Hindutva, Vivek Ramaswamy, and the Hypocrisy of Right-Wing Indian Americans on Racism

1/ Indian American right-wingers like Vivek Ramaswamy often align themselves with conservative U.S. politics, echoing anti-immigrant rhetoric while pushing for policies that mirror Hindutva ideologies in India. But their relationship with anti-Indian racism in the U.S. is rife with both complicity and contradictions. 🧵 2/ Hindutva, a right-wing Hindu nationalist ideology, has made inroads in the U.S. through diaspora groups like the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and the Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP). These groups sanitize Hindu nationalism and caste under the guise of cultural practice and pride.

Finally sat down to read India’s recent telecommunication Bill— this law ushers in an era of absolute authoritarian control of Internet in India, a kind of licence regime to the internet. It's broad and applies to all social media applications from WhatsApp to X to Instagram. commentary and framing about this law uses “decolonial language”— it replaces colonial-era laws that gave the British absolute control over communications and surveillance of its colonial subjects.

Earlier today Delhi police raided the homes of several journalists associated with the news outlet #Newsclick and are interrogating them in matters “related to terror links” under UAPA.
So far 17 people questioned
Some of them taken to police station.
Raids so far 30 locations Journalist Urmilesh, Anindyo, Abhisar, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Subodh being interrogated by Delhi police special cell in FIR 224/23, dt
17/08/2023 U/S 13, 16, 17, 18, 22 C UAPA & 153 (A) & 120 (b) IPC

New thread alert #Uttrakhand #hatespeechIn an interview yesterday, Darshan Bharati (actual name Devendra Pawar), one of the 5 people inciting violence across #Uttrakhand, said that he does not believe in the Constitution. When asked, don't you think your speeches incite people? "I don't believe in the Constitution", "I wish people actually got incited by my words, then so many Muslims would have had their hands and legs chopped off" - Uttarakhand extremist Darshan Bharati, in an interview on Sept 24 facebook.com/vijayrawat84/v…

In 9 States during Ram Navami & Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in April'22, there was widespread violence. During these processions, in 3 States: Gujarat, Jharkhand, & MP, at least 100 persons from the minority community were injured, and two were killed.
scribd.com/document/63361… "In April 2022, India witnessed violence breaking out in as many as nine states, along with incidents of provocation and low-grade violence in three others. "

"Keep weapons (knives) at home. Keep them sharp. If veggies can be cut well, so can the enemy's head," BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur follows the now-established patterns of calling for violence against Muslims in India. This is not the first time she has publicly invited violence. Pragya was involved in the 2008 Malegaon bombings where 6 people were killed and 101 injured. She was arrested on terror charges under UAPA and currently under trial. She has been out on medical bail since 2017 after NIA dropped some of the charges against her.

Atwood, in Second Words narrates the incident when she asked a friend why men felt threatened by women. He replied, “They are afraid women will laugh at them and undercut their worldview.” She then asked her female students. They answered, “We’re afraid of being killed.” I don’t think anyone can articulate the precarity women experience just going through life. It’s not her fault, and it doesn’t matter what she was wearing or if she had chosen to live with a man before she got married.

September 20, 2022: Ongoing update on India's Political Prisoners:
1. Yesterday, the hearing on bail #SiddiqueKappan's bail application in Lucknow Enforcement Directorate sought adjournment because Additional Solicitor General SV Raju will appear at the next hearing. The next date of September 23 (via @ZafarAafaq )

Reupping this thread after the recent violence in #LeicesterCity after Hindu mobs chanting “Jai Shree Ram” marched through Belgrave Road. This is not the first time #JaiShriRam has used as a rallying call to assert the idea of a muscular Hindu Rashtra. This pattern is seen in several instances of violence against Muslims in India. The chant has long been used to nurture hate politics, starting with the violence in Ayodhya and the destruction of the Babri Masjid.

A year ago Justice SS Shinde at the Bombay High Court was forced to withdraw the statements he made praising #FatherStanSwamy after he died contracting COVID-19 awaiting trial. This came after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raised objections. In an act of profound irony, the agency claimed that “there is a negative perception being created against the NIA.” The 84-year-old Jesuit priest was the oldest person to be arrested on terror charges.

With 13 mediapersons in custody in India, whither free speech? – Free Speech Collective freespeechcollective.in/2022/07/01/wit… 14 Feb 2022:     Fahad Shah, the editor-in-chief of the online news magazine,     ‘thekashmirwalla’, was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police on 14 February 2022. He remains behind bars.

Umar Khalid’s case, Dr. Noam Chomsky said in his recorded statement, “is one of many that shed grim light on India’s system of justice during a period of repression, and often violence, that has been visibly undermining free institutions..”

Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi highlighted Umar Khalid’s scholarly contributions as a doctoral student at JNU, stating that “in [Khalid], India possesses one of its finest minds, reinforced by a sensitive conscience has now been silenced for 20 months”

Thread on Rep @Ilhan's resolution introduced in the US House of Representatives condemning India for the alleged human rights violations, specifically those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and “other religious and cultural minorities”. The resolution, co-sponsored by Congresswomen @RepRashida and @JuanVargas4CA, urges the US Secretary of State to designate #India as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ under the International Religious Freedom.

A thread Khurram Parvez is detained for his human rights work.
Link: uscirf.gov/victims-list/p…

Modi’s India Is “One of the Most Dangerous Countries for Journalists”. The police now routinely file criminal charges against journalists, including sedition​ charges, for the ​crime of reporting​. @kiccovich and I write for @thenation
thenation.com/article/world/… "Most recently, others have been harassed and threatened for reporting and documenting anti-Muslim violence in the Indian state of Tripura, where Hindu mobs attacked mosques and properties owned by Muslims."

I am not sharing the video of the elderly man that is being circulated online. His name is Abdul Samad, he was kidnapped by locals who took him to an isolated place, assaulted him, and forced him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Vande Mataram’. This is majoritarian Hindu terror. Lynching: A Primer

1. Lynching is not just punishment without due process; it is punishment where no crime exists.

Pressatatement from @jennyrowena,

Hany Babu, an undertrial prisoner in the #BhimaKoregaon case, who has been in custody since July 2020 without trial, has developed an acute eye infection in Taloja Jail. “He has little or no vision in his left eye due to the swelling, which has spread to the cheek, ear and forehead, compromising other vital organs as well, and posing a significant risk to his life if it spreads to the brain.”

Midnight's Borders arrives in the US and UK when India is in the middle of a devastating second wave.

The book will be released on May 25th in U.S and 27th in UK published by @melvillehouse
 
It is now available for pre-order.
 mhpbooks.com/books/midnight… The news coming from India is dire as every day brings news of more death and devastation.
I hope to use the book and the conversations as a way to center on what's happening in India.

Less than a week left! Nathalie Etoke on #BlackLivesMatter  in the US, the murder of George Floyd, police brutality, the complex symbolism of Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, and attendant questions of violence, oppression, dispossession, inequalities👇🏿

eventbrite.com/e/radical-book… Nathalie Etoke's Shades of Black is the debut book of the Quilombola! series edited by Leonora Miano for @seagullbooks seagullbooks.org/shades-of-blac…

Donation links for Kashmir
#Kashmir is struggling in its fight against the Coronavirus pandemic due to its poor healthcare infrastructure. Kashmir has just 59 beds per 100K population. The only two tertiary care hospitals in Kashmir are located in the capital city of Srinagar. Kashmir based non-profit Athrout is on the ground and responding to the crisis. It is acquiring Concentrators, therapeutics & oxygen cylinders while continuing its mission to get food & basic supplies to those in need.

Local donations: ketto.org/fundraiser/hel…

So @Tejasvi_Surya say he read a list given to him, claims that he simply read out the names he was given.
Who gave you the list, and why read an unverified list ?
Your apology still doesn’t count for the humiliation or harassment you put them through.
thenewsminute.com/article/i-just… This was the smoke screen to divert attention from actual culprits — MLA Satish Reddy from BJP who has reportedly been using his influence to get beds blocked by the Bommanahalli Zone War Room.      timesnownews.com/bengaluru/arti…