Thread by @DharmicFundoo

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard Not at all.

1) Tulsi had no reason to debate you. For her Hinduism is her religion, which provides her with comfort, a world view. Her Mom is Hindu, her father is a Catholic, and she still finds a certain personal syncretism in the idea.

Job of intellectual Kshatriyas ...

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard like yourself has been to investigate how Hindus are "(Being) Different" than others.

This purvapaksha is of immense value to Desi Hindus, as it better anchors our traditions, our grounding in them, prevents inculturation, etc.

You two have different approaches.

ctd...

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard During most of ur interviews w/ Westernized Hindus, ur approach has been to tell them, how their embrace of Hinduism has been or will remain imperfect (U-Turn, Extract enrichment but distance from full association/allegiance with Hindus, etc.)

They are like interrogations

ctd..

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard For Desi Hindus, this use of scalpel to understand "Hinduized Non-Desis" has been useful, as far as one can see how Westerners have indulged in pick and choose, used Hindu ideas to build their own cults and careers, but not attributed it all to their Indian roots and Gurus

ctd..

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard Your work is of much value to Desi Hindus, but I can understand if Hinduized non-Desis feel like lab-rats during ur interviews and instead of feeling enriched w/ an Hindu experience, feel rather disrobed.

If Tulsi does not wish to undergo such an experience, I understand

ctd...

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard 2) I am a proud Hindutvavādi.

But Hindutvavāda is a struggle for the preservation of Bhāratiya Sabhyatā in the world and as the dominant political ideology and way of of life in Akhand Bharat. It is for protection of interests of global Desi Hindu diaspora.

ctd...

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard What Desi Hindus & Hinduized non-Desis share is the love for the enriching experience of Bhāratiya Sanskriti, and wd want to protect its integrity in the West also.

However Hinduized non-Desis are NOT part of the Hindutvavāda Movement, and being non-Desis, they cannot be.

ctd..

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard Of course there're exceptions to this rule like @davidfrawleyved. Or one cd be considered a Hindutvavādi sometimes without even being a Hindu like @Koenraad_Elst.

But in general Hinduized non-Desis are Spiritual Hindus and are not Hindutvavādis, and that's perfectly fine.

ctd..

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst When a Western Hinduized non-Desi advocates protection of rights of Hindus in the West, regardless of whether we are talking about Desi Hindus or Hinduized non-Desis, he/she does so not necessarily from PoV of Hindutvavāda but from Western framework of freedom of religion.

ctd..

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Coming to Tulsi now.

Tulsi had successfully blocked
a legislation condemning Hindutva as a violent extremist ideology as was lobbied by OFMI.

sikhsiyasat.net/2014/01/19/chr…

So she has done her part in protecting the framework that protects Hindus: Hindutva.

ctd...

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Tulsi had also tried to block another action regarding textbooks in California by Hinduphobes in USA, albeit unsuccessfully.

sikh24.com/2017/11/15/ope…

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst For all this, Tulsi has been under constant attacks by ofmi.org & Peter Friedrich, a Christianist, and still she has shown solidarity w/ Hindu-Americans.

After her breakaway from DNC establishment, she has been disavowed by them and is leading a lone struggle

ctd

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Tulsi has had to face a lot of hatred from vested anti-Indian interests in USA for being a Hindu and for trying to obstruct the anti-Hindu agenda.

After her breakaway from DNC & Hillary-dominated Dem establishment in 2016, the neoliberal media weren't protecting her anymore

ctd

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Under these circumstances, I a Hindutvavādi would myself have advocated to Tulsi to stay away from World Hindu Economic Forum in 2018.

Honorable RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat was the keynote speaker.

ctd...

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Tulsi's comitted detractors would have grilled her over any association with Hindutva Movement as personified by RSS Sarsanghchalak.

WHEF was not just a gathering of Spiritual Hindus. It was more, and it was right to be more.

ctd ...

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst But Hindu-Americans who themselves need protection in USA could not have protected Tulsi from any subsequent media onslaught on her for her ties to "evil" RSS.

Hindus haven't invested much money in US media.

It wd have been political suicide for Tulsi to take part in WHEF

ctd.

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst And a burnt out Tulsi is definitely not in the best interest of either Hindu-Americans or India-US relations, for which she has also worked hard.

Since Tulsi announced her campaign to run for Presidency in 2019, Hinduphobic and anti-Modi smears against her have spiked

ctd..

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst One only needs to see on Twitter how Tulsi's foremost opponent in politics, Bernie Sanders has used his surrogates to smear and attack Tulsi and called upon her to condemn "fascist" Modi for something or another. Of course, she won't.

ctd...

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst When Hindu-Americans call Tulsi a fraud, then really any strategist would throw up his hands in the air in despair at the short-sightedness of Hindus.

Both her decisions, of rejecting an interview with you and pulling out of World Hindu Congress were 💯 right decisions.

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Not giving u an interview wasn't being against u but due to a complete mismatch in ur agendas. It doesn't mean, she and others can't see ur contributions for Hindus. Don't be miffed about that.

Also WHEF shouldn't feel slighted but understand Tulsi's political compulsions

ctd..

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Hindus' insistence on Agnipariksha & purity tests, be they from Modi or Tulsi, are some of the biggest markers of strategic stupidity. Hindus need to follow the 80/20 principle and not make perfection the enemy of good.

Give people some leeway for political posturing & survival

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Leeway for political posturing and survival is extremely important for Hindu politicians as much of the global neoliberal media and even Western conservative media are intrinsically anti-Hindu.

Hindu-Americans should provide full support to #TulsiGabbard.

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Tulsi best understands India among US leaders, and understands that democracy in India faces many challenges, and has done her bit against massive vilification of India and Modi in USA by vested interests.

https://twitter.com/DharmicFundoo/status/1235801267504476160?s=20

@RajivMessage @TulsiGabbard @davidfrawleyved @Koenraad_Elst Shri Rajiv Malhotra ji,

I urge you to look at the broader picture and to throw your considerable weight behind Tulsi.

Please speak to other Hindu-Americans and ask them to also support Tulsi.

Thank you