[Reader-list] South Asia Watch Press Release

[Sudhir]

Dear all

This morning South Asia Watch released the report - In Bad Faith?
British Charity and Hindu Extremism - in the House of Lords. This is the
result of over a year's work by some very committed individuals. What
follows is their press release.

Best
Sudhir

AWAAZ – SOUTH ASIA WATCH LIMITED, LONDON, UK
A UK-based South Asian secular network committed to challenging all
forms of religious hatred and violence
www.awaazsaw.org
Contacts:	Suresh Grover (+44) 020 8843 2333 / (+44) 07958 174451
G. Priya (+44) 07906 296353
Chetan Bhatt (+44) 07769 975896
Email:		contact at awaazsaw.org

PRESS RELEASE
STRICT EMBARGO: 26 February 2004
	
IN THE NAME OF CHARITY
British public is funding Hindutva extremism

A UK report to be launched at the House of Lords on February 26 presents
alarming new evidence that under the cloak of humanitarian charity,
massive donations from the British public were used to fund sangh
parivar organisations.  The report is launched just before the second
anniversary of the horrific 2002 Gujarat carnage.

Prepared by Awaaz - South Asia Watch Ltd, a London-based secular
network, the report In Bad Faith? British Charity and Hindu Extremism,
says RSS branches in the UK have been raising large amounts of money in
the name of charity for natural disasters like the Gujarat earthquake
and the Orissa supercyclone.  Virtually all the money raised went to
sangh parivar groups, including groups that have incited anti-minority
violence.  

“We do not think it is a coincidence that the two Indian states where
Hindutva networks, violence and hatred have grown phenomenally in recent
years both had natural and human tragedies (the Gujarat earthquake 2001,
the Orissa cyclone 1999) followed by massive amounts of funding to
Hindutva organisations from overseas under the guise of humanitarian
charity”, says the report.  “It is ironic that the sangh parivar have
attacked foreign funding of minority groups when they themselves use
such funding to expand their own influence”, Awaaz says.

The report, which will be available on February 26, demonstrates that
the UK-based Sewa International sent £2 million raised for Gujarat
earthquake relief to its Indian counterpart Sewa Bharati.  Sewa Bharati
is a part of the sangh parivar and proudly proclaims its association
with the RSS and its desire to expand Hindutva networks.  Much of the
earthquake money was spent on building RSS schools that indoctrinate
children into Hindutva and promote anti-minority hatred.  Money from the
UK was also given to other sangh parivar organisations (such as the
Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram) that are involved or implicated in serious, large
scale anti-minority violence.  

“Most British donors would be horrified if they knew the nature, history
and ideas of the RSS.  British individuals raised funds and donated in
good faith to Sewa International’s Gujarat earthquake appeals but would
not have done so had they known that the organisation raising the money
was closely linked to the Fascist-inspired and extremist RSS,” says
Awaaz.

Sewa International is not registered as a British charity, but is the
fundraising arm of the registered charity Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS),
the UK branch of the RSS.  The report exposes the connections of the
HSS, Sewa International and the Kalyan Ashram Trust (another UK
registered charity) to sangh parivar violence or extremism in India.

“Sewa International has tried to dupe politicians, donors and the
general public.  Its main purpose is to fund, expand and glorify
hate-driven RSS organizations, several of which have been at the
forefront of large scale violence, pogroms or hate campaigns in India.
Its claim to be a non-sectarian, non-political, non-religious
humanitarian charity is a sham,” said Awaaz spokesperson Suresh Grover.

In the thoroughly documented report, Awaaz clearly establishes the
strong ties between Sewa International and major Hindutva organisations
in India.  It has called for the Charity Commissioner to withdraw the
charity status of three British charities:  Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
(HSS) UK, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) UK, and the Kalyan Ashram
Trust.  The HSS and Sewa International are currently under formal
investigation by the UK Charity Commission. 

[ENDS]

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Email  	contact at awaazsaw.org
Phone
Suresh Grover: (+44) 020 8843 2333 / (+44) 07958 174451
G. Priya: (+44) 07906 296353
Chetan Bhatt:  (+44) 07769 975896

NOTES

1.	The report is to be launched 26 February 2004 at the UK House of
Lords (9.45am, Room 3, House of Lords, Westminster, London SW1A 0PW.)
Lord Adam Patel, Jeremy Corbyn MP and others are scheduled to be
present. If you wish to register to attend, please email:
contact at awaazsaw.org.  
2.	The full report will be available at the launch and from
www.awaazsaw.org.  The report summary is attached.  Detailed section
summaries for the press / media are available now – please email:
contact at awaazsaw.org.  All material strictly embargoed until 26
February.  
3.	The report is called In Bad Faith? British Charity and Hindu
Extremism, published by Awaaz – South Asia Watch Ltd, London, 2004, ISBN
0 9547174 0 6.
4.	RSS organizations funded from the UK include:
•	Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, involved in the Gujarat 2002 carnage and
in the late-1990s anti-Christian violence in Dangs, Gujarat.
•	The RSS’s Lok Kalyan Samiti (Trust) in Chanasma village,
Gujarat, implicated in violence against Muslims and the illegal
occupation of statutory waqf board premises and land.
•	The RSS’s Border Jankalyan Samiti in Gujarat.  The Jankalyan
Samiti’s Maharashtra branch was involved in violence against Christians.

•	Sewa Bharati Gujarat, the main recipient of UK funds.  Sewa
Bharati’s Madhya Pradesh branch has been repeatedly accused of violence
against Christians.  
•	The RSS’s Utkal Bipanna Sahayata Samiti in Orissa.  It received
large amounts of money from the UK following the 1999 cyclone.
•	Numerous  ‘education’ projects run by Vidya Bharati, Sewa
Bharati, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. This
includes various Saraswati Vidya / Shishu Mandirs (RSS schools) built
from Gujarat earthquake funds raised from the UK public.  It also
includes a large number of ekal vidyalayas (one-teacher schools)
organised by the VHP, Sewa Bharati, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and Vidya
Bharati.