In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Dr Varun Gandhi, who describes himself as a life orchestrator, soulpreneur, an angel investor, philanthropist, and last but not least a water doctor. They discuss his work creating a digital course called What’s Your Story that helps you focus your life better to create a better future for yourself, as well as his impressive service over the past couple of years feeding people and provided needed supplies to the community during the pandemic, as well as ...
May 05, 2022•27 min•Ep. 72
On Monday, May 2, 2022, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition ran a story titled, "Some South Asian Americans Believe Caste-based Prejudices exist in the US." HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla was interviewed for the story and spoke to the reporter for over half an hour. The topic is extremely complex and the unintended consequences are serious for millions of Americans of South Asian origin. We’d like to offer listeners the interview in its entirety since only a few seconds were selected fo...
May 02, 2022•35 min•Ep. 71
In this episode, Deepali Kulkarni speaks to Dr Rajiv Pandit and Sidhi Raina about their reaction to seeing The Kashmir Files, the challenges in speaking up about the ethnic cleansing that the indigenous Hindus of Kashmir faced 30 years ago — including social media and real world professional harassment and doxing — and what they want the world to know about the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus. Follow them on Twitter: @sidhiraina, @rajiv_pandit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 14, 2022•58 min•Ep. 70
In this one Mat McDermott speaks with Vira Tansey, an Ayurvedic healer and educator based in Florida about the practice of Marma therapy, how to use energetic pressure points in the body to heal, reduce tension, and live a more balanced life. Learn more about Vira at www.thesisterscience.com . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 31, 2022•27 min•Ep. 69
In this episode Deepali Kulkarni speaks with Soumyadip and Mohua from Stories of Bengali Hindus about the attacks the Hindu population in Bangladesh faced during Durga Puja 2021, getting banned on Twitter for sharing the truth about these attacks, and the legacy of the 1971 Bengali Hindu genocide, when some 3 million Bangladeshis, mostly Hindus, were killed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 24, 2022•41 min•Ep. 68
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Dr Indu Viswanathan and HAF executive director Suhag Shukla. They discuss the curious phenomenon of how stereotypes and misperceptions about Hindus and Hinduism that have their roots in colonial-era scholarship and thinking still get repeated today to negatively portray Hinduism, ironically too often by activists who are themselves anti-colonial in outlook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 10, 2022•44 min•Ep. 67
In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with retired CBC journalist and author Terry Milewski about his book Blood for Blood: 50 Years of the Global Khalistan Project , going into the history of and present day activities of the movement for an independent Sikh nation of Khalistan, the horrific violence associated with it, and how that movement continues on to this day with the backing of Pakistan and, by extension, China. Blood for Blood: 50 Years of the Global Khalistan Project Hosted on Acast. See...
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 66
In this second part of Deepali Kulkarni’s talk with Vijay Sazawal, international coordinator for the Indo-American Kashmir Forum, and a senior member of the Kashmir Overseas Association, they discuss the most recent violence in Kashmir, the reality of the situation for Kashmiri Hindus today, as well as some more context on the Exodus. Indo-American Kashmir Forum Kashmir Overseas Association Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 27, 2022•17 min•Ep. 65
In this episode Deepali Kulkarni speaks with Vijay Sazawal, international coordinator for the Indo-American Kashmir Forum, and a senior member of the Kashmir Overseas Association. They have a wide-ranging discussion on the history of Kashmir’s accession to India in 1947, first-hand accounts of the ethnic cleansing of Hindus that happened in Kashmir 30 years ago, and what comes next for the region. Indo-American Kashmir Forum Kashmir Overseas Association Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...
Jan 19, 2022•50 min•Ep. 64
In this episode Sheetal Shah speaks with Jolly Yogi Bose, who recently had to put her yoga training to the test after getting lost and separated from her partners on a hike in the Sierra National Forest. Jolly explains how she stayed warm and focused through the frigid ordeal though yogic breathing and meditation exercises and was ultimately rescued. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 02, 2021•41 min•Ep. 63
In this episode Deepali Kulkarni gets a report from one of HAF’s contacts in Bangladesh on the attacks directed and Hindus and Hindu temples in the past week, stemming from a social media post on Durga Puja. NOTE: This episode contains graphic recounting of physical and sexual violence experienced by Hindus in Bangladesh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 19, 2021•25 min•Ep. 61
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with author Phil Goldberg about the importance and legacy of Paramahamsa Yogananda’s Autobiography of Yogi , on its 75th anniversary of publication. https://philipgoldberg.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 14, 2021•50 min•Ep. 60
In this episode Mat McDermott talks with HAF executive director Suhag Shukla and HAF managing director Samir Kalra about last month’s Dismantling Global Hindutva conference, Hinduphobia in academia, and why HAF has filed a Title VI complaint with the Office of Civil Rights against University of Pennsylvania. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 07, 2021•42 min•Ep. 59
In this episode Deepali Kulkarni speaks with Tashi Dhondup. Tashi is Secretary of the Office of Tibet in Washington DC — a senior member of the Tibetan Government in Exile, now called the Central Tibetan Authority. They discuss the challenges facing the Tibetan people living under Chinese occupation, the CTA’s Middle Way approach in dealing with the government of China, and what the international community can do to help the Tibetan people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...
Sep 30, 2021•28 min•Ep. 58
In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Dr. Indu Viswanathan. Viswanathan has worked in education for more than two decades as a teacher, curriculum developer, teacher educator, and non-profit research director. They talk about the conference on Hinduphobia she helped organize at Rutgers University, the problems with controversial upcoming Dismantling Global Hindutva conference, and how Hindu practices and Hindus continue to be misunderstood by Western academia and researchers. Indu Viswanathan...
Aug 26, 2021•52 min•Ep. 57
In this episode HAF Human Rights Director Deepali Kulkarni speaks with a Pakistani Hindu leader, who for his safety wishes to remain anonymous, about the latest attacks on Hindu temples and Hindus in Pakistan, and what’s going on with the young Hindu boy charged with blasphemy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 12, 2021•41 min•Ep. 56
In this episode HAF Human Rights Director Deepali Kulkarni continues her exploration of the history of why Indian South Africans have been targeted in recent violence, speaking with South African Hindu community leader Yashika Singh. They go over how Indians were strategically placed as a buffer between other communities in South Africa during the Apartheid era, the challenges facing Indians today, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 05, 2021•55 min•Ep. 55
In this episode HAF Human Rights Director Deepali Kulkarni speaks with South African Hindu community leader Lux Maharaj. They discuss the history of Indians in South Africa, and Africa more broadly, what led up to the looting and violence directed at South African Indians in the past few weeks, and what the Indian community there may be facing in the future. More info: Gauteng Hindus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 29, 2021•51 min•Ep. 54
This weeks show is the audio version of a side event HAF held at the International Religious Freedom summit, held in Washington DC last week. The focus of the panel is the 1971 Bengali Hindu Genocide and the ongoing challenges of the Hindu population in Bangladesh. Featured speakers include HAF Human Rights Director Deepali Kulkarni, Dr. Richard Benkin, independent human rights activist and author of "A Quiet Case of Ethnic Cleansing: The Murder of Bangladesh’s Hindus", and Dr. Sachi Dastidar, P...
Jul 22, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 53
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Grammy-nominated musician, multi-instrumentalist, and world music pioneer Jai Uttal. They discuss Jai’s path through sacred chanting, the evolution of the Western kirtan scene over the past several decade, and the line that separates cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. www.jaiuttal.com Jai’s latest album “Let Me Burn” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 15, 2021•51 min•Ep. 52
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Dandapani, a former Hindu monk turned international speaker. in the Saiva Siddhanta tradition, currently living at in Nosara, Costa Rica. Dandapani is now an international speaker helping people understand and leverage their mind and be the best version of themselves in order to live a life of purpose and joy. We discuss the retreat center and botanical garden he’s founded, how we can learn to better focus our minds, Hindu practices for dealing with cris...
Jul 08, 2021•51 min•Ep. 51
In this episode, a rebroadcast of a recent HAF webinar, Samir Kalra speaks with Dr Michael Rubin, from the American Enterprise Institute, on contemporary politics in Pakistan and the region, the nation’s support for terrorism, and how this affects the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 01, 2021•35 min•Ep. 50
In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks Dr Prakash Shah a professor at Queen Mary, University of London. Dr Shah specializes in cultural diversity and law, religion and law, caste and law, immigration, refugee and nationality law, and comparative law. They discuss the Western conceptions of caste in India, the complexity of adding caste discrimination to law in both the UK and the US, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 24, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 49
In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Ankit Bhuptani, the chairman and founder of the Queer Hindu Alliance in Mumbai, India. He is an advisor to corporations on inclusivity and diversity, the editor of a Gujarati literary magazine, and has participated in the Mumbai Pride Parade since 2010. They speak about being gay in India, the state of homophobia there, how the LGBT+ community is treated by both major political parties in India and much more. Ankit Bhuptani on Instagram Queer Hindu Allian...
Jun 16, 2021•59 min•Ep. 48
In this episode Sheetal Shah speaks with Shreya Mahasenan, a junior at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada. Shreya founded the McGill Dharma Society, when she realized there was no Hindu representation for students. They talk about the hurdles she overcame to create the society, the future of MDS, and her strong Hindu faith, which she credits to her family. McGill Dharma Society Facebook page Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 10, 2021•30 min•Ep. 47
In this episode Taniel Koushakjian speaks with Michigan state representative (and former HAF board member) Padma Kuppa. They discuss Rep. Kuppa’s journey from being an engineer to the first Indian American elected to the Michigan legislature, her passion for environmental advocacy, and her newly introduced legislation recognizing Diwali, Vaisakhi, Lunar New Year, and Eid in Michigan. Representative Padma Kuppa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 03, 2021•47 min•Ep. 46
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Parth Parihar. Parth is a member of the Board of Trustees of Hindu Students Council and a PhD candidate in economics at Princeton University. Earlier this spring he organized, along with Dr Indu Vishwanathan, a conference on Hinduphobia at Rutgers University, which brought together a wide range of speakers on the topic. We discuss the nature of Hinduphobia today, how this is affecting students on college campuses, and much more. Hindu Students Council Yo...
May 27, 2021•41 min•Ep. 45
In this episode Sheetal Shah chats with Shivali Bhammer, the youngest recording artist to be signed by Sony BMG for bhajans and one of the Top 25 Under 25 South Asian music artists. Her two albums The Bhajan Project and Urban Temple have reached #1 on the iTunes World Music charts. Today, we talk about Shivali’s journey from working in finance to professionally signing bhajans, as well as her passion for Kathak dance. Shivali.co.uk Shivali on Instagram The Bhajan Project on Spotify Urban Temple ...
May 20, 2021•46 min•Ep. 44
In this episode Sheetal Shah talks with Riki Warren, one of the top global movement coaches. His London-based movement school, Bodyweight Gurus, qualifies fitness professionals and therapists with accredited certifications. Riki has been practicing advanced bodyweight movement, yoga, and mixed martial arts (including the ancient Indian martial arts Kalari and Kushti) for over three decades. He currently holds a Guinness world record for the most consecutive L-sit ring muscle ups. More recently R...
May 13, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 43
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 42
