Assembly for Human Rights

For Immediate Release:

Christian Priest Lobbies in Washington DC Against Hindu Nationalism

June 12th, 2024

Father Joshua Lickter, AFHR Director of Human Rights

At the end of April, I travelled to Washington DC representing the Assembly for Human Rights on Capitol Hill. I went to raise awareness on three issues, which I summed up in information packets that I distributed to key advisors. 

First, I wanted to encourage our nation’s leaders to get India designated as a country of particular concern by the US State Department. A CPC designation can provide a necessary nudge to other nations to remediate human rights violations that occur within their borders. Over thirty human rights organizations, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom(USCIRF), have recommended India be added to this list for several years, however, the current US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has refused to apply this designation to India. 

Second, I wanted to make the name Jarnail Kaur known to as many people on Capitol Hill as possible. Jarnail’s family has been in a legal battle against Indian Industrialist Naveen Jindal for over 20 years. Jindal, who also serves as a Member of Parliament, stole her family’s tribal land and built a university and multiple industrial factories on it. Other tribal people who have raised their voices against Jindal have disappeared, lost their lives, or been forcibly displaced. Jindal has allegedly hired thugs to rape and intimidate Jarnail, and even had her brother murdered for standing up to him. Her case has now reached the top courts in India, and if she wins, not only will her land be returned to her, it will force Jindal to return other tribal lands he has stolen. Such a loss could potentially end his political career while exposing corruption at the highest levels of India’s government. If arbiters in India’s highest courts realize that American leaders know about Jarnail’s case, they may feel an increased pressure to render a just verdict and avoid the appearance of malfeasance.

Third, I wanted to raise awareness about the connection between Naveen Jindal and Texas Governor Gregory Abbott. In 2011, while serving as a member of Indian Parliament, Jindal donated 10 Million Dollars to the University he attended in Texas, and they honored him by naming the school after him. Jindal’s donation, however, came from blood money he had squeezed from stolen tribal lands. He subsequently used his influence at the school to establish the Naveen Jindal Institute for Indo-American Business Studies. Ultimate over-site for the Texas University School System belongs to the Governor. In January of this year, Governor Abbott announced that he had just brokered a multi-billion dollar trade deal with India, and that he had stayed at the house of his friend Naveen Jindal in India during negotiations. Had India been designated a CPC, Governor Abbott would never have been able to negotiate such a lucrative trade deal with India, raising suspicion that he could be one of the reasons the State Department has not taken action concerning India. Such an arrangement creates a hotbed for transnational repression; giving India a means by which to infiltrate and influence American politics, and oppress anyone who speaks out against them.

Texas has a reputation as a “safe haven” for Hindu Nationalist organizations. In fact, in 2022, The Global Hindu Heritage Foundation held a fundraising event in Frisco, Texas, with the specific goal of “demolishing illegal churches” in India. Our leaders need to know just how strong a presence Hindu Nationalism has within our borders. As I shared this information, I also made it clear that these concerns centered around Hindu Nationalism, and not Hinduism in general. Some of the most vocal opponents of Hindu Nationalism in our country are Hindus. 

Flyer for a 2022 Hindu Nationalist Fundraising Event in Frisco, TX. Note it Includes "Demolition of Illegal Churches" as Part of its Agenda.

During my DC visit, I partnered with members of the Sikh Assembly of America, the Indian American Muslim Council, and the Federation of Indian American Churches of North America, as we each shared our concerns and advocated for change together. I found the fact that Sikhs, Christians, and Muslims could work together and unite their voices against a common oppressor to be quite encouraging. We live in a day and age where the common narrative says that what divides us is stronger than what unites us. Many find the very concept of such an inter-faith alliance an impossibility; and yet there we were, lobbying together on Capitol Hill. As a Christian clergyman, it felt like a sliver of the Kingdom of God had manifested in our midst. I palpably experienced justice rolling down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24) during that sacred time.

[L to R] Father Joshua Lickter; Rev. Neal Christie, FIACONA, Rob Levinson, Policy Advisor on Defense and Foreign Affairs for CA Senator Laphonza Butler; Pawan Singh, Sikh Assembly of America. April 17, 2024.

The long-term results of that visit remain to be seen. However, the short term impact manifested almost immediately. When I met with one conservative senator’s advisor, he chuckled and said “Yes, the senator is aware of the problems in India. However, if American Christians do not care about India, he does not care about India.” I responded by saying my colleagues and I have been gathering signatures for a petition to the State Department from American clergy. “Good luck with that,” he responded. Within two weeks, our petition had surpassed 200 clergy, including a plethora of bishops from various traditions. Then, on April 30th, The United Methodist Church passed a resolution that condemned India’s human rights violations and asked the State Department to designate them a CPC. Similar declarations followed in the United Church of Christ and the Anglican Free Communion International. I have no doubt that more will come as word of India’s transgressions spread.

Rev. Neal Christie, FIACONA; Father Joshua Lickter, AFHR; Jake Bentham, Legislative Correspondent, CA Senator Alex Padilla; Alexander Gonzales-Hallgren, Indian American Muslim Council. April 19, 2024.

India, an American ally, promotes itself as the world’s largest democracy. India’s constitution protects religious freedom and condemns the caste system. However, religious and caste based persecution abound, with full governmental support. In January, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi consecrated a new Hindu Temple on grounds where a Hindu Nationalist mob previously destroyed a 16th Century mosque. During his re-election campaign last month, Modi used derogatory language to describe Muslims, who make up fourteen percent of India’s population. In Manipur, over 300 churches were burned to the ground last year by Hindu Nationalist mobs, and over 50,000 tribals, most of whom identify as Christian, have been displaced by violence. To date, the Indian Government has provided no relief.

These represent just some of the many transgressions committed against minorities by the current Indian government. Democracy does not exist where tyrannical conditions like this thrive. We need to speak up and raise awareness. Our leaders need to know that we care who they forge alliances with. The opening words of the United Methodist Church’s resolution says, “Too often, we mourn the loss of lives after a terrible tragedy has occurred.” We need to make sure those terrible tragedies never happen, and history shows us that one of the best ways to stop a potential genocide is refuse to partner with those leaders who would perpetrate one. 

Father Joshua Lickter serves as an AFCI Anglican Priest, and as AFHR Director of Human Rights. For the past ten years he has worked closely with members of the Indian diaspora community, telling their stories and advocating for their rights.

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