Category: Global

Press Release: HinduPACT Calls on Biden Administration to Take Immediate Action to Stop Forced Conversions of Religious Minorities in Pakistan

HinduPACT Calls on Biden Administration to Take Immediate Action to Stop Forced Conversions of Religious Minorities in Pakistan
HinduPACT makes statement following admission by ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan
WASHINGTON, D.C – Following decades of denial, Pakistan has finally admitted to the egregious kidnapping and forced conversion of girls of religious minority communities. HinduPACT calls on the Biden administration to immediately address this issue.
Ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan (2018-2022) has admitted to the forced conversion of non-Muslim girls in Pakistan saying, “There is an ayat (verse) in the Holy Quran [that] there is no coercion in Islam. This is Allah’s commandment. Whoever forcefully converts a non-Muslim is disobeying Allah.” In quoting the Ayat from the Quran, Imran Khan claimed that conversions are “Allah’s commandment.”
Utsav Chakrabarti, Executive Director of HinduPACT, said,
“Hindus are the indegenous communities of present-day Pakistan who have lived there for thousands of years. For the first time we are seeing a former prime minister admitting to a crime that has been going on for 75 years in his country. We ask President Joe Biden to take swift action and employ the help of our allied nations to put an end to this unacceptable practice.”

Deepti Mahajan, Director, HinduPACT’s CHINGARI Project, said,
“This is a ray of hope for the minority girls with Mr. Imran Khan’s statement acknowledging abuse of minority girls in Pakistan. The widespread abuse has been brushed aside for decades and the world needs to pay attention to these voiceless girls who need our help to lead fear-free lives.”
Rakhi Israni, Executive Director of Legal for HinduPACT, said,
“Former PM Imran Khan’s admission that young girls of minority religions are snatched from their parents and forcibly converted is simply further evidence of how ingrained the abuse of Hindus and those of other minority religions is in the entire Pakistani institution. International governments have a duty to intervene and stop this ‘human rights catastrophe’”

On November 26, 2021, a report by the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Pakistani Minorities – an informal, cross-party groups formed by MPs and Members of the House of Lords – found that around 1,000 girls between the ages of 12-25 who are not Muslim are forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan every year and married to their abductors.

August 15, 2022
Watch: Recent Interview by Utsav Chakrabarti, HinduPACT on PGurus

Exposing the Links of IAMC Sponsored Attacks on Hindu-American Politicians & India

J&K – The Way Forward. How the US Diaspora Can Help

June 22, 2022
Press Release: HinduPACT Calls Out Biden Administration’s Hypocritical Views on Religious Freedom

Press Release: HinduPACT Calls Out Biden Administration’s Hypocritical Views on Religious Freedom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C – HinduPACT criticizes the 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom released by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Jun 2, 2022 for its hypocritical position on India.
The views on International Religious Freedom expressed by the Biden Administration in the Report on International Religious Freedom disproportionately attacks India and turns a blind eye to the egregious religious rights violations being carried out by other countries in the region.
India has a robust and independent judiciary and an independent media. It is very capable of addressing its human rights issues. The State Department should better focus its attention on causes and reasons for religious extremism in the region and look to history to help recognize the same dangerous patterns which are currently repeating themselves.
“It is unfortunate that Secretary Blinken did not mention the forced conversion of young girls from religious minority communities in Pakistan,” said HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti. “We have provided the State Department with ample information and evidence regarding this.”
On average, everyday three girls – many of them minors – are forcibly converted away from their faiths to Islam and often married to men who are far older than them.
“The State Department must recognize that India has been defending its geographical and civilizational values from radicalized Islamists for generations,” said Utsav Chakrabarti. “It is one of the longest struggles in our world’s history. It is important that fellow democracies like the United States stand with its ally India as it deals with efforts by Taliban-like extremist organizations working to spread their tentacles within the country.”
Ajay Shah, President of World Hindu Council of America and the Convenor of HinduPACT and American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) said,
“Plurality and freedom to practice religion in any form is a fundamental tenet of Hindu dharma. Despite massive amounts of foreign money flowing into India for radicalization and conversion, India has retained its character as a multi-faith society true to its Hindu civilizational ethos. As with any country with over 1.4 billion people there are bound to be isolated incidents of unrest. These incidents should not be ascribed to the systemic shortcomings of the society or the government.” He further stated that, “The mention of Indian American Muslim Council in the report is clearly meant for President Biden’s domestic vote bank in the upcoming mid-term elections and diminishes the credibility of the report.”

June 4, 2022
Press Release: Leading Washington, D.C. to Host HinduPACT Leaders for Panel Discussion on Diaspora Geopolitics

May 20, 2022
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, D.C – HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti and CHINGARI Director Rakhi Israni will speak on a panel at the Gold Institute for International Strategy (GIIS) on May 25 titled, “How the Indian American Diaspora is Affected by Issues on the Indian Subcontinent.”
“As the United States and the Indo-Pacific region become increasingly interconnected, the Indian American community will become an important player in the exchange of soft power between the two regions. At the same time the Indian American community has to watch out for growing efforts to vilify and marginalize them using disinformation, by India’s geopolitical adversaries” said HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti. “Mutual respect” and “greater inter dependability” are going to be the watchwords in this growing relationship.
Issues affecting Indians on the subcontinent also impact the immigrant diaspora communities in the United States. More than 5 million Indian Americans now deal with the impact of geopolitical issues from the Indo-Pacific and South Asian regions in their everyday lives, on campuses, and in the public square.
“As Indian Americans are increasingly being viewed and handled in America as an extension of the Indian subcontinent, it becomes increasingly important to talk about the other side of that same region: Pakistan,” said CHINGARI Director Rakhi Israni. “Until 1947, the people of both India and Pakistan were one people: sharing similar languages, food, and overall customs. The daily atrocities faced by Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs in Pakistan after partition should naturally affect all people from that region. The gross and severe injustices being committed against one part of a cultural people must be a part of any discussion about the region as a whole.”
“As a daughter of immigrants, I understand all too well how issues in the homeland affect and impact the diaspora community,” said Adelle Nazarian, Media Fellow at the Gold Institute for International Strategies. “I look forward to discussing this important topic so that we may find ways to improve the situation for immigrants here in the United States and to foster a healthier environment for all.”
This panel discussion dives into some of those issues and how the Indian American community deals with them.

May 22, 2022
HinduPACT’s Open Letter to the Prime Minister of India on Kashmir

Recognition of Genocide of Kashmiri Hindus, punishing its perpetrators, resettlement & rehabilitation of indigenous Hindus in Kashmir, and full integration of Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan with India

May 18, 2022
Honorable Prime Minister Modi-ji:
Namaskar!
First, I would like to thank the Delimitation Commission for proposing to reserve two seats for members of the Hindu Community from Kashmir Valley. But, we are deeply concerned by the continued flow of sophisticated weaponry to Jihadists in Jammu and Kashmir (&K) resulting in continued targeted and the brutal killing of Hindus in the valley. Recent example being that of Mr. Rahul Bhat while he was working in his office in Chadoora, a village IN Budgam District of Kashmir.
The National Human Rights Commission in India had rightly called the exodus of Hindus from Kashmir valley as “akin to genocide.” However, in 1990, the then government of India failed to recognize the genocide inflicted on the Hindus also referred to as the Pandits of Kashmir. It is unfortunate but true that the world has remained silent and continues to remain silent towards the plight of Kashmiri Hindus (KH). But all that changed after the removal of the temporary provisions of Article 370. Recently, after the release of the movie “The Kashmir Files”, a powerful depiction of the gruesome killings that occurred as a genocidal war was unleashed on Kashmiri Hindus (KHs), more and more people around the would have begun to recognize the reality of the tragedy the KHs went through.
History tells us that Hindus of Kashmir Valley has been subjected to a series of genocides for the last seven hundred years and the exodus of 1990’s from Kashmir is the seventh one in that series. This time, the community is united in its resolve that the current (seventh) exodus must be the last one. The real issue in Kashmir is not just the safe return of Hindus to the valley but the creation of a safe habitat that prevents the possibility of a future one. This cannot be done unless crimes committed during the Genocide against Hindus are acknowledged, the perpetrators punished and the infrastructure that unleashed those crimes, destroyed. A vast number of Islamists have profited from the Kashmiri Hindu genocide, by usurping their homes, lands, businesses, jobs, temples and more. So long as they continue to hold on to such ill-gotten profits, there will always be an incentive to commit such crimes in future as well.
It has been more than two ears since the removal of Article 370. We hope that the GOI will take decisive steps and officially recognize the Genocide of Hindus in Kashmir. The next logical step in that direction would be to enact a law for the punishment and prevention of Genocide. India is a signatory to the UN Convention on Prevention and Punishment of Crime of Genocide, The Indian Parliament has ratified this Convention long back in 1959; however, the commensurate law has not been made since then. Panun Kashmir, a political voice representing Hindus of the Kashmir Valley has prepared a “Genocide & Atrocities Prevention Bill” that has been presented to your office and to the Indian
Parliamentarians in 2020. We request your office to take it into consideration.
If the Islamist dream of Ghazwa-e-Hind is to be crushed, it is imperative that your government takes steps to reverse Islamization of Kashmir. To achieve that, the perpetrators & collaborators of Kashmiri Hindu’s genocide must be brought to justice and Jammu & Kashmir’s reorganization taken to its logical conclusion. To further that process, we humbly request your government to take the following steps:
1. Ensure complete safety & security of those Hindus who are in the Kashmir Valley
2. Declare KH refugees as “Internally Displaced Persons” instead of calling them “Migrants..”
3. Formally acknowledge KH “Genocide” at the hands of pan-Islamist terrorists.
4. Set up a tribunal to investigate the crimes against humanity inflicted on indigenous KHs. Investigate & punish those who were directly involved: individual/ mass killings; rape / gang rape; destruction of temples; destruction / usurping of properties etc.
5. Investigate those who were at the helm in 1989-90 in Srinagar like the then elected CM Farooq Abdullah who abdicated his constitutional responsibilities & fled leaving beleaguered KHs at the mercy of AK47 welding Jihadists.
6. Investigate the nexus of politicians with ihadist outfits like JKLF
7. Declare a package of compensation for each KH household that lived in Kashmir prior to 1990.
8. Distress sales be termed null, and void and those properties returned to the rightful KH owners.
9. Establish a “Kashmiri Hindu Heritage Revival and Safety Trust” with Government of India funding to rebuilt damaged temples, religious and cultural centers, and shrines. This trust should be operated by eminent Kashmiri Hindus.
10. Provide special financing resources to the Kashmiri Hindu community that will help them to establish businesses ventures. This could be zero interest rate financing with no collateral requirements, loan waivers if defaulted in 10 years.
11. Initiate talks with Kashmiri Hindus and have your administration/GOl reach out to Kashmiri Hindu political representatives based in J&K.
Finally, the full integration of Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan with the Union territory of Ladakh in India, the full integration of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir into India and further reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir is a necessity. The last six times, minority Kashmiri Pandit’s attempted application of restorative justice for their resettlement, rehabilitation and reconciliation in the valley but failed each and every time. This time, only a political enclave in the Kashmir Valley with a “safe space” settlement of all those expelled by violent Jihad, is the critical next step.
Respectfully,
Sanjay Kaul
Vice President, World Hindu Council of America
Director. HinduP ACT Task Force on Kashmir

May 18, 2022
Press Release: HinduPACT Honors Victims of 1971 Bangladesh Genocide, Demands Official Recognition and Punishment for Pakistani Perpetrators

March 26, 2022
HinduPACT Honors Victims of 1971 Bangladesh Genocide, Demands Official Recognition and Punishment for Pakistani Perpetrators
WASHINGTON, D.C – HinduPACT has launched a campaign to officially recognize the planned massacre of millions of people in Bangladesh, mostly Hindus, in 1971 as a genocide and to prosecute the Pakistani perpetrators who were involved with the planning and execution of “Operation Searchlight.”
“There are more than 195 officially recognized Pakistani military officers who were never prosecuted for their crimes against humanity,” said HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti. “Many of these officials now hold positions of power and influence in Pakistan today including in the Armed Forces of Pakistan. It is time to hold them responsible and apply Magnitsky sanctions and prosecute them to the highest degree.”
“HinduPACT has been reaching out to the lawmakers over the course of many months to inform them of this atrocity and push for a formal recognition of this genocide,” said Ajay Shah, President of World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) and the Convenor of HinduPACT. He added, “this is the largest genocide to take place in recent times. It is incomprehensible why the perpetrators of this monstrosity have not been held accountable. Are political considerations more important than justice for the victims?”
“History repeats itself because people forget it,” said Adelle Nazarian, Director of Communications and Legislative Outreach for HinduPACT. “It is critical that the 1971 genocide be formally recognized for what it is so that future generations can look back in the coffers of history and never repeat the same mistakes again.” She added, “I encourage the White House and the State Department to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region as a whole, and the rights of all people living in the region, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality or religion so they may all equally enjoy the benefits of democracy and economic opportunity.”
HinduPACT has been advocating global human rights and civil liberties issues under the initiative HAHRI – Hindus Advancing Human Rights Internationally – and has met with several lawmakers to discuss the issue and has many more meetings planned and urges everyone interested in seeing the 1971 genocide formally recognized to sign the following petition: https://hindupact.org/2022/03/23/condemn1971genocide_2022/

March 26, 2022
ACTION: Ask Elected Representatives to Condemn Bangladesh Genocide 1971

March 23, 2022
Press Release: On IWD 2022, HinduPACT calls for Prosecution of Pakistan Army Men Responsible for Rapes in 1971 to Prevent Forced Conversion and Trafficking of Girls in Present Day Pakistan

WASHINGTON, D.C – On the 47th anniversary of International Women’s Day, HinduPACT is calling for the prosecution of Pakistani army men who were responsible for the rapes of women during the 1971 Bangladeshi genocide in order to prevent forced conversions and trafficking of girls in present-day Pakistan.
The Rig Veda, considered the oldest canonical revealed scriptures in the World, includes Ghosha, Lopamudra, Maitreyi, and Gargi as prominent authors. The Rig Veda says: “A scholarly woman, the entire life of society depends upon you. You provide us the right knowledge. May you bring knowledge to all segments of society.” — Rig Veda 2.41.17
“It is important to send a strong message to modern day aggressors like the Mian Mithoo and other Islamist clerics in Pakistan, that even 50 years from now, they will be held accountable for the crimes that are being committed today against underage girls belonging to the Hindu, Sikh and Christian communities. More than a 1000 girls face kidnapping, forced conversion and trafficking with tacit support of the Pakistan Army every year,” said Rakhi Israni, who leads HinduPACT’s Coalition for Hindu Girls Abducted and their Rights (CHINGARI).
Shreya Mishra, an intern for CHINGARI said, “The Chingari project not only represents the fight to eradicate gender-based violence, but was also created to protect, promote, and celebrate the strength of women across the globe, and highlight the ongoing battle that women face in different regions every single day. Today, I encourage folks to reflect on the current state of gender-based violence across the globe and support the Chingari project and other causes which advocate for the rights of women and girls.”
Utsav Chakrabarti, the Executive Director of HinduPACT said, “More than 50 years after the Pakistan Army perpetrated violence and sexual assault on more than 300,000 women, and killed three million people, the war crimes that were committed have not been recognized as genocide. Not only have the crimes not been recognized, but many of the war-criminals went on to become powerful generals and administrators in Pakistan, influencing decision making even today. On International Women’s Day, we call upon the US and the international community to recognize the genocide of Bangladeshis by Pakistan and take immediate steps to bring to trial the 195 current and former members of the Pakistan Army, who were recorded as being responsible for perpetrating the violence. Prominent genocide prevention watchdogs like Genocide Watchand Lemkin Institute have already recognized what occurred in Bangladesh in 1971 as genocide.”
There is a need to address these issues, especially on International Women’s Day and during Women’s History Month.

March 16, 2022
HinduPACT Statement on Canadian PM Trudeau’s Swastika Statement on WION

February 17, 2022
HinduPACT Demands PM Trudeau Respect Canadians’ Right to Dissent, Must Refrain from Comparing Nazi Hakenkreuz to Peaceful Swastika to Prevent Targeting of Hindus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C – Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) stands with the people of Canada during these trying times and urges Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to respect the rights of the Canadian people to peacefully protest. The right to peaceful protest is fundamental in any democracy and the promulgation of an Emergency Order to quell the voices of dissent sets, for the first time, a tragic precedent for Canada.
HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakrabarti said,
“I would be remiss if I didn’t start by recognizing the news coming out of Canada about the protests and the Draconian measures being taken to counter them. The situation is concerning, and we are all very worried about our family and friends.”
HinduPACT also urges Prime Minister Trudeau and New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh not to conflate the ‘Swastika’, an ancient and auspicious symbol for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and many indigenous communities around the world, with the ‘Hakenkreuz’, a 20th century Nazi symbol of hate. Both Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh have made statements in the recent past, accusing protesters of “waving Swastikas”.
We believe this misrepresentation will lead to hate crimes against Hindus and Sikhs. In the past month alone, six Hindu temples were vandalized and looted in Canada. A prominent member of the Canadian Hindu community and a recipient of the Order of Canada, Aditya Jha while speaking to HinduPACT said,
“I appreciate the gravitas of Indian leadership, that they have stayed away from commenting on protests by truckers in Canada. In contrast, PM Justin Trudeau has behaved immaturely by constantly commenting on protests in India, with very little knowledge and understanding”.
Speaking about NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Jha added:
“He is openly supportive of Khalistani extremists, makes alliances with radical Islamists, and is a politician who wants to be in India, but accidentally ended up in Canada. He doesn’t know much about the Sikh Panth either. But the problem today is that politics has become so shallow that any well-spoken minority is given a platform as long as they can speak good English.”

February 15, 2022