Cosponsored by departments and centres of more than 60 centres and 45 universities, a three-day conference on ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ is going to take place between September 10 to September 12. It includes Departments and Centers at: Northwestern, UC Berkeley, UChicago, Columbia, Harvard, UPenn, Princeton and Stanford. Cosponsors Include Departments and Centers at Northwestern, UC Berkeley, UChicago, Columbia, Harvard, UPenn, Princeton, Stanford.
An excerpt from the description on Event Brite’s page for the registration reads: “This rise of militant Hindu groups in India and the corresponding escalation of violence against religious minorities and other marginalized communities is well documented, including by global media. International attention has also been directed at the exclusionary Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 pushed through by the ruling Hindutva-aligned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the aggressive crackdown on all forms of democratic dissent, and the intimidation and imprisonment of journalists, human rights groups and activists working to empower marginalized caste and tribal communities.
“This overall erosion of democratic practices and freedoms in India has been noted by global research networks. There has also been some useful scholarship, journalism and community-based activism on the links between Hindutva and racism and caste-ism. We need now to develop a comprehensive understanding of Hindutva and its global implications through its different iterations in the large Indian Diaspora and its potential for building links with other supremacist ideologies, especially as Hindutva groups expand their influence well beyond India.”
“This conference will convene panels on a variety of interlinked topics that address the threat and power of Hindutva. Scholars, journalists, and activists will examine the historical development of Hindutva, the fascist dimensions of the ideology, its alignment with other supremacist movements and define all that is at stake across a range of political, socio-cultural, and economic issues. We also aim for the conference to be a space for examining the history of dissent and resistance against Hindutva. Dalit and Feminist traditions have long resisted the singular narrative of Hinduism adopted by Hindu Supremacists,” it adds.
In a statement given to Asian Voice, Dhiraj D Shah, President HSS UK said, “Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK vehemently condemns the forthcoming Dismantle Global Hindutva conference which has been designed to project Hindus disproportionately and falsely as purveyors of extremism, deny genocide and ethnic cleansing of Hindu people and most troubling, label those who disagree as followers of Hindutva which it defines as Hindu extremism. The organisers are well known seasoned anti-Hindu/anti-India forces who have a well funded and well-resourced ecosystem in media and academia. Scores of universities (mainly in the USA) seem to have sponsored this hate conference but recent denial of such sponsorship by some universities exposes the falsehood and credibility of the organisers. Many keynote speakers are known for their open support to ultra-violent Maoist and Naxalite groups which have been conducting armed struggle against the Indian State. The world knows the liberal, inclusive and peace-loving nature of Hindu diaspora which has always contributed to the welfare of all irrespective of race, colour and religion.”
