Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

Deep divisions are brewing within Aotearoas Indian diaspora, highlighting parallels to the mindsets that preceded the March 15 Christchurch terror attack. Those fighting the rise of a far-right Indian nationalist ideology have spoken out. But they worry no-one is listening. Laura Walters reports.

Professor Mohan Dutta seems conflicted.

The polite Massey University academic thanks me, then thanks me again. He wants people to know about the rise of a far-right Indian nationalist movement thats made its way into the New Zealand diaspora.

He wants a mature debate about the political ideology, Hindutva, and what it means for those minority communities that feel targeted by its majoritarian views.

READ MORE:* Covid-19: Why securing a spot in MIQ doesn't guarantee a homecoming* Papua New Guinea forced to transfer vaccines donated by New Zealand* Judges sentencing gang members take starkly different views of Mob-led rehab programme

But hes also worried about what having this conversation could mean for his safety. He is happy to attach his name to this story - that ship has sailed - but Dutta stops short of having his photo taken.

In the past week, a fresh round of abuse has been lobbed at him. It followed a piece in the NZ publication Indian News, accusing him of an anti-Hindu campaign, and being a left-leaning bigot under the garb of an academician, abusing his institution to spread hatred against Hindus, the worlds most peaceful community.

This is on top of the dozens of social media messages.

SUPPLIED

Protestors speaking out against the Indian Government say they have faced pressure to support the majority view. The protest was arranged by the Aotearoa Association of Progressive Indians (AAPI) in Auckland.

Bootlicker, brown servant, they say. If you were in India you would be burnt We should do anything in our power to stop him.

The stream of abuse is in response to Duttas research paper about Indias answer to white supremacy, the Islamophobia central to the ideology, and how it is gaining a foothold in New Zealand.

The blowback was hard and fast. The Hindu Council put out a press release accusing Dutta of advocating the abolishment of Hinduism. Dutta is Hindu.

It says his research promotes Hinduphobia.

The Hindu Youth Association says: It is obvious that his publication is a clear example of Hindumisia outright Hindu hatred, Hindu Youth says.

Dutta points out that Hinduism and Hindutva arent the same. One is a religion, the other is a political ideology.

But Duttas detractors have the advantage of ready-made arguments and talking points - the same ones that have been used to silence dissent around the world.

EDUARDO MUNOZ

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Those who have criticised the majoritarian view, and its support by both Narendra Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian diasporas, are often subjected to attacks similar to those experienced by Dutta. In India, those who speak up face being detained.

This could be seen as inconsequential in-fighting, but the attack on two Christchurch mosques in 2019 laid bare the dangers of ignoring concerns raised by minority ethnic and faith communities.

And this community is too big to ignore. The 2018 Census put the number of Hindus in New Zealand at 121,644, making it one of the countrys fastest-growing faith groups. At the time, more than 240,000 people identified as Indian.

As New Zealand tries to build social cohesion in a world where its too easy to become radicalised, those at the margins of the margins are raising a red flag about the dangers of Hindutva.

Dutta likens the online communication of the Hindutva machine to that of QAnon followers and other far-right groups like the Proud Boys. The Hindutva machine spouts hate against minority groups, like Muslims, women and so-called lower-caste Indians.

Since he wrote the white paper, Cultural Hindutva and Islamophobia, the issue has spilled into Duttas personal life.

Last month, he started reporting online harassment to police, who have put in place a safety plan. But there is little they can do.

In a statement, a police spokesperson said they believe the worst offenders are based overseas.

Police say theyre concerned about all forms of extremism that have the potential to manifest in threatening acts of violence.

And while theyre aware of concerns about Hindutva groups, no far-right nationalist or extremist Indian groups are designated as terrorist entities in New Zealand.

This is the type of response Dutta expected. Those who spoke to Stuff say authorities have done little in response to concerns raised by the community.

When Sapna Samant raised the issue of Hindutva at a hui earlier this year, it seemed like she finally had the ear of someone who could help.

At the end of the discussion, a representative from the Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) approached Samant and took her details. They never contacted her.

Following the 2019 attack that resulted in the death of 51 Muslims, community members said they repeatedly raised concerns about another far-right group; one that also had notions of supremacy.

Minister Responsible for Security and Intelligence Services Andrew Little believes the communitys concerns were appropriately considered, following the February hui.

New Zealand is not immune to threats, including threats from faith and politically-motivated violent extremism, Little said in a statement.

Both Little and the NZSIS refused to go into detail about what was being done in response to the communitys concerns.

Our role is to investigate violent extremism, specifically individuals who have both the capability and intent to carry out an attack or support those that do, the NZSIS said.

Concerns around Hindutva are not a new issue.

In the past decade, there has been an increase in Islamophobic rhetoric from some within the Indian community.

Last year, a Wellington JP was forced to resign, after making Islamophobic comments online.

Immediately following the 2019 Christchurch attack, misinformation originating within the community incorrectly attributed the attack to Muslims.

And last month, when a Muslim extremist stabbed people in a supermarket in New Lynn, there was a swathe of anti-Islam comments, including those who criticised the prime minister for saying the man was responsible for the attack, not the faith.

The Hindus in NZ Facebook page, which has more than 5000 members, provides a home for this sort of rhetoric.

The pages membership has also been perpetuating the criticism of Dutta, calling him a clown, and a wolf in sheeps clothing.

Media coverage has been labelled as a distraction to divert the mind of the general public from real terrorists.

DAVID UNWIN/Stuff

Omer Nazir, PhD student from Kashmir at Massey University.

PhD student Omer Nazir is worried about the tactics used to silence dissent, and what that means for fundamental freedoms.

In 2019, Nazir lost touch with his family, when the Indian government revoked the special constitutional status of Muslim majority regions Jammu and Kashmir.

Nazir worked with his professor and others to stage a protest, followed by a symposium to discuss the situation in Kashmir.

SUPPLIED

An Auckland protest in opposition to the Indian Government revoking Kashmir's special autonomous status.

The event was to be held in Parliaments grand hall, until the Indian High Commission opposed the event.

Then-foreign minister Winston Peters sent advice to all MPs advising them not to attend.

Attendance by a Minister/MP could be construed as the New Zealand Government taking a strong position in favour of one side of the conflict in Kashmir, and this is not the case, the email said.

Attached also was advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: It is not New Zealands practice to take sides on long-standing and complex international disputes of this nature.

Nazir believes the same powers are at play now.

When we try to disrupt the hegemonic structure, there is resistance.

But as academics, they were duty-bound to present an alternate point of view, he said.

Auckland GP Dr Sapna Samant has similar concerns.

Last year, she organised a protest to oppose Indias controversial fast-track citizenship law for some illegal migrants, but excludes Muslims.

After a rally in August, the head of the Manukau Indian Association, Veer Khar warned her not to criticise the Indian Government, adding that we are watching you.

The we is the High Commission of India.

On Facebook, he wrote: Now High Commission of India is getting into action and it may stop visa to India for participants of any anti India event.

At the time, the High Commission confirmed it was keeping an eye on anti-India protestors.

Samant was happy to stand up to those putting pressure on her.

But not everyone is in the same position. Some have precarious visa situations; others fear for their families back in India.

So, Samant and a small group set up the Aotearoa Association of Progressive Indians (AAPI), to help people within the community to come together and raise concerns.

You will never know what is happening on the inside, unless someone in the community highlights it, Samant says.

AAPI has started a petition calling for public support of Dutta, and the Indian Association of Minorities has condemned the "flood of hate, discrimination and hooting" against Dutta in a letter to Massey University and the Human Rights Commission.

But some continue to feel pressured to support the majority view.

In response to the recent uproar, community leaders organised a hui for Hindus in NZ. Following the meeting, those who attended were asked to add their name to an open letter criticising Dutta, Massey, and explaining the offense felt in the community.

But some see the attempts to get all temples and groups to sign the letter as coercive, and seeking to speak for all Hindus.

Wellington-based interfaith leader Pushpa Wood feels caught in the middle.

When we sit down to speak, along with Wellington Interfaith Council chairman Manjit Grewal, Wood has a list of points she wants to make about Duttas paper: its too short, it doesnt give enough historical context, it does not delineate Hindutva from Hinduism, and the academic hasnt been in the country long enough to be an expert.

Wood is surprised her fellow academic, who works at the same university, didnt consult her in doing this work, it seems she felt blindsided.

We need to have an internal discussion, rather than someone throwing darts at our belief system, she says.

But, at the same time, they imply there is nothing to discuss.

Supplied

Wellington-based interfaith leader Pushpa Wood.

Both say no-one has ever raised concerns about Hindutva with them. They say New Zealand shouldnt be importing other countries problems.

In trying to solve a problem, you have created another problem, Grewal says.

Head of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Mervin Singham, says some people have raised concerns about Hindutva, and the ideas expressed under its banner.

While having respectful dialogue was a good thing, the ministry didnt condone organisations or individuals expressing views that marginalise or denigrate people for having different beliefs, Singham said in a statement.

Aotearoa New Zealand is an increasingly diverse country with a wide spectrum of beliefs and views, he said.

Having dialogue and creating greater understanding of different perspectives is an important part of creating greater social cohesion. This does not mean that government agencies or politicians agree with, or condone everything some organisations advocate.

Everyone who spoke to Stuff raised the issue of social cohesion, but there was a difference of opinion in how to get there.

Those who agreed with Wood and Grewal, said it was important to speak in a united voice.

As a nation, we have reached the stage where we need to take two deep breaths, take a pause, examine and re-examine what is the texture of our society going to look like in the next 30 years, Wood said.

Excerpt from:

The rise of Hindutva and hate in Aotearoa's Indian diaspora - Stuff.co.nz

Category: Diaspora
Tags: