HinduPACT

Category: Articles

  • Article: The Hindu vote will carry historic weight in the midterm elections

    Article: The Hindu vote will carry historic weight in the midterm elections

    By: Utsav Chakrabarti. September 08, 2022 

    The 2022 midterm elections are arguably the most consequential in setting the stage for the future of the American Hindu diaspora’s involvement in deciding elections.

    To understand the Hindu community in America, one needs to look no further than the last presidential election. The wants and needs of American Hindus, an important voting bloc, have only intensified during this period with the lack of adequate representation. What this means is that people can anticipate a more historic American Hindu turnout this November than in any year past.

    The earliest Hindu immigration to the United States was recorded in the 1600s. In 2018, it was estimated that there were 2.5 million Hindus in America. Today, it is believed there are close to 6 million Hindus in the U.S., accounting for about 2% of the total population. This figure is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade.

    As executive director of the Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective USA, I interact with lawmakers and everyday constituents to communicate what our community is seeking from our elected officials. Part of this includes my involvement in creating the Hindu Voter Guide. The 2022 Hindu Voter Guide will help voters determine the compatibility of each candidate with universal Hindu values and the candidates’ views on policies that are important to American Hindus. It serves as a tool to help constituents be more judicious in their selection of candidates.

    As part of this, my team at HinduPACT and I have developed a series of questions over the last two years that address the concerns and hopes of the American Hindu communities and the expectations they have from their candidates. It also examines the intra-community dynamics, based on my interactions with hundreds of people in a cross-section of thought-leaders within the community. The questions cut across party lines and address the needs of Hindus who are registered with both the Democratic and Republican parties as well as unregistered constituents. HinduPACT is actively working to drive up the number of Hindu voter registrants.

    As the largest and fastest-growing diaspora community, Hindus are becoming critical in deciding the elections in Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, and Virginia. The American Hindu vote has been more prominently on display during the last two election cycles and is expected to play an even bigger role in the midterm elections, particularly as the U.S.-India relationship is highlighted as tensions persist between America and China. Chief among things sought from American Hindu constituents is a candidate who will protect American Hindus’ constitutional and civil rights and honor their contributions across the U.S. Statistics show that over 80% of highly skilled immigrants who are eligible for green cards are Hindu. This is an important part of the workforce and should continue to be protected.

    Another important facet that Hindu voters are seeking in their representatives is that they will ensure that textbooks and instructional materials that promote Hinduphobia and reflect misrepresentation of the Hindu faith in publicly funded school textbooks and educational materials are removed in consultation with American Hindu organizations.

    Lastly, India is a strategic U.S. ally. Hindu voters are seeking candidates who will support India’s role in a new vision for the Indo-Pacific to counterterrorism and work toward replacing China with India as a global manufacturer and a key component in our supply chain so we can advance our shared security and economic interests in the region.

    With this sizable population on the rise, it is important for incumbents and future legislators to pay close attention and appeal to the Hindu demographic. Their candidacy and victory may depend on it.

    Utsav Chakrabarti is the executive director of HinduPACT, a nonprofit policy research initiative based in Washington, D.C.

  • The 1971 Bangladesh genocide: Lessons in history for ‘Woke’ America

    The 1971 Bangladesh genocide: Lessons in history for ‘Woke’ America

    Utsav Chakrabarti

    The 1971 Bangladesh Genocide: Lessons in History for ‘Woke’ America​

    On a chilly January morning, Ila Mitra, a 25-year-old Hindu girl was arrested for leading thousands of indigenous Hindus, farmworkers in Rajshahi, East Pakistan. The farmworkers were brutally beaten by the Ansars, an Islamist militia that acted as paramilitary enforcers of the Pakistan Army. Ila was packed into a truck and send to jail. What Ila endured for the next four years, would have made a stay in ISIS prison from 2015 Raqqa look like a Tropical Resort. Ila Mitra was raped every week for the next four years, sexually tortured and kept in complete isolation. In 1954, after her health deteriorated, the government of Pakistan exiled her to India.  

    Like most young Bengali Hindus in that era, Ila had grown up on a steady diet of Marxist ideology since 1930s. But she had come to the realization, that for Hindus of East Pakistan, the end of the British rule in 1947, and the Partition, meant only one thing – the transfer of power from a colonial Empire to an even more oppressive colonial Caliphate.  

    Ila was right. The struggle for which Ila had sacrificed her youth and her health for, would grow to become the struggle that led to the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.  A liberation, that was made possible by the sacrifice of millions of Bengalis. Anyone, Hindus or Muslims, who opposed the pan-Islamic vision of Pakistan was targeted. Hindus were specifically singled out because of their perceived proclivity to Bengali language. Bengali, which has strong roots in Sanskrit language and Hindu culture, was considered as a hindrance to the Islamization of East Pakistan. In March 1971, the Government of Pakistan, and its supporters in Bangladesh, the Jama’at- e-Islami, or, The Party of Islam, launched a violent operation, codenamed, “Operation Searchlight” to crush all pro-liberation activities. General Yahya Khan, the military dictator of Pakistan, while speaking to his top military brass famously declared, “Kill three million of them and the rest will eat out of our hands.” 

    And 3 million they did kill.  A large section of the Hindu community of Bangladesh was murdered, mostly by the Al-Shams and Al-Badr militia, (both were military wings of the Jama’at-e-Islami). Declassified communiques from June 1971, which later became famous as the ‘Blood Telegrams’, named after the dissenting Foreign Service Officer posted at the American Consulate in Dhaka , uses the terms ‘selective genocide’ and ‘genocide’ to describe one of the most intense killing campaigns ever committed in human history. Senator Edward Kennedy, a Democrat visited Dhaka in 1971. On his return, he issued a scathing report to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Refugees. The report titled “Crisis in South Asia,” spoke of “one of the most appalling tides of human misery in modern times.” Kennedy wrote, “Nothing is clearer, or more easily documented, than the systematic campaign of terror — and its genocidal consequences — launched by the Pakistani army on the night of March 25th.” 

    “All of this has been officially sanctioned, ordered and implemented under martial law from Islamabad. America’s heavy support of Islamabad is nothing short of complicity in the human and political tragedy of East Bengal.” The Nixon administration maintained its stance. But Kennedy’s focus on the mass killings came as everyday Americans began to share in the outrage. For instance, Beatle George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh, the first benefit event of its kind, was staged to further highlight the plight of Bangladeshi refugees. Besieged, the U.S. Congress pushed through a bill to ban arms sales to Pakistan. Next week, it will be 50 years since 1971. The problems remain the say, whether it is the invasion of Armenia or the tragedy of subalterns in Pakistan. As I watch the ‘woke’ outrages of today, and the outpouring of diatribe and counter-diatribe over interview of Meghan Markle and Harry interview with Oprah, I cannot but help reminisce over the changes in ‘woke’ culture over the past 50 years. What it meant to be ‘woke’ for Senator Ted Kennedy, the Beatles and Eric Clapton and Archer Blood, is so different from what “woke” means today. Maybe, its just me, but it seems like we really need to wake up and revisit ‘woke’. Not just for ourselves, but for the sake of progressive and evolutionary societies, that we so cherish and are known to fight for. 

  • Understanding Swastika – Use and Abuse of the Symbol

    Understanding Swastika – Use and Abuse of the Symbol

    Understanding-Swastika_AJC

  • The Nazi Hakenkreuz (hooked Cross) will continue to haunt the ‘Swastika’

    The Nazi Hakenkreuz (hooked Cross) will continue to haunt the ‘Swastika’

    Author: Utsav Chakrabarty

    The New York Bill declaring ‘Swastika’ as a symbol of hate, has stalled. But history tells us that we have to do more than stalling misguided legislation to reclaim back our enduring symbol of wellness from the White Supremacists. The reclamation of the Swastika is a metaphor for the reclamation and revival of Hindu Dharma from centuries of colonialism. We have to proactively work towards educating the rest of the world that maligning our ancient heritage would be a step backwards in promoting interfaith harmony and would lead to increase in hate crimes. For the sake of honesty, safety and well being of our future generations, we must demand that the meaning and significance of Swastika be redeemed, so that the hate crimes against Jews, Hindus or any other community is not perpetuated in the name of ignorance.

    About 3 weeks ago, I got a call from Ajay Shah, my colleague at HinduPACT. He wanted us to urgently draft a response to a Bill that had been introduced in the New York State Senate by Senator Todd Kaminsky (D) 9TH SENATE DISTRICT and co-sponsored by Senators Joseph Addabbo Jr (D) 15TH SENATE DISTRICT, Alessandra Biaggi (D, WF) 34TH SENATE DISTRICT, John Brooks (D) 8TH SENATE DISTRICT, and David Carlucci (D) 38TH SENATE DISTRICT. New York State Senate Bill SS 6648 sponsored by has a stated purpose to require that the New York school children be educated regarding the meaning of swastikas and nooses as ‘symbols of hatred’ and intolerance.

    My first thoughts were, “not again, Shouldn’t the Islamic State flag make it to this list? For how long do the Hindus around the world have to carry the baggage of colonialism and appropriation on their shoulders, for a horrible crime, they had nothing to do with?”

    The history of the Swastika is over 10,000 years old. It has appeared in several civilizations all throughout the world. from pre-Christian Greece and Rome to the Druids and Celts, to proto-Vedic Hindu communities across Eurasia. The Swastika continues to be an integral part of Hindu iconography in India and in East Asian cultures that adhere to Buddhism. It has regularly been donned on Hindu homes, businesses, temples, and other objects. Hindu families gather round to place it in front of their homes for good luck and protection.

    So, as a response to the New York Senate Bill SS6648, we started by compiling the tremendous amount of work that had already been done on this issue. In 2009, The American Jewish Committee (AJC) working with the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) and other Hindu organizations in Washington, DC had produced a brochure titled, “Understanding Swastika, Use and Abuse of a sacred symbol.”

    The AJC brochure
    quotes, the following from Declaration of the Second Hindu-Jewish Leadership Summit, that was held in February 2008, in Jerusalem, The Declaration says “The Svastika is an ancient and greatly auspicious symbol of the Hindu tradition. It is inscribed on Hindu temples, ritual altars, entrances, and even account books. A distorted version of this sacred symbol was misappropriated by the Third Reich in Germany and abused as an emblem under which heinous crimes were perpetrated against humanity, particularly the Jewish people. The participants recognize that this symbol is, and has been sacred to Hindus for millennia, long before its misappropriation.”

    At that time, I had hoped, that this would have put any further debate on this issue to rest, for future generations. But like with most things in the world of voluntary Hindu activism, the brochure was never popularized in the way it should have been. It never made it to the state and national level lawmakers, nor did it reach the hands of academics or education professionals. Now I feel that even if the AJC brochure had made its way to its intended audience, it may not have absolved the Swastika from its misrepresentation by White supremacists. The reason, there are people with a vested interest in keeping it misrepresented.
    You see, Hitler actually never used the word “Swastika”, and instead used the same symbol, calling it Hakenkreuz (German, Hooked Cross). But instead of censoring the Hakenkreuz (hooked Cross), which essentially would have alluded to the Christian religious symbol of the Cross, the powers that be, found it much more convenient to use the word Swastika, to represent the Nazi symbol.  Now, the 2 billion Hindus and other colonized proto-Vedic communities are left holding the baggage of the Swastika’s misuse by a murderous German dictator, who committed some of the most horrible crimes of the 20th century.

    What is even worse, is that Indian American lawmaker like Pramila Jayapal (D-Wa), who positions herself as a leader representing the voice of ‘people of color’ communities, continues to associate the Swastika with White Supremacists and neo-Nazis. I expected that she would have realized by now that the best way to weaken White supremacists & neo-Nazis, would be to help Hindus, Buddhists and other proto-Vedic communities reclaim back their historical heritage. That would have actually helped the ‘people of color’, for whom the Swastika is a symbol of reverence.

    As it stands today, the New York Senate Bill has stalled. Over 300,000 Hindu New Yorkers who come from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds and contribute immensely to the community and economy, succeeded in forcing their lawmakers to re-evaluate the language and representation of Swastika. But something tells me that we have not seen the end of this debate here.

    The reclamation of the Swastika is a metaphor for the reclamation and revival of Hindu Dharma, from centuries of colonialism. We have to proactively work towards educating the rest of the world that maligning our ancient heritage would be a step backwards in promoting interfaith harmony and would lead to increase in hate crimes and Hinduphobia. For the sake of honesty, safety and well being of our future generations, we must demand that the meaning and significance of Swastika be included in the educational curriculum so that the hate crimes against Jews, Hindus or any other community is not perpetuated in the name of ignorance. There would be no better way to disarm and disenfranchise Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists.

  • What Hindus Want from their Presidential Candidates

    What Hindus Want from their Presidential Candidates

    There are more than 4 million American Hindus in the United States. While most of them are of Indian origin, there are many who come from Bangladeshi, European, African-American and Nepalese heritage. This article examines the concerns and hopes of the American Hindu communities and the expectations they have from the Presidential candidates. It also examines the intra-community dynamics, based on my interaction with a cross-section of thought-leaders within the community

    Hindus have made immeasurable contributions to American society for generations. These contributions began at an early stage of America’s advancement as a global superpower, from Henry David Thoreau’s commentary on civil disobedience at Walden Pond, Massachusetts, that were informed by the teachings of sacred Hindu text of the Bhagavad Gita. Over the decades, the community has emerged as the most highly educated religious group in the U.S. 36% of American Hindus have income of $100,000*, 2nd highest of any religious community in the country. With more than 4 million voters, the community will go into the upcoming 2020 Presidential elections with the largest increase in registered voters among Asian Americans, since 2018.

    But all is not honky dory with the community when it comes to those that represent its aspirations and concerns, across the political spectrum. Despite their rapidly growing influence and strength in numbers, the American Hindu leadership is increasingly being marginalized by Geo-political forces, that are operating within the American political mainstream. These forces seek to fragment the American Hindu into intersectionalities of sub-identities and seek to turn current & future generations of voters into ‘useful idiots’ for causes that, at best, do not address the issues and demands of the American Hindus, and in their worst form, can be a threat to the Hindus themselves.

    Two such sub-identities are, the “South Asian” and the “Asian American Pacific Islander” identity. Both are geographical identities that will be of little consequence to future generations of Hindus born in the US. While the former is driven by pan-Islamism that seeks the erasure of Hindus themselves, and the latter is too focused on Sino-Asia Pacific geopolitics, to address many of the issues that are unique to Hindus in the US.

    With these concerns in mind, I spoke to leaders of the community over the past two months. While many of them agreed with me, some suggested that it was not the opportune time to raise these issues. The best response some could come up with, was that they were working hard “to address the Indian American issues”. Of course, few could understand the part that the “Indian American identity” itself has strategically been digested inside the “South Asian” identity and it would be very hard to convince a politician to work with a slice, when he can have the entire cake and eat it too.

    That brings me to the purpose of this article. At a time when the American Hindu who was traditionally a Democrat, but rapidly moving towards the Republican Party, what is it that they want from their Presidential candidates?

    I decided to speak with a cross section of the community’s thought-leadership, in the most bipartisan manner I could. Ajay Shah, the convenor of HinduPACT, and myself, put together a questionnaire that the Presidential candidates can respond to.

    A. Hindu Issues in America

    1. As a President, will you protect Hindu American constitutional and civil rights;
      honor the contribution of Hindu American communities across America; and
      create a safe environment for their growth and prosperity.
    2. Will you ensure that the Homeland Security, Justice Department, and the FBI will work closely with the Hindu Mandirs (Temples) and other organizations to
      ensure that they are provided protection against hate crime and discrimination?
    3. Will you ensure that the Department of Education will consult practitioners of
      Hindu faith to develop guidelines for state agencies? Will you ensure that the textbooks and instructional materials that promote Hinduphobia and reflect misrepresentation of Hindu dharma (faith) in school textbooks are removed?
    4. Will you de-fund Universities and colleges that continue to institutionalize
      Hindupobic teachings?
    5. Will you include Hindu American participation in national prayer meetings at the White House, and include at least 2 Hindu festivals in the list of festivals celebrated at the White House?
    6. Will you Include Hindu American organizations in faith-based service initiatives and, in the dialog on interfaith, diversity and inclusion?

    Over 80% of high skilled immigrants who are eligible for Green Card are Hindus. What are your views on extended delays in Green Card processing times (often more than 20 years) for these legal immigrants?

    B. Global Hindu Issues

    1. Will you promote equal rights and security for Dharmic communities (Hindu,
      Sikh, Jain, Buddhist) in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh? The United States has a long tradition of offering hope and safe haven to refugees and to those seeking asylum. Will you give persecuted followers of Dharmic faiths who are minorities in these countries, asylum under the “emergency refugee protection” program?
    2. Will you work to restore Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Nepal living in the United States?
    3. How will you promote stronger relations with India and support India’s role in a new vision for the Indo-Pacific, to counter-terrorism and advance our shared security and economic interests in the region?

    The American Hindu may decide who wins in Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas and Florida, in the upcoming Presidential elections. The list above, is just an outline for the Hindu voter in the United States, so they can communicate with their party of choice, directly. It is as much a questionnaire for the Presidential candidates, as it is a guideline for the community leaders who do outreach to political surrogates and raise funds for them. More importantly, it is a wakeup call to those leaders that have been sacrificing the Hindu American identity under the more transient geographical and ethnic branding. While it may have served their objectives in the short run, it will harm the growth potential of Hindu leaders in American politics in the long run. The harm to our interest and wellbeing will follow soon.

    *Pew Research survey

    I discuss more about this on HinduLounge, episode 13 for World Hindu Council of America’s, HinduPACT initiative

  • Idols and Icons – The Misrepresentation of Hinduism in the Press

    Idols and Icons – The Misrepresentation of Hinduism in the Press

    By David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri)

    There are a number of terms that are applied to Hinduism in the Press, not only in the West but in India itself, which foster a negative image of it. Hindus are routinely called worshippers of idols, polytheists, and various other denigrating stereotypes, which do not reflect any intelligent examination of the religion itself but what is often an intentional campaign of misrepresentation and distortion.

    All the religions of the world – with the general exception of Protestant Christians, Muslims and Jews – use some sort of images or statues in their religious worship. Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches abound with statues, paintings and pictures of various types. Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto groups use them as well. Native American, African and Asian religions abound with them. The ancient religions of the entire world from Mexico to Greece, Egypt, Babylonia, Persia, India and China used images, as archeology so clearly reveals. The use of images appear as an integral part of human religious practices and no universal religion could be regarded as complete without them. Even many Protestant Christians have pictures of Jesus in their house or church, and Muslims often have pictures of their religious or political leaders, occasionally even depictions of Mohammed.

    However, there is a strange dichotomy in how such religious images are judged. When they are part of the Christian tradition they are called icons and classified as works of art and regarded as sacred in nature.  When they are part of non-Christian or pagan traditions they are called “idols,” which is a derogatory term that indicates not the sacred but mere superstition. In the case of native American and
    African images, even when done by a culture as advanced as the Mayas of Central America – which built great pyramids and had many great cities – they are lumped along with so-called primitive art.

    An image of Christ as the good shepherd is called an icon and viewed with respect. An image of Krishna as the good cow herder – which is a similar image of the Divine as watching over the souls of men – is called an idol, which encourages one to look down on it. This is prejudice and negative stereotyping in language of the worst order.  What Christian would accept calling a depiction of Christ an idol? Would Christian religious leaders approve of it in the press of Christian countries? What Christians in India would accept it?  And would not the government and news media of India change the language in their favor? Yet Hindus routinely accept that depictions of their deities – who represent as high a standard in consciousness and ethical behavior as Christ – are demeaned as idols.  The news media of India does this commonly, which encourages the Western news media to continue in this practice, which is part of their negative depiction of Hinduism.

    To call such images as idols implies that those who worship them practice idolatry or take the image itself as a God. This adds yet more prejudice and error to this judgement. The use of an image – whether we call it an icon or an idol – does not imply belief in the reality of the image. That we keep a photograph of our wife and children at our work desk does not mean that we think our wife and children are the photograph. It is a reminder, not a false reality.

    Moreover, the use of the term idol inflames the sentiments of anti-idolatry religions like Christianity and Islam, as both the Bible and the Koran, at least in places, instruct their followers to oppose idolaters and smash their temples and images. The use of the term idol in the press, particularly in the Indian press, is thus careless, insensitive, inflammatory, and communal. It should be removed in an effort to promote greater understanding and good will between religious groups. The use of such terms indicates that the news media of India uncritically and unnecessarily uses terms that encourage anti-Hindu attitudes. It is a hold over from the British rule in the intellectual sphere, even though the British have long left the country. What majority community in the world is so unaware of its new media to allow such practices to continue? Yet this issue only reflects many other prejudicial terms like Hindu chauvinism, Hindu fundamentalism, and Hindu militancy which the often anti-Hindu Indian news media frequently uses, while at the same time not using them in regard to Islam and Christianity, even when they are much more appropriate relative to the exclusivistic attitudes and greater intolerance of these belief-oriented religions.

    Using such terms as idols, the news media is not fostering communication but promoting discrimination and violence. Such abuse of language should be challenged and replaced wherever it is found, whether relative to Hindus or anyone else.