Right Word | Hinduphobia in US: An absurd anti-caste discrimination law and the complex web of anti-Bharat coalition

The Seattle City Council in the United States enacted an ordinance on February 22, 2023, which added “caste” to its anti-discrimination statutes. This makes Seattle the first city outside of South Asia to pass anti-caste discrimination legislation. This is a well- planned move that is driven by Hinduphobia. This move has been initiated by anti-Hindu activists who have been peddling misinformation about both Hindus and Hindutva through well-funded campaigns carried out amongst politicians, academia and media in the Western world. But first, about the ordinance and why it needs to be opposed by Hindus and all those who believe in the Hindu faith across the world. This ordinance is creating an issue out of non-issue as there are no caste based discrimination practises amongst Hindus in the US. Also, these practices are getting faded away and now do not exist in major parts of India. The Constitution of Bharat provided ample provisions to deal with this situation and they have been used frequently for both the affirmative as well as punitive actions. Instead of blurring the caste lines, such ordinances are an attempt to further harden these lines, show caste discrimination where it doesn’t exist and malign Hindu faith as a regressive one with rampant caste based discrimination. Nothing could be farther than truth. But the danger posed by this ordinance is that it could set a precedent which could be followed by many other legislatures, university campuses and even the corporate world in the West. This would create an absolutely false global narrative about Hindus, Bharat and Bharatiya society which would have grave repercussion on our attempts to establish Bharat as a global leader empowered by its core value of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the whole world is one family) Background and Context The Seattle ordinance on caste discrimination derives its rationale from a 2016 report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues. This report asserts that caste is a global issue and cites Equality Labs which provides a local context and sees it as a human rights issue. However, those who have brought this ordinance failed to give statistical or scientific data to support its reasoning. Thus one can say that this ordinance promotes institutionalised prejudice against a specific Hindu minority group. It is important to note that this ordinance has also rooted its research and evidence on studies provided by Ambedkar King Study Circle which is known for its anti-Indian government and anti-Hindu stand publishing against the Indian government and fanning anti-Hindu sentiments in the United States. What should be a cause of concern for us is that this ordinance cites examples of anti-discriminatory policies of private firms like Alphabet and universities like Brandeis University and California State University which prohibit caste-based discrimination. This shows how the misinformation campaign targeting maligning Hindu faith has infiltrated top echelons of technology industry and other corporates and public spaces. The Seattle ordinance is another step in this larger game plan. According to Rahul Pawa, Director Research at New Delhi based think tank Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies (CIHS) which works on global narrative related issues, “As can be understood from the ordinance, there is a high possibility that such a legal provision can be misused to create a further divide in the Hindu diaspora in the US. This can also set a wrong precedent for other state councils, universities, and private firms as they can formulate laws which are detrimental to the Hindus living in America.” Who are the key players? Now let us look at who are key players behind both the Seattle ordinance as well as a sustained campaign to create Hinduphobia. Kshama Sawant, the council member, who was the driving force behind this recent Seattle resolution has known dubious credentials. Earlier, she had spearheaded a movement against India’s National Registry of Citizens (NRC). In fact, she played an important role in the Seattle City Council passing an absurd resolution against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act. With no locus standi in this matter, the Seattle City Council in a bizarre move had urged the Parliament of India to uphold the Indian Constitution by repealing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and halt the National Register of Citizens Equality Labs One of the leading players is an organisation called Equality Labs whose primary objectives are to develop institutional prejudice, spread disinformation against Hindus, and promote discord among Hindus in the west. With its headquarters in Los Angeles, California, Equity Lab is a self-certified social justice group. It has positioned itself as an Ambedkarite social organisation. The organisation asserts that it works for the realisation of justice and the liberation of those who are classified as Dalits and are subjected to oppression. Equity Labs has formed a coalition that comprises anti-Bharat and anti-Hindu forces in the West. This coalition is pushing agenda-driven anti-Hindu narrative across the US especially since 2014 when Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Bharat. According to a CIHS report, the founder and executive director of Equality Labs, Thenmozhi Soundararajan is known for promoting casteism and hatred towards practising Hindus by using her new media ability to change public opinion about Hindus by quoting selective case studies and concealing the fact that the vast majority of India lives in complete harmony and mutual respect. Thenmozhi has also been accused of misrepresenting and manipulating facts and figures. During organised farmer’s protests and agitation concerning India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, Equality Labs led by Thenmozhi, manipulated information and pretended to be a victim of the time. However, Thenmozhi and her self-identified Dalit community were not a matter of discussion during the protests. The CIHS report further states that publicly available data strongly implies that Equality Labs is an activist organisation attempting to work against Hindu-American interests in the United States. This organisation regularly collaborates with a number of motivated entities and individuals in an effort to further its malicious objectives. Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, for instance, once held a sign that said “Smash Brahmanical Patriarchy”. This action inflamed the anti-Hindu discourse, and it comes as no surprise that Thenmozhi Soundararajan drew this poster. Thenmozhi and her associates claim to be Ambedkarites; however, they propagate the abhorrent notion of destroying Hindus. However, Dr BR Ambedkar never attempted or discussed the demonisation of Hindus or Hindutva. In contrast, Ambedkar consistently advocated for equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender, caste, colour, or religion. The true nature of Equality Labs, its partners, and sympathisers reveals the organisation’s problematic worldview and anti-Hindu perspective. Sharmin Hossain, the political director of her organisation and a native of Bangladesh, tweeted about the need to destroy Hindutva, stating, “Arguing to salvage Hindutva is dominant caste rhetoric.” Additionally, Equality Labs seeks and offers assistance to a number of South Asian religious institutions and community-based organisations, including South Asian Americans Leading Together, South Asian Histories for All, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability, the Bangladeshi Historical Project, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), the South Asia Solidarity Initiative (SASI), the Association for India’s Development, the Organisation for Minorities of India (OFMI), et al. Despite the fact that the branded organisations may seem popular and moral, their actions are everything except what they appear to be. For example, in practice, the Organisation for Minorities of India (OMI), which collaborates with the terrorist Khalistani separatist movement in the United States, supports the secession of India’s Punjab state. Bhajan Singh Bhinder and Pieter Friedrich constitute this organisation’s core. In India, Bhajan Singh Bhinder is designated as a terrorist. His most prominent participation was in the Lal Singh case, a failed terrorist plot between Pakistan’s dreaded spy agency ISI and Khalistani terrorists. Bhajan Singh sought to acquire explosives, M-16s, AK-47s, grenades, detonators, night-vision goggles, mobile communication devices, rocket launchers, and Stinger missiles in order to promote Pakistan’s separatist, violent Project Khalistan, which sought to secede Punjab from India. After failing to carry out a terrorist act in India, Bhinder decided to wage an information war in the Internet era to discredit and criticise India internationally. Similarly, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) has been at the forefront of demonising America in India and India in the United States while disguising itself as a pluralist and advocacy organisation. It has consistently operated against US and Indian interests. They continually strive to foment discord amongst the world’s oldest and greatest democracies. Moreover, under the guise of equality, a similar evangelical strategy seems to be in play nowadays. The corporate sector is likewise targeted by the reinforcement of the colonial narrative. Equality Labs, while claiming to be the voice of Dalits, is attempting to demonise Hindus, a strategy used by colonial governments and missionaries for millennia.’ Way Forward It is clear that the Seattle resolution is neither the first, nor the last attempt to demonise Hindus, Bharat and Hinduness or Hindutva. Bharatiya society must oppose with all its might and expose the anti-Bharat forces who are working to create more fault lines in Bharat and whose ultimate aim is to balkanise Bharat. The writer, an author and columnist, has written several books. He tweets @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.