The 2008 polls were a precursor to the Left’s loss of power. The state has followed a similar voting pattern since, where a strong showing at the local level is repeated at the bigger polls.
If you follow Phule and Ambedkar’s vision, it is clear that top-down approach of Indian leftists and liberals, who consider caste to be merely a part of culture and not a fundamental base, won’t work.
In a new paper, Thomas Piketty says that a political realignment would move away from traditional notions of “left” and “right,” and pit “globalists” (high-income, high-education) against “nativists” (low-income, low-education)
A word of advice to friends in the Left movement, or whatever is left of it. The Communist party in Russia is looking for non-Communist icons to rebuild the country.
MoSPI proposes to remove closed factories from IIP sample, aiming for truer picture of India’s industrial health in upcoming 2022–23 base series. Plan open to public feedback until 25 November.
Bihar is blessed with a land more fertile for revolutions than any in India. Why has it fallen so far behind then? Constant obsession with politics is at the root of its destruction.
Coming from the perspective of an actual American citizen I feel you should of not used right leaning rhetoric naming “the radical left” as the culprits of your expose. If anything it’s the right that influence the majority of tribal extremists groups with religion (the aforementioned evangelicals) and white supremacy with tribalistic goals of separation and exclusion. That is where you’ll hear the bullying stories from our children who are not part of the “in crowd” and have to deal with the ongoing rhetoric of the now former bullying president of the right. I feel sorry you and your readers if you were to censor this as you’ve already bought in to right leaning propaganda.
The PRINT needs to withdraw the malicious, libellious and generally dishonest article by Robit Chopra of Santa Clara U. and the other Bibi from Fordham U., and apologize to readers for posting such trash. Also for deleting the comments under the Chopra article that pointed out how bogus it is.
The constructive takeaway is that even with a track record of voicing support for human rights for all, Hindu American Foundation still gets tarred and feathered by the “progressive”– rather a regressive bunch– Leftists. The reality is that Left in India as much as in the U.S., has and will always ally with Islamists, with Christian chauvinists, and with every fringe group that seeks to divide Hindu social cohesion and to divide India, ostensibly for whatever leftist cause is the flavor of the month.
While I appreciate HAF providing a clear and sane voice against the radical screams of Hinduphobia apparent among the “progressives”, it is disheartening to see that after unmasking these hateful people hiding behind agitprop, the article nonetheless still seeks to partner with these same insane people for the greater fight “against illeberal ideas”. Does Ms. Shukla not realize that the progressives are themselves espousing several illeberal ideas, not the least of which is silencing her own voice in the instance when they don’t agree with her and Hindus like her?
Hindu American causes are best served when we realize that the political construct of “Left” and “Right” is alien to Hinduism, and is simply not useful in representing Hindu worldview, and therefore HAF ought to set its own agenda, and then partner with or lobby any group or political party that can match it on a given topic. Recent news has shown that Hindus welcome LGBTQ rights while Islamists and their Left votaries do not; Hindus welcome women’s independence and equality, whereas Left partners with a hijabi Islamist chauvinist for the Women’s March; HAF has given voice to Hindus grieving by the millions under oppressive Islamist regimes in Pakistan and Bangladesh, but “progressive” Left groups never ally with the feeble Pakistani and Bangladeshi Hindus.
Ideologically, HAF and its leadership ought to really rethink things. It is nice to try to gain the “liberal” stamp of approval, but at what cost of our own moral values?
Agree with most of what you’ve written, but hold that genuine liberalism supports all people’s freedom, not just the freedom of those one agrees with. And in the Hindu American context, there are illiberal ideas, especially as they relate to the place of immigrants in this country, that directly impact us. There are also illiberal ideas on the other end of the spectrum, like protesting the WHC, that also directly impact us. We’ve also found through 15 years of advocacy, that our issues are best served by working with “both sides of the aisle,” as they say here in the US.
HAF is politically agnostic and non-partisan, meaning we are informed, but do not favor or endorse any one political party or its positions. We will work with all individuals and institutions committed to and constructively engaged in promoting dignity, mutual respect, and pluralism…
Our positions are based on a relentless pursuit of facts; deep consideration of Hindu principles and American values, such as freedom, equality, and justice; and the input of subject matter experts. If we like a policy, we’ll say so, and rigorously substantiate our position.
HAF positions will always be based on our guiding principles. And we will always advocate for what we believe is rooted in Hindu Dharma, and serves the well-being of Hindus and the greater good of all.
Hi Himanshu, I think you misunderstand the term “illiberal” here. It is used in opposition to the ideas of liberal democracy. Illiberalism means the restriction of civil liberties and making elections largely meaningless because voters are deprived of the information needed to make a good decision and/or cast a ballot. It has nothing to do with the traditional liberal/conservative divide that we normally think of – both of those camps, in their traditional philosophy, support of the idea of liberal democracy. You are correct, though, that some of these radical Left groups would happily establish their own system of illiberal governance that espoused their views if given a chance. The point of that line in the article is to point this out, and ask what these groups are doing to safeguard liberal democracy – in many cases, they are not doing anything, because they don’t seek to establish a liberal democracy themselves. They only seek power for their side of the argument. That’s not what anyone needs right now.
I agree with you for the most part, Himanshu. But please know that I, and my colleagues at HAF, use the terms liberal and illiberal in the classical sense — a liberal is a person committed to liberty and freedom for all, and illiberals selectively espouse the opposite. Illiberalism has infected both ends of the American political spectrum, where both sides seek to curb rights based on one’s adherence to certain ideologies or beliefs, or belonging to a particular group.
HAF is politically agnostic and non-partisan, meaning we are informed, but do not favor or endorse any one political party or its positions. We will work with all individuals and institutions committed to and constructively engaged in promoting dignity, mutual respect, and pluralism…
Our positions are based on a relentless pursuit of facts; deep consideration of Hindu principles and American values, such as freedom, equality, and justice; and the input of subject matter experts. If we like a policy, we’ll say so, and rigorously substantiate our position.
HAF positions will always be based on our guiding principles. And we will always advocate for what we believe is rooted in Hindu Dharma, and serves the well-being of Hindus and the greater good of all.
I attended the conference and am glad that I did. The most vociferous protests on the ground were by a bunch of 30 Sikhs who carried Khalistan banners – the same movement that killed 25000 innocent Indians through terrorist acts, blew up the Kanishka Aircraft killing hundreds, and assassinated an Indian Prime Minister. So we know which camp SAALT and Rohit Chopra belong to – the camp of terrorism. During the meeting, I met with persecuted Hindu groups and heard their harrowing stories. A group of African Hindus told me that in their country, the local banks, dominated by Muslims and Christians, do not even allow them to open bank accounts for running their monasteries and temples. Due to this harassment, they are forced to use the few branches of Indian banks open there! There were poster presentations on how the Yezidis were persecuted by ISIS, how Pakistani Hindu girls are kidnapped and converted to Islam, the dozens of Service projects by individuals and orgs in India and elsewhere. The 5000 delegates, the gentlest people you could come across, hailed from 60 countries. Here is what Mohan Bhagawat said in his speech, “In 50s, before the VHP was formed, we approached Hindu religious leaders and asked them to come together for unity of Hindus. The typical response we got was, ‘Lions do not walk around in groups. They roam alone.’ But I think that even the mighty lion can be attacked and killed by a pack of mad dogs.” This one statement is being spun in many many ways and the usual Ultra Left Hinduphobic media is wondering who these mad dogs are. Well, look no further! These mad dogs are hate groups like SADHANA, Khalistanis, SAALT, Hinduphobic ‘academics’ like Rohit Choptra and other ultra-left and religious terror networks with a genocidal ANIMOSITY against the Hindus.
The constructive takeaway for the Indian diaspora is that we are all a minority in some part of the world. Just as we expect our religious and cultural identity to be respected in the US or elsewhere, Indian Americans, an especially talented and prosperous group, should be vocal in their support for tolerance and secularism in India.
Coming from the perspective of an actual American citizen I feel you should of not used right leaning rhetoric naming “the radical left” as the culprits of your expose. If anything it’s the right that influence the majority of tribal extremists groups with religion (the aforementioned evangelicals) and white supremacy with tribalistic goals of separation and exclusion. That is where you’ll hear the bullying stories from our children who are not part of the “in crowd” and have to deal with the ongoing rhetoric of the now former bullying president of the right. I feel sorry you and your readers if you were to censor this as you’ve already bought in to right leaning propaganda.
The PRINT needs to withdraw the malicious, libellious and generally dishonest article by Robit Chopra of Santa Clara U. and the other Bibi from Fordham U., and apologize to readers for posting such trash. Also for deleting the comments under the Chopra article that pointed out how bogus it is.
The constructive takeaway is that even with a track record of voicing support for human rights for all, Hindu American Foundation still gets tarred and feathered by the “progressive”– rather a regressive bunch– Leftists. The reality is that Left in India as much as in the U.S., has and will always ally with Islamists, with Christian chauvinists, and with every fringe group that seeks to divide Hindu social cohesion and to divide India, ostensibly for whatever leftist cause is the flavor of the month.
While I appreciate HAF providing a clear and sane voice against the radical screams of Hinduphobia apparent among the “progressives”, it is disheartening to see that after unmasking these hateful people hiding behind agitprop, the article nonetheless still seeks to partner with these same insane people for the greater fight “against illeberal ideas”. Does Ms. Shukla not realize that the progressives are themselves espousing several illeberal ideas, not the least of which is silencing her own voice in the instance when they don’t agree with her and Hindus like her?
Hindu American causes are best served when we realize that the political construct of “Left” and “Right” is alien to Hinduism, and is simply not useful in representing Hindu worldview, and therefore HAF ought to set its own agenda, and then partner with or lobby any group or political party that can match it on a given topic. Recent news has shown that Hindus welcome LGBTQ rights while Islamists and their Left votaries do not; Hindus welcome women’s independence and equality, whereas Left partners with a hijabi Islamist chauvinist for the Women’s March; HAF has given voice to Hindus grieving by the millions under oppressive Islamist regimes in Pakistan and Bangladesh, but “progressive” Left groups never ally with the feeble Pakistani and Bangladeshi Hindus.
Ideologically, HAF and its leadership ought to really rethink things. It is nice to try to gain the “liberal” stamp of approval, but at what cost of our own moral values?
Agree with most of what you’ve written, but hold that genuine liberalism supports all people’s freedom, not just the freedom of those one agrees with. And in the Hindu American context, there are illiberal ideas, especially as they relate to the place of immigrants in this country, that directly impact us. There are also illiberal ideas on the other end of the spectrum, like protesting the WHC, that also directly impact us. We’ve also found through 15 years of advocacy, that our issues are best served by working with “both sides of the aisle,” as they say here in the US.
As for HAF’s ideology, please see from: https://www.hafsite.org/about-us/who-we-are#GuidingPrinciples
HAF is politically agnostic and non-partisan, meaning we are informed, but do not favor or endorse any one political party or its positions. We will work with all individuals and institutions committed to and constructively engaged in promoting dignity, mutual respect, and pluralism…
Our positions are based on a relentless pursuit of facts; deep consideration of Hindu principles and American values, such as freedom, equality, and justice; and the input of subject matter experts. If we like a policy, we’ll say so, and rigorously substantiate our position.
HAF positions will always be based on our guiding principles. And we will always advocate for what we believe is rooted in Hindu Dharma, and serves the well-being of Hindus and the greater good of all.
Hi Himanshu, I think you misunderstand the term “illiberal” here. It is used in opposition to the ideas of liberal democracy. Illiberalism means the restriction of civil liberties and making elections largely meaningless because voters are deprived of the information needed to make a good decision and/or cast a ballot. It has nothing to do with the traditional liberal/conservative divide that we normally think of – both of those camps, in their traditional philosophy, support of the idea of liberal democracy. You are correct, though, that some of these radical Left groups would happily establish their own system of illiberal governance that espoused their views if given a chance. The point of that line in the article is to point this out, and ask what these groups are doing to safeguard liberal democracy – in many cases, they are not doing anything, because they don’t seek to establish a liberal democracy themselves. They only seek power for their side of the argument. That’s not what anyone needs right now.
I agree with you for the most part, Himanshu. But please know that I, and my colleagues at HAF, use the terms liberal and illiberal in the classical sense — a liberal is a person committed to liberty and freedom for all, and illiberals selectively espouse the opposite. Illiberalism has infected both ends of the American political spectrum, where both sides seek to curb rights based on one’s adherence to certain ideologies or beliefs, or belonging to a particular group.
As for HAF’s “ideology,” I invite you to see we try to approach every issue or priority: https://www.hafsite.org/about-us/who-we-are#GuidingPrinciples
HAF is politically agnostic and non-partisan, meaning we are informed, but do not favor or endorse any one political party or its positions. We will work with all individuals and institutions committed to and constructively engaged in promoting dignity, mutual respect, and pluralism…
Our positions are based on a relentless pursuit of facts; deep consideration of Hindu principles and American values, such as freedom, equality, and justice; and the input of subject matter experts. If we like a policy, we’ll say so, and rigorously substantiate our position.
HAF positions will always be based on our guiding principles. And we will always advocate for what we believe is rooted in Hindu Dharma, and serves the well-being of Hindus and the greater good of all.
I attended the conference and am glad that I did. The most vociferous protests on the ground were by a bunch of 30 Sikhs who carried Khalistan banners – the same movement that killed 25000 innocent Indians through terrorist acts, blew up the Kanishka Aircraft killing hundreds, and assassinated an Indian Prime Minister. So we know which camp SAALT and Rohit Chopra belong to – the camp of terrorism. During the meeting, I met with persecuted Hindu groups and heard their harrowing stories. A group of African Hindus told me that in their country, the local banks, dominated by Muslims and Christians, do not even allow them to open bank accounts for running their monasteries and temples. Due to this harassment, they are forced to use the few branches of Indian banks open there! There were poster presentations on how the Yezidis were persecuted by ISIS, how Pakistani Hindu girls are kidnapped and converted to Islam, the dozens of Service projects by individuals and orgs in India and elsewhere. The 5000 delegates, the gentlest people you could come across, hailed from 60 countries. Here is what Mohan Bhagawat said in his speech, “In 50s, before the VHP was formed, we approached Hindu religious leaders and asked them to come together for unity of Hindus. The typical response we got was, ‘Lions do not walk around in groups. They roam alone.’ But I think that even the mighty lion can be attacked and killed by a pack of mad dogs.” This one statement is being spun in many many ways and the usual Ultra Left Hinduphobic media is wondering who these mad dogs are. Well, look no further! These mad dogs are hate groups like SADHANA, Khalistanis, SAALT, Hinduphobic ‘academics’ like Rohit Choptra and other ultra-left and religious terror networks with a genocidal ANIMOSITY against the Hindus.
The constructive takeaway for the Indian diaspora is that we are all a minority in some part of the world. Just as we expect our religious and cultural identity to be respected in the US or elsewhere, Indian Americans, an especially talented and prosperous group, should be vocal in their support for tolerance and secularism in India.