Hindutva has Arrived in America!
Syed
Ali Mujtaba
This
may not be news for those who have little connection with US domestic politics,
but for those who are closely watching the house of Uncle Sam it's apparent that
Hindutva forces have arrived in America!
This
is an interesting development that needs to be closely watched as America’s "melting pot culture" is having the taste of India’s Hindu organizations that are challenging the core US values in its home turf.
These organizations are; 'Hindu SwayamSevak' (HSS) - the International Wing of the RSS, the Vishwa
Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) and the
Hindu American Foundation (HAF).
These organizations are extolling the virtues
of the Hindutva ideology and teaching the Americans the values of Hindu
Civilization.
Surprisingly
these Hindu outfits do not claim to be the custodian of ‘Santam Dharma.’ The
confine being the advocacy group of Hindu Americans but do not define
‘Hinduism.’ They seem to be self-convinced to represent the entire caste
matrix of ‘Santam Dharma’ along with the Hindu minority groups like; Sikhs,
Buddhists and Jains in their world view of
Hinduism.
Among
the Hindutva organizations, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) is the most
articulate organization. It was founded by rich, articulate, and highly
educated second-generation Indians in 2003 with the mission to educate the
Americans about Hindus and Hinduism.
The
HAF came into existence barely a few months after the Gujarat pogrom in 2002
which was against the Muslims and there was huge outrage against then Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The
HAF justifies the Gujarat communal riots calling them a spontaneous act, an
outburst of the Hindus against the Muslims who they say were responsible for
the death of ‘Kar Sevaks’ in the Godhra train tragedy. A similar stance was
taken by them during the 2020 Delhi pogrom.
The
HAF members are on a mission to support Narendra Modi and his extremist
policies. They dismiss all criticism against him as ‘Hindu-Phobia.’
Going
through the website of HAF one gets the impression it’s an extension of
Hindutva forces that are currently at work in the US. They have
put stories on their website that suggests their energies are focused
on supporting Modi’s acts in the ‘Dreamland.’
After
2014, the HAF’s effort is to defend Prime Minister Modi’s policies. Be it, note
ban, GST, making J&K a UT., the lockdown, etc. The talented pool of young
and accomplished voices of HAF is defending Narendra Modi as a savior of
mankind, projecting him as the world’s ‘greatest leader.’
This
group’s speckless campaign was finely articulated at the ‘Howdy Modi’ show. This
particular event during the Trump administration boosted the Indian Prime
Minister’s image in America and showcased the Hindu- American voting muscle to the
Americans.
Banking on the large
Hindu voters, such lobby groups are propping up Hindu candidates that could
represent their ‘Hindutva ideology’ in the US Congress, thus making deep inroads into the US politics.
Tulsi
Gabbard, Sri Preston Kulkarni, Padma Kuppa, Raja Krishnamurti were candidates
that was backed by the Hindu lobby groups in America.
Some civil rights activists in the US have accused HAF of
backing a fascist ideology. They in turn are rebutted with the accusation
that they are pro-Islamists suffering from Hindu-Phobia.
The
HAF proclaims to be involved in the areas of human rights, civil rights, and
education, etc. They say their motto is to promote dignity, mutual
respect, and pluralism along with the well-being of the ‘Hindus.’
However,
these sweet words are a charade, the truth is their mother outfits RSS and the BJP in India
instruct them to make inroads into US politics. The neo-rich Hindu Americans
are donating extensively to support the Hindu candidates so that they can
impact US politics.
The
HAF job is also to challenge the mainstream US media on their reportage on
India. Several websites are propped up by them that are engaged in challenging
the popular media outlets like NYT, Washington Post, and Time, Newsweek, etc. Their job
is to refute the negative coverage of the Indian Prime Minister and his policies.
The
HAF claims it is a politically agnostic and non-partisan group that does
not favor or endorse any political party or candidate and is not affiliated
with any religious or political organization. However, if we go to their
website, they have put stories on ‘Bengali Hindu Genocide in 1971’, ‘India's
Citizenship Amendment Act,’ ‘Kashmir and Articles 370/35A’, ‘Correcting Media
Portrayals of Hinduism’, Commercial use of Hindu Images, etc.
All these
stories, tear open the underbelly of Hindutva forces in America from where the
yank Golwarkars and Sarwakars ooze out.
There
is a need to keep a close watch on such organizations that are spreading their
tentacles in US politics. They need to be put on a leash before they make any
deadly assaults on the American value system.
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Syed
Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
Another legend is Bibi Nancharamma was the daughter of Malik Kafur, the General of Allaudin Khilji in South India whom Lord Balaji married in 1311 AD. The Muslim community of this region since then treats Lord Venkateswara as their son-in-law.
