The court judgment against HAF has only dark clouds for Hindu nationalists in the US who have sold out Indian democracy and dare to call themselves true patriots.
Battle lines are being drawn in response to the emergence of caste fissures in the American workplace, thanks to California Civil Rights Department's case against CISCO.
In tactical terms, the shirtless protest was worse than a self-goal. Suddenly, the fiascos of the AI Summit were forgotten, and the Youth Congress’s disruption became the issue.
IAF is fine with accepting the aircraft with 'must-haves', even if some other steps remain pending, which may take at least another year, it is learnt.
The previous comment from Madhavatvam really says it all. The lazy, dishonest and cherry-picked narrative is reflective of not just the mediocrity of the article and its editorial oversight, but also of the agenda driven biases. Do better!
Once again…
This article is intellectually dishonest from start to finish. The author leads with “18% of Hindus are leaving the faith” while hiding the real story: Hindus have the highest retention rate of any major religion. That’s not honest reporting—it’s deliberate manipulation.
Where’s the proof that people leave because of “casteism or sexism”? She provides zero data. Just claims. And if these are such big problems, why do Hindus have the lowest dropout rate? Why aren’t they leaving faster than people from other religions that have their own serious issues? She never answers this because it would destroy her entire argument.
When Hindu parents worry about their kids being pressured to convert or facing bias in schools, she calls it “panic” and mocks them. That’s not analysis—that’s gaslighting.
This is the old colonial playbook with new words: call the religion backward, position yourself as the enlightened savior, dismiss anyone who objects as ignorant. Same condescending attitude, just dressed up in progressive language.
A real analysis would compare all religions, actually survey people who left Hinduism and ask why, acknowledge that Hindu reform movements have existed for centuries, and consider that maybe the high retention rate means the tradition is actually working for people. None of that appears here because the author already decided what she wanted to say before looking at any facts.
That ThePrint published this statistical manipulation and evidence-free opinion piece says a lot about their editorial standards. This probably got published not despite its problems, but because it says what certain people want to hear.
Hindu Americans don’t need this author to fix their faith. They need honest journalism—not recycled anti-Hindu stereotypes pretending to be analysis
I do feel this was a singular representation of the rapidly growing Hindu diasporic behemoth. My experience was pretty different and not represented here. I grew up with Advaita Vedanta and extremely practical, philosophical core-essence Upanishadic teachings of Sanatan Dharma. Hinduism does not just equal a stereotype of rituals and Ramayan. Much of Vedanta or the Kashmiri Shaivism I also grew up with are both closer to what people know as Buddhism than the wild stories of the Bhagvatam, for instance. Also, a majority of diaspora genuinely did not grow up with casteism. I had a pretty progressive community and parents and was only in late adulthood compelled to ask about any castism in my subculture because of an imposed Western / American media narrative and the trending cultural zeitgeist forced it upon us, when it was in fact never taught, inculcated, or involved in any way in my upbringing nor my ancestors’ traditions upon inquiry. I wonder why this reality is also not represented?
As an Indian American (born in India) here is my 2 cents:
It’s true that for a large number of Hindus, caste is a part of the lived experience of our religion. However, I have noticed that caste and superstition is particularly deep-rooted in certain Brahmin communities. Unfortunately, these communities have a disproportionate representation among American Hindus.
As a Bengali Brahmin, I have been told that Brahmins from Eastern India are “not really Brahmins” whatever that means, because we are non-vegetarian. I have been refused rental accommodation in Bangalore because I would be cooking fish. A relative had the same experience in Ahmedabad.
Hindus from Eastern India are often not considered “Hindu enough” because we are apparently not adequately religious.
Unfortunately, most Hindus know very little about our own religion outside caste and the various superstitions. Hinduism is one religion where questioning is supposed to be encouraged. In reality, whether in USA or India, questioning is discouraged because the teachers themselves are ignorant.
So don’t take your or your friends’ personal experiences and extend them to all Hindus or Hinduism in general.
I have also done the last rites for my parent. I am a woman but I didn’t have to repeat those “mantras” that your friend did. Again, mantras can vary from region to region. Sometimes a priest who is sensitive to modern values omits
parts that he knows are unacceptable.
A generation ago, a woman wouldn’t have been performing the last rites. So Hinduism is capable of change from within.
Islamophobia is definitely not a part of Hinduism. It’s entirely political. Just the fact that you think it is, makes me question your knowledge of Hinduism. If you think something is unacceptable, you are always free to make changes. Hinduism gives us that permission.
Yes, Hindu mantras need to be translated and sentiments expressed in them that are not consistent with modern values must be weeded out. That must be done for all Hindus, whether American or Indian.
The previous comment from Madhavatvam really says it all. The lazy, dishonest and cherry-picked narrative is reflective of not just the mediocrity of the article and its editorial oversight, but also of the agenda driven biases. Do better!
Once again…
This article is intellectually dishonest from start to finish. The author leads with “18% of Hindus are leaving the faith” while hiding the real story: Hindus have the highest retention rate of any major religion. That’s not honest reporting—it’s deliberate manipulation.
Where’s the proof that people leave because of “casteism or sexism”? She provides zero data. Just claims. And if these are such big problems, why do Hindus have the lowest dropout rate? Why aren’t they leaving faster than people from other religions that have their own serious issues? She never answers this because it would destroy her entire argument.
When Hindu parents worry about their kids being pressured to convert or facing bias in schools, she calls it “panic” and mocks them. That’s not analysis—that’s gaslighting.
This is the old colonial playbook with new words: call the religion backward, position yourself as the enlightened savior, dismiss anyone who objects as ignorant. Same condescending attitude, just dressed up in progressive language.
A real analysis would compare all religions, actually survey people who left Hinduism and ask why, acknowledge that Hindu reform movements have existed for centuries, and consider that maybe the high retention rate means the tradition is actually working for people. None of that appears here because the author already decided what she wanted to say before looking at any facts.
That ThePrint published this statistical manipulation and evidence-free opinion piece says a lot about their editorial standards. This probably got published not despite its problems, but because it says what certain people want to hear.
Hindu Americans don’t need this author to fix their faith. They need honest journalism—not recycled anti-Hindu stereotypes pretending to be analysis
I do feel this was a singular representation of the rapidly growing Hindu diasporic behemoth. My experience was pretty different and not represented here. I grew up with Advaita Vedanta and extremely practical, philosophical core-essence Upanishadic teachings of Sanatan Dharma. Hinduism does not just equal a stereotype of rituals and Ramayan. Much of Vedanta or the Kashmiri Shaivism I also grew up with are both closer to what people know as Buddhism than the wild stories of the Bhagvatam, for instance. Also, a majority of diaspora genuinely did not grow up with casteism. I had a pretty progressive community and parents and was only in late adulthood compelled to ask about any castism in my subculture because of an imposed Western / American media narrative and the trending cultural zeitgeist forced it upon us, when it was in fact never taught, inculcated, or involved in any way in my upbringing nor my ancestors’ traditions upon inquiry. I wonder why this reality is also not represented?
As an Indian American (born in India) here is my 2 cents:
It’s true that for a large number of Hindus, caste is a part of the lived experience of our religion. However, I have noticed that caste and superstition is particularly deep-rooted in certain Brahmin communities. Unfortunately, these communities have a disproportionate representation among American Hindus.
As a Bengali Brahmin, I have been told that Brahmins from Eastern India are “not really Brahmins” whatever that means, because we are non-vegetarian. I have been refused rental accommodation in Bangalore because I would be cooking fish. A relative had the same experience in Ahmedabad.
Hindus from Eastern India are often not considered “Hindu enough” because we are apparently not adequately religious.
Unfortunately, most Hindus know very little about our own religion outside caste and the various superstitions. Hinduism is one religion where questioning is supposed to be encouraged. In reality, whether in USA or India, questioning is discouraged because the teachers themselves are ignorant.
So don’t take your or your friends’ personal experiences and extend them to all Hindus or Hinduism in general.
I have also done the last rites for my parent. I am a woman but I didn’t have to repeat those “mantras” that your friend did. Again, mantras can vary from region to region. Sometimes a priest who is sensitive to modern values omits
parts that he knows are unacceptable.
A generation ago, a woman wouldn’t have been performing the last rites. So Hinduism is capable of change from within.
Islamophobia is definitely not a part of Hinduism. It’s entirely political. Just the fact that you think it is, makes me question your knowledge of Hinduism. If you think something is unacceptable, you are always free to make changes. Hinduism gives us that permission.
Yes, Hindu mantras need to be translated and sentiments expressed in them that are not consistent with modern values must be weeded out. That must be done for all Hindus, whether American or Indian.