TAMPA, FLORIDA, March 31, 2008: Nikhil Joshi said persistent misunderstandings about Hindus in the media and politics compelled him and two friends to start the Hindu American Foundation. Unlike some communities, the Bay area’s Hindus seemed “activist-oriented,” making the perfect launching pad for the group. “They seemed willing to be engaged,” he said. That was five years ago. The group has since has blossomed into a human rights organization with 3,000 members, a paid staff and offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City.
Sunday, Joshi and other foundation members gathered with supporters at the India Cultural Center in Carrollwood to talk about the group’s origins, its strategy for the future and to raise money. The foundation hopes to build its $400,000 annual budget to $1 million in the next year through fundraisers across the country. The group wants to finance activities that include fighting anti-Hindu Web sites and chronicling abuses of Hindus worldwide. Its stated purpose is to be a voice for the 2 million Hindus living in the United States and to educate government, media, think tanks, academia and the public.
There seems to be no shortage of work lately. The foundation says some school textbooks across the country, including in Florida, portray the Hindu faith and Indian culture incorrectly. Religious holidays in the United States, often granted to Muslim, Christian and Jewish workers, sometimes are not granted to Hindus.