• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Login
NRI Affairs
Youtube Channel
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
NRI Affairs
No Result
View All Result
Home Views

OPINION: Despicable Display of ‘Dormant Manliness of Hindus’ During a California Webinar on India’s Citizenship Laws

Hindus for Human Rights will defend its right to organize open, peaceful conversations on difficult topics and deplore those who would resort to tactics of intimidation and disruption.

Raju Rajagopal by Raju Rajagopal
December 19, 2022
in Views
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
1
OPINION: Despicable Display of ‘Dormant Manliness of Hindus’ During a California Webinar on India’s Citizenship Laws

Image: Hindus for Human Rights

140
SHARES
1.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Advertisements

It all started when Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) announced a hybrid webinar on Nov. 12 on the topic of India’s citizenship laws, titled, “Manufacturing Statelessness – What Next for India’s Citizenship Laws?” 

With the Indian government promising to start implementing the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) next year, we felt that this was the right time to refresh everyone’s memory of the double-talk by the government about the intent and scope of the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), whose inhuman consequences in the state of Assam have been well documented. 

We had gathered a stellar panel to speak on the topic, with Aman Wadud, a practicing lawyer, on his personal experience with the NRC in Assam; Prashant Bhushan, a well-known Supreme Court lawyer, on a legal perspective on the CAA and the raft of petitions challenging it; T.M. Krishna, musician, author, activist, on the broader implications of the CAA/NRC on Indian democracy; Anuradha Bhasin, of The Kashmir Times, on the impact of the NRC on women and marginalized communities; and Prof. Rohit Chopra, Santa Clara University, on the deep fissures within the Indian diaspora on the policies of the Modi government. The webinar was co-sponsored by our ally, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC). 

Within days of announcing the webinar, the India Community Center (ICC), Milpitas, CA, where the event was to be held, started receiving hundreds of identical-looking e-mails and phone calls demanding that they cancel our event, which was described as “anti-India” and “Hinduphobic.” Judging from the nature of those messages, it was clear that the campaign to intimidate HfHR and our guest speakers was being orchestrated centrally. 

To its credit, the ICC board refused to cancel our event and reiterated that ICC has been a safe space for all kinds of community groups to hold their meetings there, as long as they adhered to basic rules of civility and inclusion. 

Despite ICC’s pushback, however, several unregistered persons gained entry into our event on November 12th, with the express intent of disrupting it. This became clear as Prof. Rohit Chopra started speaking when some people started shouting and would not let him get on with his remarks. The worst came when a few members of the audience left their seats and walked menacingly toward Prof. Chopra. They retreated only after he announced that he was videoing their actions and we threatened to call security to eject them. 

Regrettably, by their rowdy behaviour, the disruptors posed a personal threat to the safety of Prof. Chopra. For the record, their menacing advance towards him qualifies as assault under California law (see highlighted text) and Prof. Chopra would be well within his rights to file charges against them if he so chose. 

By their rowdy behavior, the disruptors posed a personal threat to the safety of Prof. Chopra. For the record, their menacing advance towards him qualifies as assault under California law.

“Assault in California is an intentional attempt to physically injure another, or a menacing or threatening act or statement that causes the other person to believe they are about to be attacked. This crime doesn’t involve actual physical contact.’ 

HfHR has carefully considered what further action we should take to send a clear message to the disruptors that their behavior will not go unchallenged and that in the future we will observe a zero-tolerance policy towards such uncivil behavior, which has no place in our community. 

Accordingly: 

· We will be informing the worst offenders at the November 12th webinar that they will be barred from our future events at the ICC.

· Our events in the future will require all registrants to agree to a code of conduct, with the understanding that any violators will be promptly escorted out.

Advertisements

· We will have an in-room security officer to ensure that the events go smoothly. 

HfHR firmly believes that the time has come for the Indian American community to forthrightly discuss and debate issues that have divided us over the last few years and that face-to-face dialogue is extremely important in initiating that process. At the same time, we believe that all conversations must take place in a civil and non-violent manner where we are respectful of our guest speakers as well as our fellow attendees. 

 The disruptors at our event reminded me of the behavior of Dr. K.B. Hedgewar, the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), as described in an RSS booklet for children (see image below): “Keshav Rao never tolerated any insult either to the nation or to national leaders. Once a public meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deshbhakta Moulvi Liyaqat Hussain. One of the speakers passed some disparaging remarks about Lokmanya Tilak. This was enough for Keshavrao to burst forth with indignation. He rushed to the stage and slapped the errant speaker in full public view.”

hegdewar

I have often wondered why the RSS would highlight their founder’s violent behavior in a story meant for children. Did they not find other inspiring or uplifting stories about him?

Part of the answer came to me in Hedgewar’s extraordinary statement normalizing violence, as cited in his biography: 

“One may outwardly carry out certain acts which appear to involve physical violence, but if it is done in a spirit of detachment and without any selfish motive or hatred, then the act can no longer be termed violent.” 

A more complete answer came to me decades later in 2002 in the wake of the anti-Muslim pogroms in Gujarat, when we started hearing the rationale for normalizing violent behavior by Hindu nationalist groups, which have resulted in the death and maiming of thousands of innocent people. Many of the leaders of the BJP and VHP who led that violence were clearly acting upon what was drilled into their minds in RSS shakas when they were young: Hedgewar’s call to wake up the “dormant manliness” of Hindus and to rectify the “pitiable state of Hindus.” 

What we are witnessing in India today – constant provocation of minority communities; open calls to mass violence; intimidation of journalists, historians, activists, and even comedians — are the direct result of such mass indoctrination by the RSS.

As a diaspora organization, HfHR may not be able to significantly alter the ground situation in India, but it is our duty to stop the infiltration of such incitement and violent behavior in the Indian American community. 

You can help us in this endeavour by joining us in large numbers at our future events designed to build bridges across the seeming divide.

Originally published in American Kahani.

Share56Tweet35Send
Raju Rajagopal

Raju Rajagopal

Raju Rajagopal is a co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights, an advocacy organisation dedicated to human rights of all communities in India and the U.S. Details at www.hindusforhumanright.org. The views published are personal.

Related Posts

NRI custody issue: Gujarat high court orders father to send children back to mother in New Zealand
Views

OPINION: How Hindutva ecosystem distorts the truth

January 17, 2023
What India’s Universal Periodic Review Means for the Quad
Views

What India’s Universal Periodic Review Means for the Quad

December 2, 2022
hare krishna g1adbb8740 640
Views

Intimidation Hindutva Style

November 1, 2022
Next Post
India-Australia intend to wrap up trade talks by September 2023

India-Australia intend to wrap up trade talks by September 2023

Universities Australia urged immigration reset for foreign graduates

Universities Australia urged immigration reset for foreign graduates

Indian-origin roommate's convicted murderer found unfit for trial in US

Indian-origin roommate's convicted murderer found unfit for trial in US

Comments 1

  1. Avatar Viswa Challa says:
    1 month ago

    That’s disturbing that they would resort to such means to shut down dialogue. Please keep continuing to speak your voices and educating people on what is happening in India and within the broader Indian diaspora.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

WhatsApp Image 2022 01 17 at 11.22.23 AM

Indians showing greater interest in moving abroad: Report

10 months ago
On Eid, NRI Hindus send love letters to Muslims

On Eid, NRI Hindus send love letters to Muslims

9 months ago
Air India’s London bound flight delayed after ants found in business class

India to resume regular international flights soon

1 year ago
COVID-19 vaccination certificates will be available on MyGov from 19 October for international travel

No ‘close and continuing’ association: Australia refuses citizenship to Indian national and a citizen’s spouse

1 year ago

Categories

  • Literature
  • Multimedia
  • News
  • nriaffairs
  • Other
  • People
  • Top Stories
  • Uncategorized
  • Views
  • Visa

Topics

Air India Australia california Canada caste CECA COVID COVID-19 cricket ECTA Europe free trade FTA Geeta Germany Hindu Human Rights immigration India india-australia Indian Indian-origin Indian Students Khalistan London Melbourne Migration Modi Muslim New Zealand NRI NSW oci quarantine Singapore Sydney travel UAE uk Ukraine US USA Victoria visa women
NRI Affairs

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT