February 12, 2020

Namaste Dear Friend,

Our second newsletter comes at a chaotic time when there have been enormous protests--across India and the U.S. and all around the world--against the BJP-led Indian government’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). There have been multiple attempted shootings in Delhi of anti-CAA protesters, along with other attempts to repress and surveil human rights activists. Police in several Indian states have stormed and attacked people in university campuses and libraries. Delhi police have also used facial recognition technology and video surveillance to identify protesters rallying against the discriminatory legislation. The BJP-led Indian government of Narendra Modi does not yet seem willing to listen to the global outcries against their human rights violations, and remains resolute in going forward with efforts to treat certain groups of people (Muslims, Dalits, and others) as “second-class citizens” in India.  

HfHR members have been active both in the U.S. and in India, adding a Hindu perspective to both the discourse and the protests.

IN INDIA

While Giri lives in India, the remaining HfHR board members live in the United States. However, several of us traveled across India in recent months. We met front-line activists and progressive Hindu priests, and we added our voices to the incredible protests of CAA. We are enormously grateful to Swami Agnivesh for hosting an all-day retreat at his ashram in Behelpa, Haryana. This gave us the opportunity to deeply reflect on HfHR's mission with many like-minded souls who are each in their own way working for peace and secular democracy in India.

Above: Behelpa retreat

HINDU PRIESTS OPPOSED TO HINDUTVA

Above (1): Yugal Kishore Shastri in Ayodhya; Above (2): Vishwambhar Nath Mishra and Rajendra Tiwari in Varanasi

On our travels, we met quite a few brave Hindu priests and renunciants standing up against CAA and Hindutva in spite of the resulting dangers—Yugal Kishore Shastri in Ayodhya, Vishwambhar Nath Mishra and Rajendra Tiwari in Varanasi, Subramaniam Moosad in Kerala, our dear friend and mentor Swami Agnivesh in Delhi, and the sadhus and sadhvis in Matri Sadan Ashram, Haridwar who are fasting to save River Ganga.  Each of these Hindu religious leaders believes that Hindutva does not represent the loving and inclusive core of Hinduism. They risk their lives to advocate for human rights and to oppose the oppression of the BJP government.

Above (1): Brahmachari Atmabodhananda with Giri; Above (2): Giri and Sunita with Sadhvi Padmavati, on hunger strike to save Maa Ganga

DIALOGUE TOWARDS DISMANTLING CASTE

Throughout our travels, we asked the question, What is the role of practicing Hindus in (1) defeating Hindutva and (2) annihilating caste? We traveled to several states in India to meet Dalit activists and intellectuals and engage in dialogue about HfHR’s mission. Dalit leaders are understandably skeptical about our endeavor to build a Hindu society that rejects caste entirely. However, all the Dalit leaders we met were generous of time and spirit, and were willing to have this conversation with us, and several of them told us that our efforts are worthwhile. We are extremely grateful that Dalit rights activist Martin Macwan has joined our Advisory Board, and promises to challenge us from within. Similarly, Keralan Dalit rights activist Ajay Kumar, cofounder of the human rights organization RIGHTS, has agreed to work with HfHR in a combined effort to address the rights of Dalit women and children in Kerala. Similarly, Varanasi-based Dalit rights activist Dr. Anup Shraimik wishes to remain in dialogue with us about a united strategy to address human rights and the dismantling of caste. We had an illuminating meeting with Dr. Nishikant Kolge, author of "Gandhi Against Caste." Dr. Kolge is one of the only Dalit thinkers we have met who defends Gandhi's record on caste. Our most chilling meeting was with Dalit scholar Dr. Anand Teltumbde (pictured above left with his wife Rama, Sunita and Giri), who is B.R. Ambedkar’s grandson-in-law. Dr. Teltumbde was kind enough to speak with us at length about his outlook for India, and our mission to build a modern-day, anti-caste Hinduism. Dr. Teltumbde encouraged us to continue our good work, but his parting words were, “No matter the good efforts of so many people, I predict that India will see a genocide the size and scope of which we have never seen before.”

We plan to deepen our dialogue with the open-minded and thoughtful Dalit thinkers and activists that we have connected with.  We pledge to put all our effort into building dialogue across divisions. We are certain that combatting polarization and building bridges through sadbhavana (dialogue) – so that we all see the shared humanity in all of us -- is the only way to avert the terrible eventuality predicted by Dr. Teltumbde.

IN THE UNITED STATES

HfHR participated in nationwide protests of the Citizenship Amendment Act on Jan 26, Republic Day in India. We were part of the coalition that organized protests in 30 cities, and worked hard to ensure Hindu speakers in New York. Washington DC, Boston, Bay Area, Atlanta and Chicago. All the videos can be viewed on our YouTube Channel. The very next day, on Jan 27th, HfHR was a cosponsor of a Congressional Briefing on CAA. This briefing included Indian grassroots activist Sandeep Pandey who flew from India to participate, and representatives of Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and US Committee on International Religious Freedom. The whole event was livestreamed here. Here are Sunita's remarks.  

HfHR ADVISORY BOARD

Top Left: Martin Macwan (L) with Raju; Top Right: Akriti Bhatia (L), Medha (C), and Sunita
Bottom Left: T.M.Krishna (L) with Raju; Bottom Right: Faisal Khan (R) with Deepak

We are proud to announce our incredible ADVISORY BOARD: Medha, Founder of Bhaktiversity; Akriti Bhatia, journalist and co-founder of PAIGAM; Rajmohan Gandhi, scholar and biographer; Linda Hess, scholar; Faisal Khan, Gandhian activist ; T.M. Krishna, Carnatic vocalist and activist; Martin Macwan, Dalit rights activist; K.P. Ramanunni, Author and activist;  and David Barunkumar Thomas, Gandhian scholar and activist.  Each member is a notable activist and changemaker who has placed their trust and faith in us.

HfHR Communications

We have been prolific BLOGgers – scroll down to read all of them! – and our work has received a lot of PRESS attention.

We have been producing small VIDEO MESSAGES from faith leaders and people of faith. These grassroots messages reflect how ubiquitous the desire for peace and unity is, everywhere on earth. 

Building HfHR

Join us! 
as we amplify our human rights advocacy in Washington DC
and deepen our connections with grassroots efforts for human rights in India.

Get involved!
Write to us. Volunteer. Start a chapter. Have a house party and raise both awareness and money.

Have a family dialogue on CAA!
Here is an excellent PRIMER created by HfHR board member Raju Rajagopal.

And of course, make a donation!

We are currently at a crossroads, with one road being hopelessness and the other being hope for a better world: for justice, compassion, and peace. We choose to take the road of hope. Please join us and make us strong, and help us work towards lokasamgraha (the wellbeing of all).

In solidarity,
Hindus for Human Rights Co-founders
Deepak, Giri, Punya, Raju, Sunil, Sunita