A recent report released on Wednesday by Political Research Associates (PRA) and the Savera: United Against Supremacy coalition examines the far-right associations and agenda of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) in the United States. The findings aim to raise awareness about the organization’s connections and its influence on the political landscape, prompting discussions about the implications for American society.
The report, titled “HAF Way to Supremacy: How the Hindu American Foundation Rebrands Bigotry as Minority Rights,” reveals that the Hindu American Foundation’s (HAF) messaging and advocacy have consistently adopted a zero-sum approach to civil rights. According to the findings, HAF frames the civil rights and religious freedoms of Hindus as being in opposition to, and at the expense of, the rights of other communities. This perspective raises concerns about the potential implications for social cohesion and equality in the broader discourse on civil rights.
Report Accuses Hindu American Foundation of Fostering Bigotry
The report asserts that the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) aligns itself with Hindu-right actors and supremacist movements in the U.S., contributing to the spread of Islamophobia, casteism, and other forms of bigotry within Indian American communities. This alignment is seen as an effort to weaken solidarity among communities of color and to draw Hindu Americans toward an increasingly multiracial far-right agenda. The findings raise alarms about the potential impact on intercommunity relations and the broader fight against discrimination.
The report indicates that the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) actively opposes the extension of civil rights protections to caste-oppressed groups, perpetuates negative stereotypes about Muslims, and seeks to shield the Modi regime from accountability. In these efforts, HAF has formed alliances with a range of other far-right actors, emphasizing a shared agenda that raises concerns about the implications for civil rights and social justice.
Report Traces HAF’s History of Right-Wing Alignment and Hindutva Roots
The report reveals that the Hindu American Foundation’s (HAF) alignment with right-wing ideologies is not a recent development but is rooted in its history. Emerging from a second generation of Hindutva activists who previously engaged with more openly bigoted Hindu supremacist organizations, HAF aimed to present a more palatable version of Hindutva to gain mainstream acceptance. Despite this effort, the organization has maintained covert ties with groups like the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHP-A), highlighting ongoing connections to Hindu supremacist ideologies.
The report argues that the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has sought to exploit a general lack of awareness about far-right elements within the Indian diaspora to carve out a space in mainstream American civil society. By presenting itself as a legitimate representative of the Hindu American community, HAF was welcomed into interfaith and multicultural coalitions. However, as its far-right agenda has become more pronounced, HAF has increasingly distanced itself from these inclusive spaces, engaging in exclusionary lobbying instead. With the rise of the multiracial far-right, the report emphasizes the importance of recognizing the threat HAF poses to the establishment of a true multiracial democracy in the U.S.
“The Hindu supremacist movement is a dangerous and increasingly influential force within an emergent multiracial Far Right in the United States,” said Tarso Luís Ramos, Executive Director of Political Research Associates. “The Hindu American Foundation has cleverly exploited the general lack of awareness in this country about Hindu supremacism to present itself as a civil rights organisation. This report sets the record straight: HAF is a stalking horse for Hindutva and must be understood as an extension of the Indian Far Right.”
“With this report, our third on the Hindu supremacist ecosystem in the United States, we have presented the most comprehensive treatment of how diasporic far-right networks are also a key part of the authoritarian movement in the U.S. This report is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand what the far-right is shaping up to be,” said Sunita Viswanath, Cofounder and Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights.
“The report clearly illustrates how HAF has facilitated hate-mongering and supremacist politics,” said Chaitanya Diwadkar of Ambedkar King Study Circle. “Even as Hindu supremacists in India demonise minorities, in the USA, they advance their supremacist agenda in the very language of minority rights. In doing so, they deny the existence of caste discrimination in the U.S., an issue that affects marginalised communities within the Hindu minority. Hindu supremacy is a significant threat to democracy and requires immediate attention at all levels.”
“Savera’s new report compiles evidence of what many South Asian and Muslim civil rights groups have known for a long time: that HAF rejects protections for caste-oppressed groups, aligns with a foreign regime’s efforts to target our Sikh siblings, and joins in the xenophobic demonisation of Muslims. As Savera connects the dots between these harms and the new alliances the far-right is building, the world will know this too,” said Rasheed Ahmed, Executive Director of the Indian American Muslim Council.
