Hindus for Human Rights ( ) is a U.S.-based non-profit

advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the developm ...

founded in 2019. The organization supports pluralism, civil rights, and human rights in South Asia and North America and focuses on providing a

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

voice of resistance to

caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...

Hindutva Hindutva () is the predominant form of Hindu nationalism in India. The term was formulated as a political ideology by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 1923. It is used by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), the ...

, racism, and all forms of bigotry and oppression.

History

The organization was founded in the summer of 2019 in the wake of

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...

's re-election as

Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (IAST: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, despite the president of India being the nominal head of the ...

. It was co-founded by

Sunita Viswanath Sunita Viswanath is an Indian-American activist who has worked in women's and human rights organizations. She co-founded the human rights organizations Women for Afghan Women, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, and Hindus for Human Rights. ...

, Raju Rajagopal, Deepak Gupta, Sapthagiri Iyengar, Sunil Sakhalkar, and Punya Upadhyaya. Advisory board members of Hindus for Human Rights include

Rajmohan Gandhi Rajmohan Gandhi (born 7 August 1935) is an Indian biographer, historian, and research professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US. His paternal grandfather is Mahatma Gandhi, ...

T.M. Krishna Thodur Madabusi Krishna (born 22 January 1976) is an Indian Carnatic vocalist, writer, activist, author and Ramon Magsaysay awardee. As a vocalist, he has made a large number of innovations in both the style and substance of his concerts, ther ...

Martin Macwan Martin Macwan (born c. 1959) is a Dalit human rights activist in Gujarat, India. Life and career He is one of 11 children. As a student, he watched assaults and killings of fellow Dalits, which motivated him to become an activist for Dalit right ...

Faisal Khan Mohammad Faisal Hussain Khan (born 3 August 1966) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. He is famous for his role as Shankar Shane in '' Mela'' (2000). Family background Khan is the son of producer Tahir Hussain. His brother is Aamir ...

Linda Hess Linda may refer to: As a name * Linda (given name), a female given name (including a list of people and fictional characters so named) * Linda (singer) (born 1977), stage name of Svetlana Geiman, a Russian singer * Anita Linda (born Alice Lake i ...

, Swara Bhaskar, and Khalid Anis Ansari.

Advocacy

Hindus for Human Rights has protested against the

Howdy Modi The following is a list of international prime ministerial trips made by Narendra Modi since he became the Prime Minister of India following the 2014 Indian general election. He did not make any international trips in 2020 due to COVID-19 pand ...

rally in 2019 and the

Citizenship Amendment Act The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament of India on 11 December 2019. It amended the Indian nationality law, Citizenship Act, 1955 by providing a pathway to Indian citizenship for Religious persecution, persecuted rel ...

. HfHR has also organized press conferences and webinars in support of former and current activists and political prisoners in India including

Sanjiv Bhatt Sanjiv Bhatt is a former Indian Police Service officer of the Gujarat-cadre. He is known for his role in filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India against the then Chief Minister of the Government of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, concerning Mo ...

Umar Khalid Umar Khalid (born Syed Umar Khalid) is an Indian student activist, former research scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University, former leader of Democratic Students' Union (DSU) in JNU. He was allegedly involved in the Jawaharlal Nehru University ...

, Anand Teltumbde,

Sudha Bharadwaj Sudha Bharadwaj (born November 1, 1961) is a trade-unionist, activist and lawyer who has lived and worked in Chhattisgarh for over three decades. She is an active member of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (Mazdoor Karyakrta Committee). She was am ...

, and the late Father Stan Swamy. In April 2022, Hindus for Human Rights compiled a statement asking Hindus around the world to break the "collective silence and speak out" against Hindutva-fuelled hate and violence against Muslims in India.

References

{{reflist Human rights organizations 2019 establishments in the United States Civic and political organizations of the United States