Tag: Hindu

Right-wing Hindu Americans now seek to stop California from banning caste bias

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Washington: After failing to prevent the city of Seattle from outlawing caste-based discrimination, right-wing Hindu Americans are girding up to stop the state of California from going down that route.
The Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective USA (HinduPACT USA), an initiative of Vishwa Hindu Parishad America, has launched a campaign to collect signatures to a petition asking the California Senate “to Reject SB-403 to Protect Hindus from Discrimination”.
The Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy body, has opposed the bill in a letter to Democratic state Senator Aisha Wahab, said in a statement it looks forward to “educating” her on the acecomplex issue of caste”.
SB-403 is a legislation introduced by Wahab last week, which according to a press announcement, seeks to clarify California civil rights law to explicitly include protection against discrimination based on a person’s position in a caste.
Wahab is not exactly new to the issue of caste. “I’m familiar with the impact of caste discrimination from witnessing what friends and their families experienced when growing up in Fremont,” she said. “Prior to assuming office, people in my district shared with me their stories of caste discrimination, and I felt they deserved appropriate protections.”
Afghan-descent Wahab announced the bill last week at a press conference, accompanied by activists and long-time campaigners, who were also at the forefront of the effort led by City council member Kshama Sawant that made Seattle the first city in the US to outlaw caste-based discrimination. It has passed in the Seattle city council 6-1, defying a high-decibel campaign launched by right-wing Hindus Americans from around the country.
California could now become the first US state of ban caste-based discrimination if Senator Wahab’s legislation is enacted.
“This bill is about workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights,” Wahab said, announcing the bill at the news conference. “To ensure organisations and companies do not entrench caste discrimination in their practices or policies our laws need to plainly state that discrimination based on caste is illegal.”

The first case of caste-based discrimination to catch make national headlines in the headlines came from California in 2020 when the states’ civil rights department sued Cisco, the networking gear and business software company, on a petition from an Indian-descent employee that the company’s human resources department did not take cognizance of his complaint of caste-based discrimination by two of his Indian-descent seniors.
In 2022, California State University, which is America’s largest public university system, banned caste-based discrimination after years of activism by Dalit students, including Nepalese-descent Prem Pariyar. Several other US universities are said to be planning the same.
Right-wing Hindu Americans oppose the ban arguing, first, that though caste-based discrimination is appalling, any law banning it here in the US puts a target on the backs of the entire South Asian community, specially Hindus, by portraying them all as purveyors of this practice.
Second, they have argued that discrimination based on caste is covered by existing laws that outlaw all kinds of bias and discrimination and there is no need for a new ban.
Their third, and final, argument is that caste bias in the US is rare and not as rampant as it has been made out to be. They have questioned data cited by supporters of the ban.
“We share the admirable goals of standing up for civil rights and eliminating all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including based on caste,” the Hindu American Foundation said in its letter to Senator Wahab the day after she announced the bill.
It added: “So the question is not whether we should deal with any allegations of caste discrimination, but how. As such, if and when incidents of caste discrimination occur, they should be brought to light, thoroughly investigated and rectified under existing law in its current form.”
Wahab has been expecting this pushback, as has happened in the past to all legislative initiatives regarding civil rights.
“My office has already begun to field opposition inquiries to this bill. What the opposition would have you believe is that this bill’s effort to provide clarity of language in state law and protection to caste- oppress Dalits in particular, or formerly known as the untouchables is in turn targeting a different group of oppressed people. That is not the case.”
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 31, 2023
Muslims help perform last rites of Hindu neighbour in J&K

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Srinagar: Muslim neighbours on Friday helped perform the last rites of a Hindu man at Kakran village in J&K’s Kulgam district, where terrorists had killed the brother of the deceased last year.
Balbir Singh, 55, who worked with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), died on Thursday evening following a heart attack at his home in Kakran village. Singh, who was posted in Amritsar, was on leave to attend the death anniversary of his brother who was killed by terrorists last year.
Singh’s family is the only Hindu Rajput family living in the village. A large number of local Muslims, including Singh’s neighbours and friends, helped perform his last rites on Friday.
Officers from the CISF also joined the mourners and offered floral tributes to the deceased trooper.
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#Muslims #perform #rites #Hindu #neighbour
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 31, 2023
Muslims help perform last rites of Hindu man in Kulgam

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Umaisar Gull Ganie
Kulgam, Mar 31: The Muslims on Friday helped perform last rites of a Hindu who was on leave to attend first death anniversary of his brother killed by militants last year in Kakran area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
Reports reaching the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that Balbir Singh (55), son of Surinder Singh, who was working in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) died last evening by cardiac arrest at his home in Karkan area of Kulgam.
He was posted at Amritsar but was on leave to attend death Anniversary of his brother who was killed by militants last year.
Balbir’s family is the only Hindu Rajput family living in the village, and today his friends and the neighbours from the Muslim community took it upon themselves to help perform the last rites.
They also shouldered his coffin and arranged wood for the cremation. “He was one of us. We never thought of him as a Rajput Hindu. We arranged everything needed for the cremation,” said Abdul Jabbar, a local resident.
Meanwhile, officials of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) paid floral tributes to Balbir—(KNO)

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#Muslims #perform #rites #Hindu #man #Kulgam
( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

March 31, 2023
MP Navneet Rana needles Thackeray, proclaims herself as ‘Hindu Sherni’

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Mumbai: On Ram Navami day, independent MP from Amravati, Navneet Ravi Rana attempted to needle her bete-noire, former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, here on Thursday.
Almost a year after the famous ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ row which saw Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana cooling their heels in jail, the woman MP on Thursday hit back.
Posters of the actress-turned-politician Navneet Rana proclaiming her as a ‘Hindu Sherni’ (Hindu Tigress) were seen near Thackeray’s home ‘Matoshri’ in Bandra east, Thane, Amravati and other places.
Drawing comparisons with Lord Ram’s 14-year exile, Navneet Rana (37) is shown sporting a saffron colour sari on the posters which said ‘Rajdroh & 14 days in jail’.
She also announced that on April 6 on Hanuman Jayanti Day, a 111-feet tall grand statue of Lord Hanuman would be unveiled in Amravati followed by a mass recital of ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ there.
The posters have an image of Lord Ram at the top right corner and photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and her husband Ravi Rana, and one picture of Lord Hanuman’s statue to be inaugurated next month.
Earlier in the morning, Navneet Rana set the tone for Ram Navami celebrations by riding a Bullet motorcycle, sporting a stark black salwar-kurta suit with a bright orange headgear, raising full-throated slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Hanuman’, several times, while speeding carefree on a deserted road on the power-bike in her hometown.
It may be recalled that last year in April, Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana and their supporters attempted to chant ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ outside Thackeray’s Bandra home, much to the chagrin of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government then in power.

However, the MVA regime did not permit the Ranas to have their way, they detained the law-makers, arrested them and shunted them to jail amidst a huge row that went on for several days even as the Thackeray government fell after barely three months in June 2022. Later, the Ranas were granted bail by a special court.
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#Navneet #Rana #needles #Thackeray #proclaims #Hindu #Sherni
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 30, 2023
Muslims compared to snakes, call for Akhand Bharat at Digital Hindu Conclave

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Leaders from the ruling BJP delivered Islamophobic speech in full swing at the recently concluded Digital Hindu Conclave held on March 18.
BJP leader Kapil Mishra, Kajal Shingala aka Kajal Hindusthani and far-right author Kshitij Patukale compared minorities, particularly those belonging to Muslim community, to snakes, distorted history by calling for violence as the only way to attain Akhand Bharat besides raising the topic of Love Jihad.
Kajal Shingala said that there can never be brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims and called out those who support secularism and peace between the two communities as a “sinking ship”.
“I want to let these people who have one leg on the Hindu boat and the other on a Muslim boat, you are going to drown,” she said.
She stressed that the making of Hindu Rashtra is inevitable and no one can stop them. “They (Muslims) kept shouting against Ram Mandir. But we succeeded and now it will be completed by next year. Similarly, I am confident that we will achieve success by creating a Hindu Rashtra and that day is not far away,” she said.
Without mentioning names, Kajal referred to Shah Rukh Khan’s recent visit to Vaishno Devi temple before the release of his movie Pathaan as well as Aamir Khan’s photograph doing Kalash pooja.
“We will make sure each one of them undergoes ghar vaapsi,” she said.
Ghar Vaapsi is a Hindutva programme meant to convert those belonging to other religions to Hinduism. it is conducted by right-wing organsations Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal, and their allies.

She also alleged that the Waqf board is forcibly snatching land from the Hindus. “You people came some 1,400 years before. We have been here forever. How can you claim this is your land?” she said.
She also spoke highly about the bulldozer culture introduced by the Yogi Adityanath government. “Such large-scale demolitions of Muslim homes have never been recorded in Indian history,” she said proudly.
BJP leader Kapil Mishra spoke about Love Jihad. Taking the recent murder of Shraddha Walker, whose live-in partner Aftab Poonawala stored her chopped body in a refrigerator, he said, “There will come a day when we will see ads like keep fruits in the fridge, not ‘Shraddha’.”
Far-right author Kshitij Patukale said, “It is our duty to protect our dharma and if that comes at the cost of the country, we should not hesitate. This is not a 200-year-old slavery (referring to colonial invasion), but around 1,200 years of slavery.”
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#Muslims #compared #snakes #call #Akhand #Bharat #Digital #Hindu #Conclave
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 27, 2023
Hindu activists oppose Quran recitation at Karnataka religious fair

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Hassan: Ahead of the Assembly polls in Karnataka, Hindu activists have opposed the ritual of reciting the Quran during the historical Chennakeshava Rathotsava in Beluru town of Hassan district.
Hindu organisations have demanded that the ritual should not be observed as it is against the religion.
They have called for a bandh on Tuesday in this regard.
The historical religious fair is scheduled to be held on April 4 and the district administration is concerned with the developments taking a communal turn at the time of elections.
The architecture of the 12th-century Beluru Chennakeshava temple is considered to be a marvel. It was built over three generations and took 103 years to complete.
The temple is expected to get a Unesco heritage tag.
Despite opposition from Hindu activists, the Quran recital tradition was carried out during the religious fair last year.
The activists have claimed that the ritual of Quran recital was forcefully added in 1932.

Dr Ramesh, a doctor and author, has released a book in this regard and explained how it is unnecessary to carry out a Quran recital before the Hindu god Sri Channakeshava.
The Hindu activists are questioning if it is possible to recite Hindu prayers at mosques and dargahs. They claim that the ritual was forced upon Hindus as a part of appeasement politics.
The ‘Rathotsav’ ceremony is performed for two days, which is a rare phenomenon in the state.
The idol of Channakeshava will be embellished with gold and diamond jewels gifted by the erstwhile Kings of the Mysuru kingdom.
Lakhs of devotees gather during the temple fair.
Last year, the administrator of the temple had written a letter to the Muzrai department seeking clarification over the continuation of the ritual which has been carried over for years and symbolic of Hindu-Muslim unity.
Rohini Sindhuri, who was the Commissioner of Muzrai Department had given green signal for the continuation of the ritual.
She had stated that according to Section 58 of the Hindu Religious Act 2002, there should not be any interference in the rituals and traditions of the temple.
After the direction, the temple committee decided to carry out the ritual recital of verses from the Quran .
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#Hindu #activists #oppose #Quran #recitation #Karnataka #religious #fair
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 27, 2023
Madhya Pradesh: Another preacher advocates Hindu Rashtra

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Indore: Preacher Pradeep Mishra said on Thursday that India will always remain a Hindu nation.
Speaking to reporters here, Mishra, famous as a Shiv Mahapuran narrator, said that India was already “a Hindu nation.”
Last month, self-styled godman Dhirendra Shastri had organised a `yajna’ for turning India into a `Hindu Rashtra’ at Bageshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district.
Also, for the last two months, some religious leaders have taken out marches in Chhattisgarh demanding that India be turned into a Hindu nation.
“India was the same (Hindu nation) in the past and is going to remain so in the future. In the land of Bharat, people harbour good thoughts, dedication and Sanatani (religious) feelings, and understand each other’s pain and sorrow,” Mishra said.
Stern action should be taken against “foreign forces” which harm the Sanatan dharma and the country’s people, he further said, without explaining who were the “foreign forces.”
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#Madhya #Pradesh #preacher #advocates #Hindu #Rashtra
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
Maha: Hindu bodies claim encroachment by dargah near temple

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Nashik: A few Hindu organisations have demanded action claiming that a dargah adjacent to a famous Ganesh temple in Maharashtra’s Nashik city has encroached space.
While no complaint has been filed in this connection, Nashik civic chief said action will be taken if they come across any irregularities.
The dargah sits close to the Navshya Ganpati temple in the city’s Anandvalli area on Gangapur Road. The temple was built in 1774 by Raghoba Peshwa and his wife Anandibai. The dargah is also believed to be quite old.
Sudarshan News Channel editor Suresh Chavhanke, who also heads the Rashtra Nirman Sanstha, visited the temple on Thursday.
He was accompanied by members of his organisation as well as the Hindu Ekta Andolan Party who took a round of the premises.
“If anyone who supports Pakistan or any Muslim who gives trouble to Hindu religious places, Hindu girls and people, Hindu Rashtra Nirman Sanstha will stage an agitation against it. The authorities concerned should take action against this encroachment,” said Ramsingh Bawri, national president of the Hindu Ekta Andolan Party.
Nashik Municipal Corporation Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar said no encroachment will be tolerated by the civic body.
“Action will be taken surely against any unauthorised construction domestic, commercial or religious. All unauthorised constructions and encroachments are equal before NMC. Officials will visit the site, conduct an inspection and action will be taken if there are any irregularities,” he said.

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#Maha #Hindu #bodies #claim #encroachment #dargah #temple
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
Post-Partition India a ‘Hindu Rashtra’, says BJP general secretary Vijayvargiya

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Indore: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Tuesday said post-independence and Partition in 1947, whatever was left of India constituted a “Hindu Rashtra”.
Asked about the demand from a section of religious leaders to declare India a Hindu Rashtra, Vijayvargiya told reporters in Indore, “When India was divided, it was on this issue (on religious lines). After Partition, Pakistan was formed and the remaining country is a Hindu nation.”
The former state cabinet minister claimed a Muslim friend of his living in Bhopal recites the Hanuman Chalisa every day and also visits a Shiva temple.
“I asked my Muslim friend how he was inspired to worship Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva. My friend replied that when he read the history of his family, he came to know that his ancestors were Rajputs of Rajasthan and some of his relatives are still Rajputs who live in Rajasthan and also in Uttar Pradesh,” Vijayvargiya said without revealing the man’s identity.
The BJP leader said like his Muslim friend, there are many people in the country who feel their ancestors once recited the Hanuman Chalisa.
The veteran politician said he was considering forming a “Hanuman Chalisa Club” to wean youths away from drugs.
Asked about the recent activities of separatist forces in Punjab, Vijayvargiya said the Centre and the state government were working together to deal with the problem and their efforts will yield good results.
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#PostPartition #India #Hindu #Rashtra #BJP #general #secretary #Vijayvargiya
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 21, 2023
‘Will chop off hands of those who dishonour Hindu daughters’

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Patna: BJP’s Lok Sabha MP and Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey has said that he will chop the hands of those who dishonour “the daughters belonging to Sanatan Dharma”.
“The daughters of Sanatan Dharma are the daughters of our country. Whoever plays with their honour and dignity, I will chop their hands. Still, if the leaders of the RJD believe that they will give their daughters (for marriage) to people of other communities, they are free to do so. India is a Hindu country and it will remain so,” Choubey said on Saturday.
The Minister’s remarks came a day after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislator Bhai Virendra said “daughters of BJP leaders L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were married to Muslim men”.
Bhai Virendra also said that “BJP leaders should save their daughter from Muslims”.
Reacting to that, Santosh Singh, another BJP leader and an MLC, said: “The RJD leaders have become mentally bankrupt. If any Muslim youth even points any finger towards the daughters of the Hindu community, I will chop their finger.”
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 18, 2023