San Ramon, CA. HinduPACT (Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective) today announced the release of its comprehensive research report, “Tarnishing India, Targeting Hindus: The Global Weaponization of Transnational Narrative.” The report provides an evidence-based analysis that unequivocally refutes the widespread allegations of transnational repression (TNR) against India.
Ajay Shah, Executive Chair of HinduPACT, stated, “Our report unequivocally demonstrates that the transnational repression (TNR) narrative against India is a dangerous fabrication, largely unsupported by verifiable evidence and driven by ideologically motivated groups. To equate India, the world’s largest constitutional democracy, with robust judicial oversight, to authoritarian regimes notorious for extrajudicial actions, is not only analytically flawed but serves to undermine global democratic values.”
The report asserts that the TNR narrative against India has been “propagated by a coalition of ideologically motivated NGOs, advocacy networks, and certain state actors”. These groups, identified as including the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), Sikh Coalition, and SALDEF, seek to delegitimize India’s global standing and sever the cultural and civilizational ties of the Hindu diaspora with their homeland.
In stark contrast to the practices of authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, which have documented histories of assassinations, abductions, and covert coercion, India’s overseas actions are described as “legally authorized, procedurally proper, and fundamentally misrepresented” when categorized as repression. The report emphasizes that constitutional safeguards, administrative protocols, and judicial oversight mechanisms guide India’s counter-extremism measures.
Deepti Mahajan, President of HinduPACT, highlighted the adverse consequences: “The weaponization of this TNR narrative has had a profound and chilling effect on Indian and Hindu diaspora communities worldwide. It fosters suspicion, contributes to hate crimes, and threatens to sever our deep cultural and civilizational ties with our homeland. This report is an act of community self-preservation, defending the fundamental rights and identity of millions.”
The report details an increase in hate crimes, vandalism against Hindu temples, and political marginalization faced by the diaspora since these narratives gained traction.
Deepa Karthik, General Secretary of HinduPACT, emphasized that “legislation like California’s SB-509, which explicitly targets India alongside states like China and Russia, is a prime example of legislative overreach based on advocacy, not evidence. We urge elected representatives to reject such politicized policy initiatives that risk criminalizing cultural engagement and subject our communities to unwarranted scrutiny and discrimination.”
HinduPACT urges elected representatives to adopt evidence-based policy and maintain rigorous evidentiary standards for TNR labeling, upholding legal reciprocity and avoiding politicized or selective oversight. The organization also calls for transparency in funding sources for TNR-related research and advocacy campaigns.
The report concludes that the “TNR narrative against India is a product of coordinated advocacy, ideological bias, and geopolitical strategy, rather than evidence,” and its propagation “threatens to undermine civil liberties, disrupt diaspora engagement, and erode the rights and cultural identity of Indian and Hindu communities abroad”.