HfHR's Monthly Newsletter serves as your guide to our progressive Hindu advocacy over the past month! Read on to learn about our webinars, podcasts, articles, advocacy updates, anti-caste initiatives, and more.

Namaste Dear Friend,

This month of July brought us heartbreaking news of the deaths of Father Stan Swamy and Danish Siddiqui, leading us to reflect on justice and our duty in this moment. We remembered verses of Hum Dekhenge by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and found hope in it--that one day we will see justice being served to the oppressors. And we want to continue our efforts to be able to materialize that day soon. Despite the sadness that engulfs us, we are inspired to continue our dharma of speaking truth to power.

July has been a very busy month for us. We participated in the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington DC, rolled out our Birthday Fundraiser for our grassroots media advocacy project Voices of Peace, hosted webinars with celebrities like Richa Chadha, launched a youth podcast, published several news articles and a lot more!

COVID-19 Initiatives

We joined Amnesty International, India Civil Watch International, and other partners to hold a Congressional Briefing on July 13th, titled India’s Covid Crisis: What’s at Stake for Global Health and the US-India Partnership. We heard from epidemiologists and experts on science policy and human rights on what went wrong in the Indian government’s handling of the pandemic, and how it can affect the US. Special attention was paid to the suppression and misreporting of data, anti-science tendencies, and curbs on free speech that exacerbated the crisis. 

On July 28th, we worked with our partners to organize a Congressional Briefing on the challenges and persecution that Christians are facing in India. You can watch a recording of the briefing here.

Honoring Father Stan Swamy

Upon hearing of Father Stan Swamy's death, we immediately sent our prayers to him and his family. Later, HfHR organized a multi-faith vigil, "Light, Hope, Love", in which 25+ religious leaders and activists from the United States, Guatemala, and India honored the life and courage of Father Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest who spent his life fighting for the rights of India’s Indigenous (Adivasi) and Dalit communities. This event was covered by Indica News.

HfHR and our media advocacy partner PAIGAM also covered JNU's Vigil for Father Stan Swamy, with statements from student leaders Aishe Ghosh and Saket Moon.

Voices of Peace Fundraiser

It's our two-year anniversary this month! As our birthday present, we request you to donate to our grassroots media project, Voices of Peace. We've been able to raise 37% of our $10,000 target till now! All supporters who contribute over $100 will receive one month of free access to the entire oeuvre of award-winning Indian filmmaker Anand Patwardhan.

For this project, our team of grassroots media professionals will travel across India to learn what everyday people think about democracy, religious identity, and the direction India is currently headed in. Our first phase will focus on Uttar Pradesh: India's largest state, the site of many of India's religious flashpoints, and a "test ground" for Hindu nationalist policies. Please share widely in your social circles!

Donate to our Legal Defense and Advocacy Fund

Please consider making a donation of any amount to Hindus for Human Rights' Legal Defense and Advocacy Fund. You can donate here; make sure to write "Legal Defense and Advocacy Fund" as a comment accompanying your donation. We need your support now, more than ever.

By now you would have realized by now how busy we have been this month! We want to keep the intensity of this enthusiasm and passion going forward. Your support energizes us to build a bold and radically inclusive Hindu platform which opposes Hindutva and caste, and prioritizes the rights of marginalized communities. 

Once again, thank you for your continuous support and well-wishes!

With our love, gratitude and solidarity,

HfHR Board and Staff
Bidisha, Deepak, Nikhil, Punya, Raju, Sravya, Sunil, Sunita, Swati, Swathi, Urmila, Vijay

As Always, Get Involved. We would love to hear from you — write to us. Volunteer. Start a chapter. Hold a birthday fundraiser and raise both awareness and money!

And please consider a donation to HfHR so that our platform and movement for a Hindu resistance to Hindutva can grow stronger and more impactful.