & ‘Fringe’ Battle Rages in India, Diaspora in US Grows Divided
It’s obvious that the BJP’s domestic agenda is impacting India’s foreign policy goals and outreach.


https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/prophet-bjp-fringe-india-nu...

Snapshot
In Washington, Muslim activists are busy organising “briefings” on the situation in India to gain more traction on Capitol Hill.

Hindu groups are angry for a different reason. The sidelining of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal is seen as abdication, not course correction.

The diaspora stands further divided. Starting from 2015, the BJP’s overseas supporters had begun using the term “Hindu Americans” instead of Indian Americans.

A significant percentage of voters in western societies, which are themselves battling racism, gun violence and police brutality, want their governments to treat minorities fairly and humanely.

----------

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the larger Sangh family face a critical question in the wake of the Nupur Sharma controversy: change course and moderate the message or stay the course and brazen it out because this, too, shall pass?

Yes, it grates that instead of listening to countless appeals from their own citizens to stop the everyday toxicity, the government acted only in response to pressure from Muslim countries where democracy and debate are not in fashion. But the sheikhdoms know how to use their muscle – they made the BJP watch its own show bomb slowly at the box office.


As Prophet, BJP & ‘Fringe’ Battle Rages in India, Diaspora in US Grows Divided
It’s obvious that the BJP’s domestic agenda is impacting India’s foreign policy goals and outreach.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the larger Sangh family face a critical question in the wake of the Nupur Sharma controversy: change course and moderate the message or stay the course and brazen it out because this, too, shall pass?

Yes, it grates that instead of listening to countless appeals from their own citizens to stop the everyday toxicity, the government acted only in response to pressure from Muslim countries where democracy and debate are not in fashion. But the sheikhdoms know how to use their muscle – they made the BJP watch its own show bomb slowly at the box office.

Snapshot
In Washington, Muslim activists are busy organising “briefings” on the situation in India to gain more traction on Capitol Hill.

Hindu groups are angry for a different reason. The sidelining of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal is seen as abdication, not course correction.

The diaspora stands further divided. Starting from 2015, the BJP’s overseas supporters had begun using the term “Hindu Americans” instead of Indian Americans.

A significant percentage of voters in western societies, which are themselves battling racism, gun violence and police brutality, want their governments to treat minorities fairly and humanely.

In Washington, Muslim activists are busy organising “briefings” on the situation in India, using the bonanza of fiascos – the latest being the demolition of an activist’s home in Prayagraj – to gain more traction on Capitol Hill. Their anti-BJP campaign morphed into an anti-India campaign some time ago.

Hindu groups are angry for a different reason. The sidelining of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal is seen as abdication, not course correction. Some have started talking in terms of “naram dal” (soft groups) and “garam dal” (tough groups) to distinguish between real Hindutva leaders and others. They don’t want to discuss the high stakes involved in India’s relations with Arab countries.

'Hindu Americans', Not Indian Americans
The diaspora stands further divided, a process that started around 2015 as BJP’s overseas supporters gained new energy and began using the term “Hindu Americans” instead of Indian Americans. The long-term impact of such fracturing of the community cannot be a net positive for India’s goal of harnessing their power.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 15, 2022 at 7:19am

As Prophet, BJP & ‘Fringe’ Battle Rages in India, Diaspora in US Grows Divided
It’s obvious that the BJP’s domestic agenda is impacting India’s foreign policy goals and outreach.

https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/prophet-bjp-fringe-india-nu...

It’s obvious that the BJP’s domestic agenda is impacting India’s foreign policy goals and outreach. The message from the Arab world was clear: enough is enough. As statements poured in to condemn Sharma’s provocative outburst against Prophet Muhammad, the government had no choice but to take action.

As Prophet, BJP & ‘Fringe’ Battle Rages in India, Diaspora in US Grows Divided
It’s obvious that the BJP’s domestic agenda is impacting India’s foreign policy goals and outreach.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the larger Sangh family face a critical question in the wake of the Nupur Sharma controversy: change course and moderate the message or stay the course and brazen it out because this, too, shall pass?

Yes, it grates that instead of listening to countless appeals from their own citizens to stop the everyday toxicity, the government acted only in response to pressure from Muslim countries where democracy and debate are not in fashion. But the sheikhdoms know how to use their muscle – they made the BJP watch its own show bomb slowly at the box office.

Snapshot
In Washington, Muslim activists are busy organising “briefings” on the situation in India to gain more traction on Capitol Hill.

Hindu groups are angry for a different reason. The sidelining of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal is seen as abdication, not course correction.

The diaspora stands further divided. Starting from 2015, the BJP’s overseas supporters had begun using the term “Hindu Americans” instead of Indian Americans.

A significant percentage of voters in western societies, which are themselves battling racism, gun violence and police brutality, want their governments to treat minorities fairly and humanely.

In Washington, Muslim activists are busy organising “briefings” on the situation in India, using the bonanza of fiascos – the latest being the demolition of an activist’s home in Prayagraj – to gain more traction on Capitol Hill. Their anti-BJP campaign morphed into an anti-India campaign some time ago.

Hindu groups are angry for a different reason. The sidelining of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal is seen as abdication, not course correction. Some have started talking in terms of “naram dal” (soft groups) and “garam dal” (tough groups) to distinguish between real Hindutva leaders and others. They don’t want to discuss the high stakes involved in India’s relations with Arab countries.

ADVERTISEMENT

'Hindu Americans', Not Indian Americans
The diaspora stands further divided, a process that started around 2015 as BJP’s overseas supporters gained new energy and began using the term “Hindu Americans” instead of Indian Americans. The long-term impact of such fracturing of the community cannot be a net positive for India’s goal of harnessing their power.

It’s obvious that the BJP’s domestic agenda is impacting India’s foreign policy goals and outreach. The message from the Arab world was clear: enough is enough. As statements poured in to condemn Sharma’s provocative outburst against Prophet Muhammad, the government had no choice but to take action.

The BJP suspended Sharma, the national spokesperson, and expelled Naveen Kumar Jindal, former chief of BJP’s Delhi media unit, who had jumped into the controversy to add insult to injury. Both were temporarily deemed “fringe elements” by innovative spin doctors, a feint that was a second self-goal.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 15, 2022 at 7:20am

As Prophet, BJP & ‘Fringe’ Battle Rages in India, Diaspora in US Grows Divided
It’s obvious that the BJP’s domestic agenda is impacting India’s foreign policy goals and outreach.


https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/prophet-bjp-fringe-india-nu...



BJP's Free Agents of Chaos and Violence
Governing India requires an exquisite balancing act at the best of times, and these are the toughest of times where support from, solidarity and “sambandh” (relationship) with international partners are of paramount importance. Editorial writers have suggested that cold calculations, if not good sense, should force the BJP to rethink.

It seems some amount of rethinking is afoot, or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief, Mohan Bhagwat, wouldn’t have advised caution. He recently told supporters that there was no need “to look for a Shivling in every mosque” and create a new dispute every day.

But more such messaging by Modi and other top leaders is needed to prevent further embarrassment. To put the genie back into the bottle will be tough if not impossible, but what about some discipline?
Creating an impenetrable aura around Modi may have worked initially to inspire awe among the untrained and unrestrained supporters. But over time, they have become free agents of chaos and violence. They cross red lines with aplomb without a care in the world, leaving a mess for overworked diplomats to clean up.

Modi and his top advisors may want to conduct a series of “chai pe charcha” with grassroots supporters and second- and third-tier leadership to rein in the ugliness. The current state of affairs is unsustainable. The IT cell has surely monitored and sent the “feedback” on social media in favour of Sharma and Jindal.


Far From 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'
Western governments understand to some extent that Hinduism is resurgent in India as they watch their own societies struggle with White supremacy, racism and police brutality. They can’t preach beyond a point, except to read out the press release on tolerance. But we should note that a significant percentage of voters in western societies want their governments to treat minorities fairly and humanely.

In India, the dominant narrative seems to be to crush critics, marginalise minorities and use the bulldozer. This is not the “Vishwa Guru” (world leader) template that India can sell to others. Right now, the government is fighting to save the jobs of nearly 9 million Indian citizens working in Gulf countries. They are critical to the Indian economy – they send a hefty $35 billion in remittances. Around 40 million family members back home depend on those workers.

Here’s the thing. The BJP could have actually done “sabka saath, sabka vikas” and included India’s 200 million Muslims in the project of a resurgent India. More than 90% would have joined hands to rebuild, reconstruct and reimagine India. Inclusion doesn’t mean “appeasement,” it means cohesion and strength.
But if the starting point is abuse, insult and violence, it’s natural for Muslims to go into their religious cocoon. After eight years of badgering and demonisation, the Islamist elements are strengthened, Friday prayers have become more politics than worship, and Muslim women are more prone to the Saudi hijab than the good old dupatta.

Can Modi Clear the Toxicity?
The less said about TV anchors who excel in multiplying hate, the better. The liberal media – self-conscious and self-righteous as many of its members have become – would also do well to introspect and figure out new ways to engage and convince rather than preach to the converted with a daily dossier on government failures.

India’s international partners want the country to get its act together and move forward instead of being mired in a million mutinies. If Modi won’t use the bully pulpit and his mandate to clear the national windscreen of toxicity, India could recede into the rear view mirror for others.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 24, 2022 at 7:07pm

Riaz Haq has left a new comment on your post "Silicon Valley's Indian Americans Rally in Support of Modi, Yogi":

Muslim Groups Condemn Presence Of Bulldozer At Parade In Edison | Edison, NJ Patch


https://patch.com/new-jersey/edison-metuchen/muslim-groups-condemn-...

The 18th Annual India Day Parade was held on Aug. 14, beginning at the intersection of Cinder Rd & Oak Tree Rd in Edison and ending at Middlesex Ave & Oak Tree Rd in Woodbridge.

A bulldozer, with a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, was part of the parade. The bulldozer is a symbol of the demolition of Muslim homes in India, the groups said, especially in the state of Uttar Pradesh ruled by Adityanath.

“While we support Indian Americans’ right to celebrate their heritage and independence from British colonial rule, we condemn the use of a bulldozer and the glorification of Hindu nationalist figures who have a deeply anti-Muslim track record,” CAIR-NJ Executive Director Salaedin Maksut said in a statement.

The bulldozer became a divisive symbol in India after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used them to demolish the homes and livelihoods of the Muslim community. Critics say the demolitions are part of a retaliatory response to Muslims protesting or being vocal critics of the government.



In a report published earlier this year, Amnesty International called the practice “bulldozer justice” and condemned it as openly discriminatory and a violation of International Human Rights Laws.

“We need to contextualize what it means to march with bulldozers emblazoned with the images of two openly Hindu supremacist leaders,” IAMC president Mohammed Jawad said in the statement.



“Today in India, 200 million Muslims are at risk of mass violence from a radicalized majority population. Marching with these bulldozers shows support for forced homelessness and mass violence against a vulnerable minority.”

The parade was attended by prominent NJ lawmakers including speaker Craig J. Coughlin, NJ-18 Assemblyman Robert Karabinchack, Sen. Partick Diegnan and the Mayors of Edison and Woodbridge.

The Muslim groups have called on lawmakers to condemn all “acts of hatred.”

“We also call on the mayors of Edison and Woodbridge townships, Sam Joshi and John E. McCormac respectively, and New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, who joined the parade, to condemn these acts of hatred and block Hindu nationalists’ and the BJP’s attempts to interfere in local New Jersey politics,” Maksut said.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 24, 2022 at 7:08pm

Azad Essa
@azadessa
Tense scenes at Council Meeting in Edison, New Jersey, where some Hindu nationalists have come to defend the inclusion of the bulldozer at the India rally in the town last week.

https://twitter.com/azadessa/status/1562588708528082947?s=20&t=...

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 24, 2022 at 7:54pm

Dr. Audrey Truschke
@AudreyTruschke
That there are people defending the bulldozer -- whose meaning as a symbol of violent deprivation of human rights is crystal clear to all who follow Indian politics -- speaks volumes to how entrenched Hindutva hate is in New Jersey.

https://twitter.com/AudreyTruschke/status/1562611712917811200?s=20&...

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 30, 2022 at 5:20pm

'This ain't India': #Sikh man seen verbally attacking, spitting on #Indian man in a #Fremont #California Taco Bell.“Walking around with your f*cking toes out. B*tch, this ain’t India,” the man says. “You f*cked India up. You’re f*cking America up.” #Hindu https://news.yahoo.com/aint-india-man-recorded-verbally-211057773.h...

A Hindu man was verbally attacked in a hate incident by another man at a Taco Bell in Fremont, California.

Krishnan Jayaraman was waiting to pick up his order at a Fremont Taco Bell on Grimmer Boulevard when another customer began to verbally attack him on Aug. 21.

In an 8-minute video recorded by Jayaraman, the man can be heard spewing anti-Hindu speech.

“Walking around with your f*cking toes out. B*tch, this ain’t India,” the man says. “You f*cked India up. You’re f*cking America up.”

The man also repeatedly calls Jayaraman “disgusting” and “nasty,” telling him to not come out in public. At one point, the man also spits at Jayaraman.

In an interview with ABC7 News, Jayaraman recalled the man stating, “You’re a Hindu who bathes in cow urine.”

Jayaraman did not engage with the man.

“I was scared to be honest with you. I was infuriated on the one hand, but I was scared that what if this guy becomes too belligerent and then comes after me?’” Jayaraman told NBC Bay Area.

“I didn’t see a point of me trying to engage somebody who’s hell-bent on picking up a fight and wanting me to engage,” he told ABC7 News. “He was so close to my face. He was throwing his dollars on my face. He was spitting everywhere.”

Jayaraman was surprised to hear the man pronouncing Hindi words and speaking Punjabi towards the end of the video. He believes that the attacker is also of Indian descent but aligns with an independence movement in northern India.

“That group, the Khalistan group was deemed a terrorist organization in India,” Jayaraman said. “At that point, it dawned upon me that he may be somebody who has an ulterior motive to do all these things.”

Taco Bell employees did not intervene to deescalate the situation, according to Jayaraman. The fast-food restaurant company has not commented on the incident.

The Fremont Police Department is actively investigating the incident. There are currently no reports on whether the attacker will face charges.

“We take hate incidents and hate crimes seriously, and understand the significant impact they have on our community. These incidents are despicable,” Police Chief Sean Washington wrote. “We are here to protect all community members, regardless of their gender, race, nationality, religion, and other differences. We would like to urge the community to be respectful of each other and to immediately report any circumstances such as this that, upon investigation, may rise to the level of a crime.”

“In the event of a hate crime, we will devote all available resources to follow up and investigate,” he added. “Fremont is one of the nation’s most diverse communities, and we are thankful for the contributions of community members from different cultures and backgrounds.”

Comment by Riaz Haq on September 2, 2022 at 9:21am

The Edison bulldozer scandal is a wake-up call for people to learn about Hindutva hate | Opinion by Audrey Truschke

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2022/09/the-edison-bulldozer-scandal-is-...

A bulldozer — celebrating far-right Hindu nationalist violence against Muslims — drove through the streets of Edison, last month at an Indian Independence Day parade. Many New Jersey politicians were present and claim to have been unaware of the bulldozer’s appalling symbolism of praising, even encouraging, the violent oppression of Indian religious minorities.

The backlash is continuing to grow, including calls for the organizers to be held accountable (they have since apologized) and for more people to learn about Hindutva hate.

For many New Jerseyans, the Edison bulldozer scandal is the first time that they have heard about the intolerant ideology of Hindu nationalism, also known as Hindutva or Hindu supremacy. But it is unlikely to be the last time.


I have been studying global Hindu nationalism for years, including a recent focus on Hindu Right goals and tactics in the United States. America, especially New Jersey, is a stronghold for Hindu nationalist groups who provide financial support and ideological guidance for the larger global movement. This extremist ideology — which has roots in early 20th-century European fascism — has flourished for decades, largely unchecked, in our state and has had many harmful consequences.

Hindu nationalists propagate their intolerant ideas in the United States through a network of organizations. Some of the most common include the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-America (VHPA), and the Hindu Students Council (HSC). Sometimes a Hindu nationalist group registers as a foreign agent, such as Overseas Friends of BJP, which promotes the interests of India’s far-right ruling party. More commonly, Hindu nationalist groups try to spread and normalize their extremist ideas under the ruse of promoting Indian culture, such as at the Edison parade.

In the recent parade, the celebration of human rights violations was merely symbolic, but it is sometimes far more visceral for New Jersey communities. In 2021, federal agents raided a Hindu temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey and found Dalit men—who are at the bottom of a hierarchy of social oppression known as the caste system—held in bonded labor. Governor Murphy joined the many who condemned the “horrific, unfathomable” conditions of modern-day slavery. What he did not note is that the Hindu temple, part of the BAPS denomination, has strong ties with India’s Hindu nationalist BJP government. As of now, a case is pending in federal court in New Jersey that accuses BAPS of human trafficking in multiple states.

Hindu nationalists regularly attack lots of people—including Dalits, Christians, and the many Hindus who oppose Hindutva—but Muslims are their most common targets. In India, Muslims are subjected to daily violence and harassment, an abysmal situation documented by human rights groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United States International Commission on Religious Freedom (USCIRF). In 2022, USCIRF recommended India for sanctions for the third year in a row due to rapidly worsening conditions in the country, especially attacks on Muslims.

Comment by Riaz Haq on September 2, 2022 at 9:22am

The Edison bulldozer scandal is a wake-up call for people to learn about Hindutva hate | Opinion by Audrey Truschke

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2022/09/the-edison-bulldozer-scandal-is-...

Here in New Jersey, Indian Muslims are mainly safe from Hindu nationalist violence, although not always. In 2019, the Rutgers-New Brunswick Hindu Students Council — a Hindu nationalist group — invited a Hindutva demagogue from India to speak. The off-campus event featured Islamophobic hate speech. It also involved a recent Rutgers-Newark alum — and Kashmiri Muslim — being heckled and physically assaulted by others present. At the time, few noticed beyond the South Asian American community, but it is one brick in a larger edifice of anti-minority, Hindu nationalist hate.

At a meeting of the Edison city council on Aug. 22, a councilmember applauded the activists who had called out the parade bulldozer as a hate symbol: “By you bringing this to our attention, it stops it from going forward... what you’re doing today by bringing awareness is the first step, and that’s the strong step that needs to be done. You’re educating us.” I appreciate his words. But I wonder if he and the other councilmembers have any idea what that education often costs those brave enough to speak.

U.S.-based Hindu nationalists regularly attack South Asian community groups, such as the Indian American Muslim Council, which has been active on the bulldozer issue. They smear individual members and spread Islamophobic rumors about entire organizations, such as when the far-right Hindu American Foundation and its allies attacked IAMC last year. Hindu Right attacks in the United States can put one’s family at risk and even require the use of safe houses.

As a professor who works on Hindu nationalism, I am also subjected to regular Hindu nationalist attacks. I often require armed protection when I speak publicly in America, due to the threat of Hindu supremacist violence. While law enforcement has kept me safe thus far, it has not stemmed the waves of hate unleashed against me and Rutgers, my employer. Hindu nationalists are part of the Global Far Right, and so we sometimes see bleed-over ideas, such as the anti-Black racism lobbed against Rutgers administrators, including President Jonathan Holloway, in a recent propaganda piece by a Hindu nationalist.

Anti-Asian hate crimes are growing in New Jersey. By targeting South Asian Muslims and Dalits, as well as Hindus who disagree with them, Hindu nationalists in the United States are contributing to that alarming trend. If we are to confront and begin to counter such hateful assaults, we must recognize Hindutva’s deep roots and long-standing harms in New Jersey.

A hard truth is that while many New Jerseyans are only now learning the basics of Hindu nationalism, many of our state’s minority communities — especially South Asian Muslims — have lived for decades with the spectre of fear and intimidation imposed by purveyors of this intolerant ideology. It is time for that era to end, and for us to say together — Hindutva hate has no home in New Jersey.

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