Dearest HfHR Community,
2020 vision wasn’t perfect, but it was an incredible year for HfHR.
Hindus for Human Right (HfHR) came into existence just eighteen months ago, but it seems like so much longer. We set out in July 2019 with the mission to defend democratic values and religious freedom in India, the U.S., and other countries in South Asia.
Our key goals for 2020 were:
- to provide a platform for progressive voices from India and the U.S.;
- to advocate for human/religious rights with U.S. lawmakers and the administration;
- to educate people’s movements in the U.S. about the situation in India;
- to partner with Hindu faith leaders to oppose the misuse of religion for political purposes;
- to organize/participate in peaceful democratic protest movements;
- to organize webinars and write opinion pieces.
It’s gratifying to look back at what we have accomplished towards each one of those goals, with just a handful of volunteers, very few dollars, but heaps of encouragement from you, our dear supporters.
Today, you represent an incredible diversity of religions, ideologies, regions, and countries. Your strong support for us is perhaps a direct reflection of your sense of shock and despair at what is happening to Indian democracy. For many of you, we are the progressive Hindu voice that has long been missing, the one that can directly challenge the divisive Hindutva forces in India and in the diaspora, with your support.
As we usher in 2021--not a moment too soon--we will continue to pursue our key goals, but in addition, we are determined to strongly advocate for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Indian prisons. We are also determined to form broader alliances with other minority groups in the U.S. to help magnify our voices for human and religious rights.
Before we take you with us on our 2020 journey with a video collage of our work in India and the US, we are pleased to share this year-end poem by our own Deepak Gupta:
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