Hindus for Human Rights Statement on the Results of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election
As of this morning, it’s now clear that Donald Trump has won the U.S. presidential election, a result that brings with it substantial and sobering implications for human rights in the United States and beyond. Our commitment to justice and human dignity compels us to address the questions and concerns this outcome raises for our shared values and the communities we serve.
We know from the last time Donald Trump held office the existential danger that his brand of hateful, xenophobic white Christian nationalism poses to marginalized communities in the United States and across the world.Trump has promised an even more terrifying second term outlined in a roadmap known as Project 2025.
Trump’s campaign proposed mass deportations that threaten millions of undocumented individuals, including those who have long called the United States home, while also leaning even further into racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric and disinformation. He has engaged in blood and soil nationalism, invoking blood libel against Haitians, and has threatened to revoke birthright citizenship for millions of Americans. As Hindu Americans with a vast immigrant community, we must commit to showing each other love, support, and solidarity and the months and years ahead. We will not survive without each other.
Trump and his allies have also trained their sights on further restricting reproductive freedoms and bodily autonomy. Trump appointees to the Supreme Court already overturned Roe v. Wade and a second Trump administration has proposed a potential federal abortion ban, possible bans on fertility treatments, restricting access to gender-affirming care, and other draconian policies that would dismantle access to essential healthcare across the country. Such measures threaten the basic human rights of millions of Americans, particularly those in marginalized and low-income communities who already face barriers to healthcare. The impact of these policies will be deadly and will erode the Americans’ fundamental rights to bodily autonomy and personal choice.
Globally, the return of a Trump administration presents a deeply alarming future for international stability and human rights. From Palestine to Ukraine to Sudan to Haiti and beyond, the election of an American president always carries far-reaching implications for people facing war, poverty, and devastation across the world, and Donald Trump’s nativist ‘America First’ approach to foreign policy threatens the safety and security of billions. Trump will embolden those dictators and aspiration autocrats who seek to silence the most marginalized people in the world and his return can only be seen as a blow to the global fight against extremism and autocracy. We are committed to standing up for the human rights of all people, and continuing to push back against the forces of militarism and aggression that threaten our very existence. This is especially crucial in the face of the escalating climate crisis, which is deeply intertwined with the forces of global imperialism, violence, and exploitation.
As Hindus for Human Rights, we are especially concerned about the implications of Trump’s election for the future of human rights and justice in South Asia and its diasporas. Under the previous Trump administration, India’s Hindu supremacist government under Narendra Modi was gleefully heralded in its pursuit of a hateful, fascist agenda. Trump has already expressed support for Modi’s desire to go after “bad guys” in other countries. Indian Americans have received a clear message: Trump will not stop Modi from repressing the fundamental rights of Indian Americans. He will not stop a foreign government from trying to kill members of the Indian diaspora. Trump, who garnered the endorsement of conservative Pakistani majoritarians, will pursue anti-minority policies across South Asia. Our work to fight for democracy and human rights in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and across the region over the next four years will be incredibly challenging, but we owe it to those fighting for human rights in South Asia to do our absolute best.
The affinity between Trump and the global Hindu supremacist movement has only grown stronger in the last four years—as evidenced not only by Trump’s ongoing support for Modi, but also by the deepening convergence between Hindu supremacists and other forces on the American far-right.
In recent years, Hindutva groups have emerged as some of the most important vectors for the normalization of far-right politics among Indian Americans, driving a wedge between our communities and other communities of color and weaponizing the language of civil rights and minority protection to put Indian and Hindu Americans directly in harms’ way. We’ve seen countless examples of this dangerous far-right convergence in action, not only in the United States but across the world—from Hindutva activists participating in the January 6th insurrection, to white supremacists like Tommy Robinson making overtures to Hindus in the UK, to BJP and RSS leaders speaking at this year’s ‘National Conservatism’ conference alongside the likes of Stephen Miller and Josh Hawley.
The only way that we can fight back against this new and increasingly diverse far-right is by renewing our commitment to building robust interfaith, multiracial coalitions rooted in the values of solidarity and collective liberation. We will continue to fight back against the normalization of hate and bigotry in our communities, and to raise our voice as progressive Hindus in defense of all marginalized communities who are under attack by the forces of supremacy and extremism.
Our mission at Hindus for Human Rights is unwavering: we stand committed to justice, compassion, and the protection of human rights everywhere. This election underscores the importance of our work, and we renew our dedication to organizing and advocating for justice for Hindu Americans and in solidarity with our partners across movements and communities. We will continue to provide a progressive Hindu voice of resistance to all forms of hate, bigotry, and oppression, and are prepared to meet whatever challenges face us in the years to come.
In this moment, our collective voices matter more than ever. If we stand together in love and solidarity, we can build a truly just and liberated world for all.
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Please direct all media inquiries to: david@hindusforhumanrights.org, David Dasharath Kalal, Director of Communications for Hindus For Human Rights