The Hindu Nationalist Campaign to Promote Yoga
An organization with ties to India’s RSS uses seemingly benign cultural tactics to spread its ideology—including the annual “Yogathon.” On the sunny winter morning of January 29, a group of Indian Americans dressed in white polo shirts and black trousers gathered at a softball field in Scottsdale, Ariz., to practice yoga. On blue tarpaulin sheets and yoga […]
‘The Elephant Whisperers’ and the Disingenuity of Hindu American Foundation’s Attempt to Co-opt Adivasis
In a recent tweet, Suhag Shukla of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) claimed that the portrayal of Bomman and Ellie in the documentary “The Elephant Whisperers” underscores Hinduism’s “inarguable indigeneity.” She takes a giant leap of faith from an Adivasi couple who happen to follow Hindu practices to declaring that their forebears must have also […]
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta Dismisses Hindu American Foundation’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Five Defendants
While the defendants hailed the ruling, calling the lawsuit “a scare tactic” intended to silence them, the HAF leadership termed it “incredibly disappointing.” S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Dec. 20 dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Hindu American Foundation against Hindus for Human Rights co-founders Sunita Vishwanath and Raju Rajagopal, Indian American Muslim Council […]
Georgia, California, Seattle—Any criticism of caste in America is being fought as Hinduphobia
US needs SB 403 because Indians carry caste to America and Dalit discrimination at IITs, IIMs is proof. An excerpt from SB 403: SEC. 7: Section 12920 of the Government Code is amended to read: It is hereby declared as the public policy of this state that it is necessary to protect and safeguard the right and […]
What FBI data about anti-Hindu hate crimes in the US reveals about fears of ‘Hinduphobia’
Indian Americans must tamp down on cries of ‘Hinduphobia’ and speak more forcefully against the surge in Islamophobia and anti-Christian violence in India. In December, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released Hate Crime Statistics for 2021, an annual compilation of bias-motivated incidents in the United States. The numbers are telling, with most incidents being driven by bias […]
Lawmaker Faces Violent Threats for Trying to Make California the First State to Ban Caste Discrimination
The California state lawmaker who introduced a bill that would make the state the first in the nation to outlaw caste-based discrimination is receiving Islamophobic threats from the U.S. and abroad. State sen. Aisha Wahab says her office was flooded with dozens of hateful calls, hundreds of emails, and individuals yelling at staff in her district office […]
US: Georgia Assembly Passes Resolution Condemning ‘Hinduphobia’
Georgia is the first American state to condemn ‘anti-Hindu bigotry.’ New Delhi: The Georgia assembly has passed a resolution condemning “Hinduphobia”. Georgia is the first American state to condemn “anti-Hindu bigotry” in its resolution that claims that with more than 1.2 billion believers in over 100 countries, Hinduism is home to diverse traditions and belief systems. […]
‘Overseas Friends Of BJP’ Australia Founder Arrested On Drugging, Rape, Filming Charges
Dhankhar faces 13 charges of rape, six of administering an intoxicating substance with intent to enable himself to rape, 17 of recording intimate videos without consent, and three of indecent assault Balesh Dhankhar, who is recognized as one of the founders of the Australia division of ‘Overseas Friends of BJP,’ is currently facing trial for […]
“Lots of Propaganda”: Busting the “Vast Hinduphobia” Conspiracy Theory
Is it true that “every” American Hindu politician faces “bigoted attacks”? “Outside forces have done things,” complained (now former) Michigan State Representative Padma Kuppa in a July 2022 interview with the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) about her experience running for office. “A man by the name of Pieter Friedrich published an advertisement with lots of propaganda about where […]
Hindu Nationalist Lobbyists on Capitol Hill Are Growing in Influence
Right-wing lobby groups that claim to speak on behalf of Indian Americans are trying to stifle criticism of Narendra Modi’s Hindu chauvinist agenda. They’ve modeled themselves on pro-Israel groups like AIPAC and forged alliances around Islamophobic bigotry. In the early 1990s, Indians comprised a tiny minority in the United States. Today there are around 4.2 […]
