Sunita Viswanath: Why is the Indian Media Erasing 'Hindus for Human Rights' from the Republic Day Story?

By Dilip -

Our board member Sravya Tadepalli moderated the briefing and opened with the words, “As a Hindu and part of a religious tradition that believes all human beings are inherently divine, I believe it is my religious duty to speak out when oppressed people face atrocities. As an Indian American, I feel a special obligation to stand up for democracy in both nations. Many Indian Americans share my feeling. As Americans, we have the power to take foreign policy measures that can make a substantive difference in promoting human rights abroad and empowering grassroots activists.” Why is it that the only Hindu organiser of the briefing is being left out of the coverage and the brickbats are saved for a Muslim cosponsor and the only Muslim speaker? 

Why is the Indian Media Erasing 'Hindus for Human Rights' from the Republic Day Story?

Hindus for Human Rights is a US-based advocacy organisation. Along with 16 diverse organisations, we organised a congressional briefing on January 26, the Indian Republic Day, to educate American elected officials about the decline of democracy and human rights in India. Through our bi-weekly congressional briefings, we are raising global awareness of the growing threats of Hindu extremism towards Indian minorities. Our hope is that India will be pressured to respect its own constitution and protect the rights of minorities. 

This new year was rung in with terrifying and explicit calls for a genocide against Muslims by Hindu religious leaders in the holy city of Haridwar. Christmas Day saw the targeting of churches all across India by Hindutva mobs who broke Jesus statues and threatened violence. Perhaps because these alarming incidents made the international news, our congressional briefings in 2022 have been making waves. The Indian media has gone crazy attacking our Republic Day briefing in its own inimitable way. And we know we’ve hit a nerve because the Indian government has made a statement denouncing our briefing. 

Most of the mainstream Indian media coverage singled out one of the 17 co-sponsors, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC); and the only Muslim speaker, former Vice-President Hamid Ansari for its attacks. The allegations being levelled against both IAMC and Ansari are baseless and outrageous. What is on display is outright Islamophobia…

https://thewire.in/media/why-is-the-indian-media-erasing-hindus-for-human-rights-from-the-republic-day-story


काशी विश्वनाथ मंदिर के महंत ने मोदी, योगी पर लगाया बड़ा आरोप, सुनकर रह जाएंगे हैरान!


Sunita Viswanath: Why I feel the need to bring my Hinduism to the streets


Sunita Viswanath - I refuse to cede Hinduism to those who want to make India a Hindu rashtra


Public Appeal by Hindus for Human Rights, USA


Mrinal Pande: A land where no one speaks truth to power


Socrates: If the whole is ailing the part cannot be well / Ajit Prakash Shah: Darkness at noon, felled by the judiciary


Shyam Saran: Communal virus runs riot - Attacks on minorities may lead to irreversible fragmentation of Indian Union


Your silence emboldens hate voices: Faculty, students of IIMs to PM


Society of the Spectacle / 'इमेज' - 'Image': A Poem on Deaths in the Age of Covid


Manoj Joshi: India will come apart if secular contract is torn / Harish Khare: The Real Import of Satya Pal Malik's Warning About Narendra Modi


Bharat Bhushan - Incitement to violence: When will Supreme Court take note?


Hannah Ellis-Petersen: Statue smashed in spate of attacks on India’s Christian community / Sunita Viswanath: How do we break the cycle of religious violence in South Asia? / Mukul Kesavan - Magic and mayhem: The death cult at Haridwar

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