The Sang parivar (which includes VHP and RSS) is exploiting the certain feeling in Hindu majority. They are systematically drilling beliefs like
1) Hindus are oppressed in their own land
2) Minorities are being appeased at expense of Hindus
3) Hindus are denied justice

As a result, we see escalation of religious fights never seen before. we never heard of hindu-christian roits 15 years back in India. This hate propaganda is courtesy Sang parivar. Their propaganda machinery is well oiled and functioning. Their propaganda justifies every crime committed against Indian minorities.

Why did gujarat killing take place? Because hindus were burnt in train.

Why were Christians attacked in Orissa? Because swami was killed by christian.

These answers justies all acts of voilence. Sonal Shah was active member of this group. She appears to wear a masked face in US.

Or is one supposed to see it in the same vein as US foreign policy that supported Saddam Hussein the dictator at one time, the military dictators of Pakistan, the rulers of Saudi Arabia, a country that does not allow religious freedom for non-Muslims etc?

Does it take rocket science to understand why someone would distance herself from an organization when affiliation to it in the US becomes a liability?

It is good to do some homework about the history of Hindutva in India, about the ideals and activities of its organizations: VHP, BJP, RSS, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena.

Would it make a difference if a Muslim American was found to have been a member of a local branch of an extremist group which had Jihadist ideals in the country of its origin? It is well known, especially after Mumbai 26/11, that even Jihadist organizations have a charitable front for money collection and offering social services to a certain group. It may even be that they truly offer charitable services to people and recruit only a few vulnerable men as Jihadists.

Does the ideals of Vishwa Hindu Parishad as practised in India matter? What does being a member of a branch of the organization which shares the same ideals mean?

 

What if a German American was found to have been a member of an American branch of a  German organization with Nazi ideals, even if it did not actually have anything to do with Nazi activity in Germany?

It seems rather ridiculous that the majority of the posters assume that RSS/VHP are fanatic Hindu organizations. Nothing could be further from the truth.

RSS runs thousands of sewa projects. Mahatma Gandhi praised RSS while visiting an RSS camp in 1934 and 1947. Jawarlal Nehru who was initially against RSS changed his mind after RSS helped INdia in the 1962 Indo-China war and invited them to the Republic Day parade in 1963. In fact, when Saudi Arabian Airlines crashed in Charki Dadri in Haryana in 1996, it was RSS volunteers who arranged for safe passage and the funerals of the passengers (who were almost all Muslims). It was BJP the so-called "Hindu fanatic" party that proposed the name of Abdul Kalam for president. Many RSS leaders admire him (in case you don't know, Abdul Kalam is muslim).

Finally, how come everyone forgets that innocent women and children were burnt on a train which caused the violence in the first place? Of course all violence is highly regrettable and unfortunate but remember, BOTH Hindus and Muslims died in the violence. And the fact remains that there are plenty of Muslims still living in Gujarat but how many Hindus are living in Kashmir? 

Sonal apparently explored many different organizations including VHPA and finally settled on starting Indicorps which is an excellent project. What is wrong in participating in different organizations? That's the only way to truly find out what goes on. How many other second generation youth have done something so selfless like starting Indicorps? Let us admire that and not indulge in McCarthyism. I thought only arch-conservatives like Bush and Cheney stoop to that level, but apparently some self-styled liberals do the same and that is highly unfortunate. :-(

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Ubaid says Sonal is not involved but he has questions and Parshad says leading figure up to early 2000s deliberately obfuscating or darkening the dates.

It is obvious that both Mr. Ubaid and Mr. Parshad's statements and innuendo’s are McCarthyistic tactics. Dr. Ubaid and Dr. Vijay Parshad are examples of anti-Indian Indians. They want to divide the community and accuse as well as convict fellow Indians of crimes with no references absolutely to truth.

• Similarly can we accuse Mr. Vijay Parshad as a Communist?
  

Parshad is a communist who hid his communist affiliation from back home when he applied for his US visa application. In fact Vijay Parshad cheated and hid his communism in order to get his US residency. Most of his writings and his exhortations against the Indian community reveals his communist leanings.

He really is a Communist. He is a communist who is enjoying the fruits of the open society and he is now accusing other citizens of this country. Now he needs to defend himself from these accusations just like Sonal Shah.

 

It saddens me to see the comments column filled with anti-Muslim diatribes from Hindutvadis presumably living in the US. Godhra massacre? Fire caused by stove on train. Centuries of Muslim oppression of Hindus? Past injustice doesn't excuse Hindu oppression and murder of Muslims *now*.  Contemporary Indian Muslims aren't guilty of the misdeeds of Aurangzeb.

I'm an American gori, but I know enough about Indian politics to recognize the slime trail of the BJP, the RSS, and the VHP. What does it say about Sonal Shah if her defenders are the Indian equivalent of the Klu Klux Klan? The people who killed Gandhi?

 @ Girish and Sanjeev

 I must say you guys have studied your history real well. just a small question

If 100 million hindus were killed by muslims why do muslims comprise 13% of the population and hindus 84%. why is it not the other way round ? after all muslims had the whole place to themselves for a 1000 years.( please don't tell me that all those muslims migrated to pakistan!!)

 @ A Shetty  "YOU OWE IT TO REST OF THE WORLD"  . 

Who decides that? Do Chritisans owe it because Hitler gassed 6 million jews,Baader Meinhof Gang, IRA and Shining Path killed thousands. Do the hindus owe it because some fascist hindus killed innocent muslims in bhagalpur, kanpur, bombay, gujrat and christians in orissa.

Who decides that ?

 

 

Hinduism sees divinity in everything and everybody. Hindus see divinity even among people who don't believe in Hinduism. That is the richness of Hinduism. It is unfortunate that stories get narrated from wherever one wants to start depending upon the point one wants to make and not necessarily from where it actually started.

There is nothing wrong in a Hindu calling himself or herself a Hindu. It does not make the person a fundamentalist. It just makes the person's fundamental identity clear. If the Muslims of the world can call themselves Muslims and if every American President can talk about church, why is it wrong for a Hindu to reveal their Hindu identity.

I sincerely appeal all the moderate Muslims of the world to come together, condemn the terrorism in the name of Islam religion and help rest of the world lead a peaceful life instead of breaking the world into factions. YOU OWE IT TO REST OF THE WORLD. You be good Muslims and leave the rest of alone. No good person in the world  can disagree with the old Hindu phrases such as ' world is one divine family', 'let everybody be healthy', OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI (UNIVERSAL PEACE PEACE PEACE)

A. SHETTY, Author of 'Hinduism Simplified', a primer on Hinduism

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Sonal Shah is one of the most outstanding public servants I have ever met.  It is with dismay that I read the slanderous accusations against her. I'm active as a professional on peace and justice issues--and count Sonal among the best of my colleagues.  Her passion on issues of humanitarian relief, participation, economic equity and human development is both admirable and hugely effective.  The fact that she has to spend any time and energy defending herself or deflecting the outrageous criticisms like those mentioned above is appalling. This is one public-spirited individual who we should all want working with her full concentation and abilities intact on the transition--because Sonal is the kind of person who will help us get our democracy back.

Shaikh Ubaid:

Looks like you're a principal detractor of this woman's association with Obama.  I wholly agree with your concern.  South Asian Americans don't want an American administration to be saddled with people who bring their hatred of one South Asian community or another to the plate.

But I'm surprised at your continued dissatisfaction in the face of her latest statement.  If she's been uninvolved with Indian politics (as a 4-year-old immigrant, it's likely she is not), then she should be given free rein -- and we South Asians should exult in her appointment.  I think your objection that in her apology -- which to me appears to be unqualified -- she doesn't specifically mention Muslims and Christians, is completely specious.  I don't see any particular and significant nuance that she's shirking from.

Now, if she is linked to any activities of the VHP (other than perhaps that her extended family in India may be members), then I would support your call for her resignation from Obama's transition team.  If you have any insight into this, you should identify the specific facts.

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Mr. Nagesh,

It is very sad that Indians specifically Muslims who cannot stand the proseperity of Hindus whether that is in USA, UK, India or any where else.

It is also sad to hear from Sonal Shah that, " In 2002, Gujarat suffered one of the most profound tragedies in its long history, when extremist political leaders, including some associated with the VHP, incited riots that resulted in the deaths of thousands."

The above is untrue, 59 innocent Hindu children, women, men were locked up in a train boggy and burnt alive. That caused the riots in Gujarat and some 790 Muslims and 350+ Hindus were killed. It was not thousands.

There were many riots took place in Gujarat, Mumbai, Hydrabad, Delhi and many other cities throught out India and most Hindus were butchered by Muslims in the 70s and 80s. We can also go back in the 8th century when there were no Muslims in India and the form that point till 1700 A.C. millions of Hindus got killed by the Moghul Kings. Even after the partition, 50,000 Hindus were killed in Kashmir and over 400,000 driven away from their homes and they flee to South as refugees.

You as a reporter needs to bring the correct history of India rather than reporting the distorted view of few Muslims and few Pseudo secular Hindus like Vijay Prashad.

Stop bashing Hindus for all the evils happening in India. The whole world knows all killings, murders and terrorism begins with Islam. So please call a spade is spade.

Thank you.

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  Dear Mr. Nagesh:
Thank you for your well-researched, comprehensive and well-written article.
Here is my public response:
New York, December 10, 2008 -Obama transition team member Sonal Shah issued a statement to the National Journal earlier today trying to clarify her attempts to hide her affiliation with a supremacist extremist organization. The article had quoted me extensively.
http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2008/12/shah-renounces.php
I am saddened and disappointed by Ms. Sonal Shah’s statement. Its disingenuous that she who was raised in a Hindutva family, says that she was not aware of the Hindu-supremacist and violent ideology of Hindutva movement.
Even now, in her statement, she could not bring herself to name the victim communities- Muslims and Christians- who were subjected to massacres and rapes.
What is more disturbing is her email to her friends, rallying them for support and quoted by the National Journal. Where she is more concerned about keeping her job rather than serving the country or safeguarding the interest of President Elect Obama.
Sonal Shah should resign to avoid the distraction to the President Elect especially after the Rod Blagojevich scandal. I hope that Mr. Obama will appoint a person from Indian-American community to replace Ms. Shah. His team as well as all US political leaders should be more careful as Hindutva movement has been trying to infiltrate the US power centers.
Mr. Obama had announced just today, in response to our appeal, that he will try to build bridges with the Muslim world and undertake a powerful symbolic gesture by using his middle name -Hussein- while taking the oath of office. Ms. Shah’s presence in his inner circle will not send a good message unless she redeems herself.
Ms. Shah has great potential. She should redeem herself by working for justice for the victims of pogroms that were allegedly perpetrated by her former organization. Even now Hindutva extremists are trying to cash in on the Mumbai terror by holding anti-Muslim demonstrations all over the US in the guise of “condolence meetings”. Tremendous amounts of money is raised by Hindutva supporters in the US and the authorities here should look into this aspect as well.
The Coalition Against Genocide will be discussing her statement and soon formulate our collective stand. The coalition spokespersons will soon release its official statement later.
Shaik M. Ubaid, MD
Indian Minorities Advocacy Network 
     

 

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This is called "Intellectual Terrorism" having its sorce from stalinist regim. The Hindu identity itself becoming "Communal" in America and it  nothing but  "active evangelism".

There is no mention of Godhra Muslim leaders who actually helped in burning the train carraiges. What happened was a reaction to this carnage with or without any involvement from any other leaders. Those who were opposing Sonal Shah's appointment were either Hindu 'secularists' who have no morals and want to be seen as 'do gooders' , Muslim leaders in USA who oppose anything 'Hindu' or organisations who want a free hand in conversion  of Hindus to Christianity.  A time will come when Obama government has to deal with BJP, unless CIA or other intelligence agencies get involved in helping with Electronic Voting Machine fraud in India to keep Sonia Congress in power.

The moslem and xtian extremists masquerading as CAG are out to defame and denigrate Hindus and Hindu outfits conveniently brushing under the carpet their own associations with banned outfits in India like Maoists and otehr assorted moslem militant organizations. Their own associations with these banned organizations must be explored first.

SOnal Shah simply caved in even when she has not done naything wrong! Trying to be politically incorrect will not take her anywhere! Next these islamic/xtian thugs will demand something more! What will you do then Ms.Sonal Shah? It is better that you resign than losing your self respect!

Dalai Lama, top Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain religious leaders from all over the world attended inagural session of VHP. So, what will be done next? Ban Dalai Lama? Is there any court in India that has passed any judgement against VHP for Guj 2002, or for that matter any riot? There are vested interest who don't want Hindus to unite. Yes, hang VHP leaders, ban VHP- but first file a case in appropriate court and implement rule of law. This sort of propaganda does real damage on the ground between communities. Very sad to see unfolding of events thus far.

the only sustainable charge against the gujarathis in general and the vhp and modi in particular is that they did not take any active sterps to control the riot which broke out in gujatath immediately after the godhra train massacre. the media and the secular politicians were expecting some sort of retribution and within hours of the train masacre they were crying loud for army to be called in to prevent reaction from the hurt gujarathis.It would appear that the 'secula'r politicians and media were aware of the plans to stage the train massacre and that is why they were orchestering the demand for army to be called in. compare this situation to the one in november 1984 in delhi. the ploticians in power actively took part in the crimes against the sikhs and after decades the guilty ( powerful politicians) have not been proceeded against seriously and were all allowed to go scot free and also many of them got elected to parliament etc

And this extraction a sort of a retrospective confession or excuse from ms shah carries no conviction.. if one really believed in 2002 that the vhp was associated with the crimes that they are accused of , ms. shah would / should have publicly disassociated from vhp or sister organisations then and there during or immdiately after 2002. if one does not have the courage to stand by ones conviction this is what  happens.

i am reminded of the false propaganda of the christians in general and catholics in particular about a thomas being martyrd in chennai and sainthood confirmed on him! now it is revealed that a big hindu temple in the shores of mylapore was demolished and on its ruins a church was constructed by the portugese. this admission or confession is reported to have been made by the highest catholic authority.

SATHYAMEVA JAYATHIE  though for immediate gains and popularity the politicians and media continue to propagate false information - even beating hitler and his team in this sort of game.

Lalu prasad may or may not become prime minister 'one day' but one day the truth will come out and the world is bound to admire bharath/ india for its moral strenth.

JAI HIND

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Although  I sympathise with Sonal Shah and dont' think she represents the reprehensible views of fascist Hindu oreganization VHP and the Sangh parivar's  militant and terrorist activities. But it is a shame that she chose to remain silent when it was blatantly clear that the VHP/Bajrang Dal had under the command of state chief minister Modi orchestrated the massacre/rape and burning of thousands of innocent Muslims in order to galvanize the Hindu vote in the coming elections. During the last few months many incidents of burning of churches, rape of nuns and killing of innocent Christians have been undetaken by VHP/ associated terrorist Hindu organizations. But Sonal Shah again chose to remain silent although she was a prominent young leaders in its American branch. She has during this period personally met Modi.Therefore her current stand against VHP to prep up her resume for a job with Obama adminstration may  be taken with a pinch of salt.

Since the muslims felt that they have lost grounds in Gujarat; they want to keep taking the revenge of that incidents wherever they can. There are many muslims  associated with different organizations who are linked to terrorists organizations and sending money via mosques every week that finally gets into the hand of those who buy weapons and attack civilians. Just because Hindus and other community don't try to find out about them - they have been doing this.

Sonal Shah or any non-muslim Indian is progressive minded person wanting to go forward on their own credentials and these ill-minded people cannot digest someone's progress and create such hindrances.

Sonal should know that even if she had nothing to do with VHP in the past, she would have had such troubles because she is Hindu and path of Hindu to progress is not easy. 

"renounced her former connection to a Hindu organization accused of fomenting violence against Muslims and Christians in India."

What?

Now that's just sloppy journalism. This lede is both inaccurate and misleading. 

India's 9/11 happened 1300 years ago when we were attcked,our men killed and our women and childern sold into sexual slavery or worse...and has been happening ever since......Wake up and stand up for yourselves Hindus.....they killed 100 million Hindus over 1000 years but hey Islam is the religion of Peace(Trademark)

Sonal's statement does not seem to be sincere. It is a half hearted aplogy to keep her job. People from the Hindutva groups in India are brainwashed from birth that Indian upper castes will rule the world and that Americans will soon become paupers. This fanaticism and subconscious attitudes permeates through every upper caste Indians who made it to the US irrespective of the number of years spent in the US. 

They made friends with the Jewish lobby for that purpose and are now infiltrating the US Government through guess who? GOLDMAN SACHS!!! Their ultimate subconsious motivation is to enrich their community in India at whatever it may cost the United States.

The Jewish lobby is fooled into believing that these elements will protect them from the Arabs and Muslims but they are sorely mistaken. Look at the ethnic cleansing elements of Sonal's organisation did to the Christians in India. The jews are being used.

President Obama needs to conduct a thorough CIA and FBI investigation into Sonal's antecedents and contacts especially since Modi, the Butcher of Gujarat who was responsible for mass murdering around 2000 muslims in 2002 is a close family friend of Sonal and visits her house.

 

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I seriously doubt if Sonal Shah renounced her affiliation with VHP because of pressure, she is American raised and most Indian kids raised here are immune to hate ideology that a "FEW" Indian parents attempt to inject in their kids. Shame on those few parents who poison their kids.

She probably thought it will go away, when it did not she chose to express her sincerity.

It is a shame that a FEW Indians are so hateful against the other Indians for questioning one's qualifications.

Vijay and Ubaid did their democractic duty to question indeed, they simply wanted clarifications and thank God and every one who did their due dilegence in asking her to tell her stand on the affiliation issue, we have them now and she is in clear. 

She is going to be loved by one and all. I am glad she has sincerely expressed her freedom, she has a good heart and a good soul. God bless her!

Mike Ghouse

 

It's interesting how Sonal denies having an affiliation with the VHP-A, when it is clearly documented above that she was involved with organization in the late 1990s. While I'm sure Ms. Shah does not condone violence, the fact remains she has been less than forthcoming about her past associations throughout this whole affair. 

That's not change I can believe in.

Keep playing the old games and try to keep Hindu's psychologically chained. Once the oil run's out and the balance of power shifts in the coming decades, we shall see who has the last laugh.

I am happy to hear Ms. Shah say directly say that:

In 2002, Gujarat suffered one of the most profound tragedies in its long history, when extremist political leaders, including some associated with the VHP, incited riots that resulted in the deaths of thousands. Had I been able to foresee the role of the VHP in India in these heinous events, or anticipate that the VHP of America could possibly stand by silently in the face of its Indian counterpart's complicity in the events of Gujarat in 2002 ... I would not have associated with the VHP of America.

That is a huge step forward. Previously she had not made any statement admitting that the VHP in India had been involved in violence or that she deplored that violence, just a general statement that she was against violence broadly. However, I remain confused by something she is saying here:

 

After the devastating earthquake in Gujarat in 2001, I worked on behalf of a consortium of Indian-American organizations to raise funds for humanitarian relief. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHP-A), an independent charity associated with the eponymous Indian political group, was among these organizations, and it was the only one to list my name on its website. I am not affiliated with any of these organizations, including the VHP-A, and have not worked with any of them since 2001.

 

Is Ms. Shah claiming that her only involvement with the VHP-A was via fundraising in 2001? How then are we square this with the fact that the VHP-A lists her as a member of its leadership in 1998, providing even her treasury department email? The head of the VHPA says she was a member of the leadership for 3 years:

 

We were trying to get the younger generation involved in the VHP-A. So she was taken into our governing body. Then the earthquake happened in Gujarat and she worked on that. She was there for 3 years

 

 I don't understand why she wont simply either confirm or deny these claims. 

Ms. Shah may be talented and her heart may be in the right place, but she doesn't seem to be frank or direct about herself.

 

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