September has been a whirlwind month for us, and we are sending this month's newsletter out later than usual.
This month, we lost a dear friend, colleague and mentor, and one of India's bravest human rights activists, Swami Agnivesh. He was very close to many of us. In fact several of our board members spent a beautiful day with Swami Agnivesh at his ashram in Behelpa, Haryana in December for a retreat organized just for us. He was an unwavering fighter for equality and justice for all, particularly for the poorest of the poor. We mourn his death, and pledge to keep his spirit alive through our work. Here is a reflection by our cofounder Sunita.
RECLAIMING INDIA
If Swami Agnivesh had been alive and healthy, he would surely have been a speaker at the ReclaimingIndia@73 conference that has kept us so busy this month. This 2-day virtual conference--which is just 3 days away--is a joint initiative of the global Indian diaspora, representing diverse voices, issues, identities, and their intersections. The core founding members of Reclaiming India Alliance are Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), Global Indian Progressive Alliance (GIPA), Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), Students Against Hindutva Ideology (SAHI) and India Civil Watch International (ICWI).
Plenary sessions include conversations between Indian historian and grandson of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Dr. Rajmohan Gandhi, who is an advisory member of HfHR, and Rev. Dr. William Barber, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign.
Other speakers include Dr. Ramachandra Guha, Prashant Bhushan, Indira Jaising, Dr. Roja Singh, Martin Macwan, Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Aatish Taseer and other leading activists, political leaders and thinkers.
This two-day global dialogue on Reclaiming India will cover pressing immediate issues like curtailing free speech and civil liberties, casteism, racism and other pertinent topics to the US and India.
Several other aspects of the Indian (and American) democracy, including the implications of the upcoming American election results on India, threats to minority rights and equality under the law, freedom of religion, the right to dissent, independence of the judiciary and press freedom will also be discussed.
A panel of Indian, Indian American students and youth will talk about their important role in shaping the future of our two democracies.
And -- so important for our community -- Professor of Religion and Vedantic Scholar Dr. Anantanand Rambachan and Mahant of Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, Varanasi, Pandit Vishwambar Nath Mishra, will discuss "Reclaiming Hinduism from Hindu Nationalism."
Our conference comes at a time when it feels like the Indian democracy, and the human rights guaranteed to all Indians, are disintegrating before our very eyes. Brave and outspoken pro-democracy activist Umar Khalid was arrested for expressing dissenting views, views that we share. India's farmers took to the streets in hundreds of thousands, in spite of the pandemic, to protest unjust agricultural bills that would deregulate the industry and leave them at the mercy of ruthless corporations. One farmer took his life in protest. And Amnesty International India, a group we regularly partner with, whose staff are our friends, has been forced to shut down.
And then the heart-shattering news from UP: Manisha, a 19 year old Dalit woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, was gang raped and killed by 4 upper caste men. We are outraged at the blatant cover up by the UP police and the UP administration, who cremated her during the night without the family's knowledge, denying the family a chance to bid a final proper farewell to their daughter.
Just as we were reeling from the unfathomable layers of brutality, both of the rapists and the State, we heard of the gang rape and murder of yet another Dalit woman in UP. But at that same moment, we also got an email from a stranger, a woman in UP who said she wanted to join HfHR because she is "heart-broken to see the draconian and bestial actions in India and am provoked to stand for a change."
Just like this kindred spirit whom we will welcome into our group, we insist on justice. HfHR joins all who are protesting these rapes and murders and call on Yogi Adityanath's state government to assume full responsibility and step down immediately.
"We must not rest until right livelihood is within reach of every human being upon this earth we love and cherish. We all have a role to play in achieving this goal."
-----Swami Agnivesh
Even though he has left his body, Swami Agnivesh breathes his vision and courage into us as we raise our voices against authoritarian rule and the brutal repression of dissent.
Join us, support us, help us build a platform of Hindus who--like our beloved Swami Agnivesh--epitomize "para dukha dukhi" and see the joys and sorrows of others as our own.'
With love and hope, and unwavering commitment to justice,
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!
