United in Love
by HfHR cofounder, Raju Rajagopal
NOTE: THE HINDUS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS BLOG IS A SPACE FOR A HEALTHY EXPLORATION OF IDEAS PERTINENT TO OUR MISSION. THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OFFICIAL POLICY OR POSITION OF HINDUS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.
While everyone is talking about the Modi visit last week to the U.S. and his 'bearhug' of a failing and flailing U.S. President who is about to be impeached, two tragedies in our two countries literally brought tears to my eyes.
A Sikh deputy in Texas is shot in his back at a traffic spot, his image reminding us of the valiant fight of the Sikhs all across the world as pioneers in defending religious freedom -- a path paved by that community that so many others of us have been fortunate to walk freely on. This looks like another hate crime of a Sikh in his turban.
Two innocent little Dalit children are beaten to death for defecating in public in a village in Madhya Pradesh. Another in almost daily violence and lynching of Dalits all across India, which neither the Congress nor the BJP, not even a Dalit led government. has been able to stop. (This, even as right wing group in the US want to erase the word 'Dalit' from school textbooks lest it embarrass their upper caste children in the classroom.) It is curious that the excuse proffered was 'no public defamation allowed' in the village. Since when are Indian villages making up such a 'nationalistic' excuse for murder. Guess?
Ironic that Deputy Daliwal was gunned down in the city that hosted PM Modi and President Trump just a few days back. Compare the reaction of the Houston police department and the community to the Houston killing to the near-total silence of a jingoistic India to ongoing Dalit tragedies.
As an American and an Indian, my heart aches, and I commit myself to resisting racism and bigotry in both my homes.