Raju Rajagopal

Co-founder, Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR)
Three decades in assisting NGOs in developmental and civil rights work. Now dedicated to resisting Hindutva and Caste

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

@Aheadforum1 That's why you used deceptive tactics to get some of our faith leaders to the rally? Shameful!

[Indian American Muslim Council @IAMCouncil]

New York’s respected faith leader, Imam Shamsi Ali, has said he was deceived into appearing alongside RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at an event on August 29.

Ali said he felt “deceived and entrapped”, explaining that he had been told the gathering was an interfaith peace event. According to Ali, the invitation made no mention of Bhagwat or the RSS.

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

Rep. Padma Kuppa: It didn't bother you when you accepted support from Hindutva groups who are supporting the tyranny of the BJP/RSS in India. Now that some of our politicians are calling out Hindu supremacy, which is destroying Indian democracy, you're crying foul?? Please don't keep describing your engagement with Hindutva groups as advocating for Hindu concerns. They clearly do not represent the welfare of Hindu society. Conflating the Hindu faith with Hindutva ideology is the oldest trick in the RSS playbook. It's an affront to the Hinduism that many of us grew up with -- acceptance of other faiths, focus on Bhakti without abusing others, etc.

@Hindus4HR @HinduAmerican @WeAreSavera @SuhagAShukla @SunitaSunitaV

[Sagarika Ghose @sagarikaghose]

Very disturbing. A church leader in the US says she was misled into attending the @RSSorg ‘s @DrMohanBhagwat event in New York. The RSS cannot keep hiding and cloaking and avoiding daylight. The truth about its violent exclusivist ideology is known all over the world.

[The Wire @thewire_in]

Jekyll and Hyde at Madison Square Garden | By: Limitless Hypocrisy Productions

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

@Hindus4HR @SunitaSunitaV @WestlandBooks congratulations!

[Hindus for Human Rights @Hindus4HR]

🎉 Publication day!

We’re overjoyed to celebrate Seeing Equally, edited by HfHR co-founder @SunitaSunitaV and HfHR Advisory Board member Prof. Anantanand Rambachan.

A bold, beautiful vision of a Hinduism rooted in equality, liberation and justice. ❤️🙏 @WestlandBooks

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

https://t.co/a0xpd602YH

DEATH THREATS AGAINST PIETER FRIEDRICH

[Hindus for Human Rights Action @HfHRAction]

The signatories have committed to rejecting money and support from organizations and individuals linked to the RSS. This is a resounding rejection of a movement that insists that the RSS network can credibly speak for Hindu Americans.

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

Oh, one more thing, Suhag. On the unfortunate incident of abuse of our guest speaker, Brad Lander, by one of the protesters:

The organizers took complete responsibility for the incident and have profusely apologized to Brad. Brad in turn has been super gracious and has himself recorded a video of his support for the organizers as well as for not slowing down protests against hate groups.

I don't remember HAF executives ever showing such grace and honesty in condemning the mob behavior of their own members and supporters during some of the hearings, meetings, interviews, etc. that I have been at. The same type of mob behavior by the HAF supporters is evident on the net as well as, often in response to incitement or dog whistles from people like SuHAG.

@SuhagAShukla

@mihirmeghani

@SunitaSunitaV

@Hindus4HR
@HinduAmerican
@WeAreSavera

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

Raju Rajagopal
@SuhagAShukla

You can stop waiting for the protest organizers to condemn this, but I don't think one is coming. This video shows one of the many Khalistani activists, who were protesting on their own and had nothing to do with our protest. They also stood clearly apart from us, which is always appreciated.

Now, what they did with the tiranga saddened some of us, but then this is a free country and they had every right to express their dislike for the Indian government and the RSS in whatever way they chose. It's not for us to stand in judgement of them. Given the shabby treatment of the Sikh community by the GOI during the farmer's protests and recent attempts to murder activists in the US, it's totally understandable that a large part of the Sikh community in North America has been alienated by Modi/Shah.

P.R. agents and sympathizers of Bhagawat and the Modi/Shah government may well portray this as unpatriotic and treasonous, but we are not in India.

We love India as much as anyone else, but jingoism isn't our style. So, no need to huff and puff about this incident. You probably have other important trolls to post, Suhag.

This is my personal view; however, I think many of the protesters will agree with me. Hence my use of plural we/us.

@SuhagAShukla
@mihirmeghani
@SunitaSunitaV
@Hindus4HR
@HinduAmerican
@WeAreSavera

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

Raju Rajagopal
@SuhagAShukla

You can stop waiting for the protest organizers to condemn this, but I don't think one is coming. This video shows one of the many Khalistani activists, who were protesting on their own and had nothing to do with our protest. They also stood clearly apart from us, which is always appreciated.

Now, what they did with the tiranga saddened some of us, but then this is a free country and they had every right to express their dislike for the Indian government and the RSS in whatever way they chose. It's not for us to stand in judgement of them. Given the shabby treatment of the Sikh community by the GOI during the farmer's protests and recent attempts to murder activists in the US, it's totally understandable that a large part of the Sikh community in North America has been alienated by Modi/Shah.

P.R. agents and sympathizers of Bhagawat and the Modi/Shah government may well portray this as unpatriotic and treasonous, but we are not in India.

We love India as much as anyone else, but jingoism isn't our style. So, no need to huff and puff about this incident. You probably have other important trolls to post, Suhag.

This is my personal view; however, I think many of the protesters will agree with me. Hence my use of plural we/us.

@SuhagAShukla
@mihirmeghani
@SunitaSunitaV
@Hindus4HR
@HinduAmerican
@WeAreSavera

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

My friend Shamsul Islam writes about the RSS and Bhagwat's visit to New York.
https://t.co/cVQAhcq4mP

From the time that I met Shamsul for the first time in 2003-04, following a street theater performance by his group on the theme of communal harmony, his well-documented history of the RSS has always been my source for much of my writings about the RSS.

What did Shamsul think of the Bhagwat NY visit, I wondered? Sure enough, he offers this comprehensive evidence-based opinion piece that is a must-read for all those working in the diaspora to oppose Hindutva and Caste.

Thanks Shamsul for your tireless work in exposing the Hindutva makers of yore.

@Hindus4HR @HinduAmerican @SunitaSunitaV @WeAreSavera @SuhagAShukla @shamsulis @eOrganiser

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

NO, Asha, IT's NOT CRITICAL for anyone to understand your absurd explanation. You are simply repeating the kind of doublespeak that your new-found guru and the ones before him have been articulating for a long time.

The very idea that someone from a majoritarian community should feel such a sense of privilege that they can call others whatever they want...that is a sure sign of fascism.

If one follows your logic, since Jains and Buddhists predate Hindus in the South, but were forcibly converted to Hinduism (Shaivism), and some of them I'm sure have since converted to Islam and Christianity, why not coin the names "Hindu Jains", "Muslim Buddhists," and "Christian Jains"??

Please stop parroting an ideology that you don't seem to have any understanding of. Even Bhagwat avoided using his usual doublespeak yesterday. I understand that he made many RSS bakhts in attendance angry by saying that if they did not accept Muslims, they are not real Hindus! Curious where that puts people like you.

@Hindus4HR @HinduAmerican @ashajadeja @SunitaSunitaV @SuhagAShukla @WeAreSavera

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

NO, Asha, IT's NOT CRITICAL for anyone to understand your absurd explanation. You are simply repeating the kind of doublespeak that your new-found guru and the ones before him have been articulating for a long time.

The very idea that someone from a majoritarian community should feel such a sense of privilege that they can call others whatever they want...that is a sure sign of fascism.

If one follows your logic, since Jains and Buddhists predate Hindus in the South, but were forcibly converted to Hinduism (Shaivism), and some of them I'm sure have since converted to Islam and Christianity, why not coin the names "Hindu Jains", "Muslim Buddhists," and "Christian Jains"??

Please stop parroting an ideology that you don't seem to have any understanding of. Even Bhagwat avoided using his usual doublespeak yesterday. I understand that he made many RSS bakhts in attendance angry by saying that if they did not accept Muslims, they are not real Hindus! Curious where that puts people like you.

@Hindus4HR @HinduAmerican @ashajadeja @SunitaSunitaV @SuhagAShukla @WeAreSavera

[Ashish Joshi @bismil_prasad]

Could you please share the total expenditure on the New York event?@ashajadeja
Who footed the bill especially since the RSS is not a registered body?
You would agree that transparency is essential, particularly from someone who just “blew our socks off” in New York.

[Prof. Mukesh Kumar @mukeshbudharwi]

मोहन भागवत को ये नहीं कहना चाहिए था। उन्होंने एक ही झटके में संघ परिवार के तमाम सदस्यों को कह दिया कि वे हिंदू नहीं हैं।
भला हिंदुत्व का हिमायती कौन सा ऐसा बंदा है जो नहीं मानता कि मुसलमानों को भारत में नहीं रहना चाहिए। हर कोई उन्हें खदेड़ देना चाहता है।
इसीलिए वे भागवत पर बुरी तरह ख़फ़ा हैं, उन्हें कोस रहे हैं, उनकी निंदा कर रहे हैं।
सीधी सी बात है। जो संघी मुसलमानों से नफ़रत न करें वह संघी कैसा, उसका तो वजूद ही इसी सोच से जुड़ा हुआ है कि बिना मुसलमानों वाला एक हिंदू राष्ट्र बने।
लेकिन स्वामी विवेकानंद बनने के चक्कर में उन्होंने संघियों के इसी सपने पर हमला करके उन्हें कुपित कर दिया है।
हालांकि वे जानते हैं कि भागवत ने जो कहा उस पर भागवत खुद भी भरोसा नहीं करते और ये उनका दोमुंहापन है, मगर वे भी क्या करें, चोट तो लगती है, दर्द तो होता है।

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

@ajay43 5,000 Hindus went to MSG to listen to Bhagwat, but when they were leaving many realized that they were not Hindus anymore! Sarsanghchalak's words were prophetic!

[Raju Rajagopal @raju4equality]

https://t.co/3y60xbGfb7 The parallels to tomorrow's MSG event with RSS leader Bhagwat are astounding. Here are some.
"On February 20, 1939, a Nazi rally took place at Madison Square Garden, organized by the German American Bund. More than 20,000 people attended, and Fritz Julius Kuhn was a featured speaker. The Bund billed the event, which took place two days before George Washington's Birthday, as a pro-"Americanism" rally; the stage at the event featured a huge portrait of George Washington with swastikas on each side of it.[1] Anti-Nazi counter-protesters gathered outside and on three occasions, they attempted to break through the lines of police officers who were guarding the rally..."
Please read-on in Wiki...

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@HinduAmerican
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@AshaJadejaMotwani
@DemocracyNow
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