American Sangh Parivar Outfits
Gabbard’s Hindutva Ties
The Sangh Parivar has many international wings which are directly linked to the parent groups in India. These include:
- Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS, the U.S. wing of the RSS)
- Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA, the U.S. wing of the VHP)
- Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP, the U.S. wing of the BJP)
- Sewa International (SI, the U.S. wing of Sewa Bharati)
- Ekal Vidyalaya (an organization founded in the U.S. to provide “single-teacher” schools in India for indoctrinating schoolchildren in RSS ideology
The corollaries are clear. The RSS is at the heart. The HSS is the international — and, in America, the U.S. — wing. Everything else in the Sangh Parivar (the family of Hindu nationalist organizations) springs from the RSS-HSS. Inside India, most Sangh Parivar groups openly adopt a supremacist ideology and overtly embrace the Hindutva idea of excluding non-Hindus from public life. Outside of India, most Sangh groups use a politically expedient approach of “multiculturalism” and “minority rights” to gain power in their adopted countries while implicitly supporting persecution of minorities in India itself.
These American “wings” of the Sangh Parivar are affiliated with their Indian counterparts in ways such as:
- American Sangh Parivar outfits like the HSS and VHPA were founded by emigrants who were originally members of the RSS and VHP in India.
- HSS and VHPA leaders often travel to India to receive training at camps hosted by the RSS and VHP.
- American Sangh Parivar outfits raise money in the U.S. before sending millions of dollars to their counterparts in India.
- Sangh Parivar leaders are frequently brought from India to tour and inspect units of the American Sangh Parivar.
- American Sangh Parivar leaders organize activities in the U.S., and also travel to India, to support election of the BJP.
Leaders of American Sangh Parivar typically hold over-lapping leadership positions with multiple organizations. Cross-pollinated leadership is common.
For example, Ramesh Bhutada is both the vice-president of HSS-USA and the chair of Sewa International — and he has also worked with OFBJP.
Gabbard’s Hindutva Financing
Gabbard’s connections to Hindu nationalist groups and figures have translated into crucial financial and political support:
Out-of-State Donations:
While serving as a U.S. representative from Hawaii, a large portion of Gabbard’s campaign contributions come from out-of-state Hindutva donors, often after keynoting Sangh Parivar events.
Fundraising Events:
Gabbard has been hosted at numerous fundraising events organized by Hindutva leaders which often generated tens of thousands of donations. These include events featuring major American Hindutva leaders like Bharat Barai, Ramesh Bhutada, and Mihir Meghani.
Campaign Donations:
According to analysis of Federal Election Commission records, at least 105 current and former officers and members of American Sangh affiliates (including the HSS, VHPA, and OFBJP), and their families, have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Gabbard’s campaigns since 2011.
Performing single-property analyses
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