NDTV: “Obama asked to probe VHP America’s links”

Obama asked to probe VHP America’s links

“A rights watchdog has asked US President-elect Barak Obama to closely scrutinise the linkages of “pro-Hindu” groups with communal forces in India.”

Read the full article here 

Martha Nussbaum’s Response to the Sonal Shah Debate

Full article here.

http://3quarksdaily.blogs.com/3quarksdaily/2008/11/the-president-e.html

I Also Wish Massacres Didn’t Happen, Do You?

Note the following things about this posting on the South Asian Journalist Association discussion board:

1) The writer, a supporter of Shah, acknowledges that the VHP-A is wrapped up in violent activity in India: “ We were happy to learn that he was against Modi’s Godhra massacre and he wished that it had not happened.”

2) He does not directly address any of Shah’s direct links to fundraising for VHP-A.

3) He acknowledges the connection between Indicorps and Ekal Vidyalaya.  (See our ealier post on the Ekal Vidyala).

Time to stand for Sonal against the virulent attack by three “progressive” organizations

Dear Sir,

When we the Indo-Americans in Houston learnt about the selection of Sonal Shah as one of the 15 member Obama’s Transition team, we were happy and proud of her achievement. Later we were shell-shocked when we found out about the virulent attack on her choice by the self styled ‘progressive” groups such as Coalition against Genocide, Indian American Coalition for Pluralism, Non Resident Indians for a Secular and Harmonious India.

These “progressive” groups seem to be intoxicated with their victory of preventing the issuance of visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Though many of us did not fully agree with such an extreme step, we could appreciate the spirit behind it and even had some appreciation for their principled stand. All of us were shocked and even shamed by Godhra massacre. However with their latest attempt to discredit a reputed and highly accomplished Sonal Shah, they would have lost what little credibility they might have had with a majority of secularists like us. How could they stoop down to connect Sonal with Godhra or recent killings of Christians with Ekal Vidyalaya through such innuendos?

Sonal Shah who had graduated from Houston and whose parents live in Houston is known to all those NRIs involved in contributing to India’s development along with her brother Anand and sister Roopal. These three have devoted their considerable talents and time to work on various activities to contribute to India’s development. Just two are illustrative of their dedication.

Indicorps started by Sonal and Anand recruits young volunteers from the US to work with NGOs in India. Indicorps has accomplished a lot and recognized by many organizations including Indian Government. Sonal was honored by India Abroad as “Person of the year” for her contribution in 2003. Will these “progressive” organizations continue to boycott India Abroad as fundamentalist since their strategy seems to depend upon finding one harmful through guilt-by-association? Some prominent personalities from India like industrialist Piramal, Jayaprakash Narayan of Loksatta, Tarun Das of CII, professors from IIM and ISB have strongly condemned the attack on Sonal in a joint press release.

Ekal Vidyalaya an NGO dedicated to spread literacy in tribal and remote villages through single teacher schools is a great success. Shahs have played a key role in its development. It is true that it may not be as secular as other equally well known educational NGOs like Pratham or Asha. The very fact of the association of Abid Hussein, former Indian Ambassador to US with Ekal shows that it is not a fundamentalist organization as being portrayed by these “progressive” groups.

While Sonal professional contributions have been outstanding through her work at Anderson Consulting, Goldman Sachs, Treasury Department during Clinton’s presidency by working in Kosovo, Bosnia, and Indonesia and currently as Vice President at Google, her NGO work through George Soros Foundation, Omidayar Network and Tsunami tragedy should be a model for the youth. Her brother Anand after graduating from Harvard did not attempt to cash his credentials to earn a six figure salary like most of us. He went to India looking for opportunities to serve the poor.

Being long term residents of Houston, some of us know Sonal’s family for the last 30 years. Some of us were surprised by her father Ramesh Shah’s affiliation with VHP America and had argued with him about it. We were happy to learn that he was against Modi’s Godhra massacre and he wished that it had not happened.

We never found Ramesh to be a fundamentalist in his views. We have also had discussions with his children about their parent’s affiliation with VHP and were happy to learn that their involvement was marginal at best and they never looked at the problem from a narrow “hindutva” point of view. It has become a fad for “progressive” groups to show how they are the only groups who are broadminded and others who have different opinions are narrow minded bigots.

It is ironical that they quote Mahatma Gandhi’s from his book My Experiment with Truth “It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honored by the humiliation of their fellow-beings” while the “progressives” are indulging in such a humiliation task in Sonal’s case.

The three “progressive” groups protesting Sonal’s appointment are not really concerned about the unintended consequences of their stand resulting in further divisiveness and hatred in NRI community. Mahatma even while disagreeing with his opponents was always humble enough to understand and appreciate them. On the other hand these progressives have been trying to pour venom by raising unconnected incidents as background to create demonic personality of Sonal. Obama’s Republican opponents also tried to create such an ugly view of him by giving guilt-by-association examples of his long time pastor. Perhaps this may be the beginning of the rapid end for this progressive movement when NRI community consisting of secular thinking majority sees their real design of sowing hatred and divisiveness like the fundamentalist jihadis.

Yours sincerly.

Bhamy V. Shenoy
(former president of ICC)

Jagat Kamdar
(Co-host of Open Forum)

Coalition Against Genocide Sends An Open Letter

read the entire article in the Hindu: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200811211283.htm

Sonal Shah asked to come clean on alleged right wing links

“New York(IANS): Coalition Against Genocide, a group of Indian American individuals and organisations fighting against religious fundamentalism, has in an open letter urged Sonal Shah, a member of president-elect Barack Obama’s transition team, to come clean on her alleged past affiliations with right wing Hindu outfits.

The Coalition Against Genocide, in their letter that was released to the press Thursday, said her recent statement in which she repudiated espousing the cause of organisations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), does not allay all of their concerns.”

Why hasn’t the US media picked up the issue of Sonal Shah?

It seems that despite vast media attention in India, the US media has not covered the story of Sonal Shah. Instead, there seems to be a strange conflict when one searches google news for Sonal Shah: you either get stories about her achievements or you Indian media covering her connection to the far right. Apparently Shah has been most recently given a new position.  Here is the article below (from the Washington Post):

 

Telecom, Google Vets to Write Obama Tech Policy Priorities

President-elect Barack Obama has named two telecom industry and policy veterans and a leader of Google’s philanthropy arm to craft the new administration’s high-tech policy priorities.

The policy working group on Technology, Innovation and Government 
Reform will “develop…. proposals and plans from the Obama Campaign for action during the Obama-Biden Administration,” according to the president-elect’s transition web site http://www.change.gov.

The authors of what could be sweeping changes in broadband rules, privacy and government transparency include:

–Blair Levin, a telecom investment analyst at Stifel Nicolaus and former chief of staff to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt. Levin is also seen among a short list of candidates to head the FCC in the new administration.

–Julius Genachowski, former chief counsel to Hundt at the FCC and a member of Obama’s transition team. Genachowski, a former law school classmate of Obama’s and an active and early member of the campaign, has been talked about as a candidate for the nation’s first chief technology officer or FCC chairman. He is venture capitalist, the co-founder of Rock Creek Vetnrues and LaunchBox Digital. Genachowski also served as a senior executive at IAC/InterActiveCorp, where he was head of business operations.

–Sonal Shah heads Google’s philanthronpic arm, Google.org’s global development efforts. Shah has a lengthy resume on international development issues: prior to joining Google she was a vice president at Goldman, Sachs and Co., developing the firm’s environmental policy. She is also the co-founder of Indicorps, a U.S.-based non-profit organization offering one-year fellowships to Indian-Americans to work on development projects in India. Sonal worked at the Department of Treasury from 1995-2002 on various economic issues. She is on the Obama-Biden Transition Project Advisory Board.

The announcement comes amid speculation about who will take the job of national CTO and the FCC. High-tech and telecommunications leaders around the nation are also eager to learn what the job of CTO entails.

Some speculate the nation’s first tech czar will be charged with the streamlining of technology within the federal government and making government records more transparent through the Web. There is also a question as to whether that job would also mean high-tech policy decisions from the White House.

By Cecilia Kang  |  November 19, 2008; 4:00 PM ET  | Category:  Cecilia Kang 
Previous: New Bells and Whistles for Xbox |

Asia Pacific News Forum Interviews Vijay Prashad

http://www.asiapacificforum.org/show-detail.php?show_id=131#341

Over the weekend, historian and scholar Vijay Prashad wrote an article in Counterpunch in which he examined the background of Sonal Shah, a Google executive and Indicorps founder who has been tapped to joined Barack Obama’s transition team. As Prashad noted, she also has some more questionable affiliations, including an association with the American branch of the Vishna Hindu Parishad (VHP), a right-wing Hindu organization. Since the weekend, the article has sparked an online controversy, with many supporters of Shah speaking up in her defense and others calling for more scrutiny of her politics. We’ll speak with Prashad about the controversy and why Shah’s associations matter.

Guests

• VIJAY PRASHAD is George and Martha Kellner Chair in South Asian History and Professor of International Studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. His books include The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World (New Press) and The Karma of Brown Folk (University of Minnesota Press). He is a board member of the Center for Third World Organizing and a co-founder of the Forum of Indian Leftists.

French Media Questions Shah’s Ties

Below is an excerpt from French media coverage of the Sonal Shah debate on transparency and accountability. It is interesting to note that the US media has not yet picked up this story–potentially because we do not want to complicate a complicated world for our new president. Are we to simply remain silent or ensure that Obama is able to do his job well?

The article is written by Leela Jacinto, who, based on her other articles, appears to be a fan of Prez-elect Obama and has done some good reporting on the Obama campaign.  The article puts into perspective the fact that the VHP-A first tried to cover up Ms. Sonal Shah’s association, before finally accepting it.   The writer also provides a good critique of Sonal Shah’s statement.

France 24 (Click Here for Full Article)

“Obama’s Indian Slammed With Extremist Allegations”

Here are two quotes:

“It’s an argument that cuts little ground with Naresh Fernandes, editor-in-chief of TimeOut India, who has extensively covered communal violence in India. “A woman as smart as Shah would have to have blocked out all media reports for her not to know what the VHP represents in India,” he said. “Besides, she also runs an NGO in India so it isn’t as if she’s some insular child of American suburbia.”

—

“Shah’s defenders note that her Modi links are hazy and she can hardly be faulted for an innocuous award acceptance for her commendable relief work in Gujarat.

Prashad however rejects the argument. “It’s like if someone received an award from [former Serbian President] Slobodan Milosevic and said ‘I just did charity work for victims of the war,'” said Prashad.

The Milosevic analogy is guaranteed to spark another furious roar in a bitter blogosphere battle that shows no sign of dying and is a warning for the new US president-elect as he prepares to take over the White House come Jan. 20, 2009.”

Guilt by Participation – Vijay Prashad’s Response

Guilt by Participation

By VIJAY PRASHAD

“Barack Obama’s victory in the U. S. presidential election warmed the hearts of millions around the world. When Jesse Jackson wept, I cried too. I had worked for Jackson’s campaign in 1988. With Jackson’s defeat came the long hibernation of American progressivism. Obama’s victory awoke that tradition. A few days later Obama began to announce his transition team. The names were not from the progressive tradition, but from the more cautious, even conservative side of the Democratic Party. In the list I saw the name Sonal Shah.

That day, I wrote an essay for counterpunch.org calling attention to Sonal Shah’s affiliations with various Hindutva groups. In this viral age, essays such as this leave their locales and take on a life of their own. This one created a little kerfuffle. People excited by the Obama victory and by the ascension of an Asian American to a position of authority were miffed that I had rained on their parade. Some claimed that I had stooped to the Sarah Palin tactic of guilt by association. Just because her parents are closely affiliated with the Hindutva groups does not mean she is associated with them, they said. I agree. Sonal Shah released a statement against “baseless and silly reports” on the Internet. She forthrightly pointed out that her “personal politics have nothing in common with the views espoused by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or any such organization.” The VHP and the RSS are well known to spread hate and to have participated in ghastly acts of violence within India against Muslims, Christians, and oppressed castes, not to speak of spreading the general misogyny that their ideology preaches.

Sonal Shah’s statement is gratifying, but unpersuasive. The VHP’s Shyam Tiwari recently said, “Sonal was a member of the VHP of America at the time of the [2001 Kutch, Gujarat] earthquake. Her membership has expired.” This was eight years after the 1993 Gujarat riots, when the VHP had an active, and ghastly role. Ms. Shah was 33 years old then. Her parents were active in Hindutva organizations. How could she not have known of their role, and the controversy surrounding them? She was not from an apolitical household, but an activist one. I brought up her parents only to suggest that she cannot claim now that she was ignorant of the VHP’s role in India. She must have known. And yet she participated in its activities. There were a host of other agencies that raised money for the earthquake survivors. All the earthquake survivors: credible media reports showed that the money raised by the VHP did not go to Muslim survivors, only Hindu ones (for example, “Communalizing Relief: VHP seizes earthquake opportunity,” Statesman, Kolkata, 12 February 2001 and Vijay Dutt, “Discrimination in Distribution of Relief against Dalits in Gujarat Causes Concern,” Hindustan Times, 27 February 2001). This is hardly an act of charity.”

Click here to continue to read the full article

Communalism and Religious Nationalism in Obama’s Administration?

The VHP-A’s fundraising activity has been directly linked to violent and communal politics in India. (see here for more information: http://stopfundinghate.org/SFHPressReleases.htm) NDTV Interview with VHP-A America contradicting Shah’s own statement about her involvement in the VHP-A.

[NB from an activist: While reading this, remember that Sonal Shah graduated college in 1990, so if she becamea member of VHP-A just as she was “coming out of college,” and stayed a member until 2001,that makes it an 11-year stint, from age 22 to age 33 — hardly something that can beclassified as a passing fancy of naive youth.]

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/uspolls2008/Election_Story.aspx?ID=NEWEN20080072540&
Obama aide part of governing body: VHP-America

Sarah Jacob

Thursday, November 13, 2008 9:58 PM (Washington) NDTV caught up with Gaurang G Vaishnav, general secretary, VHP-America who confirmed that not just was Sonal Shah a member of the organisation she was also on the governing body of the VHP-A.

Q. What was your reaction to the news of Sonal Shah’s induction into the transition board of the Obama administration? It was a feeling of joy and pride that my country person, from Bharat is in that position.

Q. But, this is also a person who is a member of your organization the VHP, so was there more reason to be proud? She used to be member of the VHP-America but more than that I have known her for many years. Father was my personal friend so it is a very joyous occasion.

Q. In what capacity was she a member of the VHP-A? How involved was she in the organization? She was just coming out of college. We were trying to get the younger generation involved in the VHP-A. So she was taken into our governing body. Then the earthquake happened in Gujarat and she worked on that. She was there for 3 years.

Q. What is your response to the criticism that says she should not be part of the Obama team because of her connections with the VHP. Your response? My response is that this is absolute hogwash. First of all is it a crime to be associated with the VHP or VHP-America, or the RSS? VHP America is an independent body of this country. It is not part of VHP-Bharat. Sonal Shah, from what I know was not a part of VHP-Bharat. Even if she were I would say there is nothing wrong with that. Even if she were I would say why should she be stopped. Has the VHP B or A been convicted of any crime? This is nothing but reverse McCarthyism.

Q.So, will there be more reflection of your ideology in the US administration? I do not think so because she is an economist. That is what she is hired for, not for her Hindu values. In the United States, the President takes his oath on the bible. The President has weekly breakfast with church leaders. Obama goes to church. Would that disqualify him from being President? Religion is something very personal to a person. Without religion we would all be animals.

Q. She gave a statement where she says she does not identify with the ideology of the VHP. Does that hurt you? No, everybody does not have to stand up for everything. You have to see the forces running against you. There is something called wisdom. It is very clear what is going on. Known characters from the Left. Leftist, Communist, Marxist well-known Hindu baiters, Hindu haters are coming out of the woodwork. So you do not have to fall in their trap. No matter what you tell them they are going to sing the same song so I think what Sonal has done is correct.

More Statements, Press Coverage on Sonal Shah’s Appointment

*1)  The following is a statement by Sonal Shah, Transition Board Member,
for President-elect Barack Obama.

“As an Indian-American who has lived in this country since the age of
four, serving on the Obama-Biden transition team is a unique privilege
for me.  A presidential transition is always a time of excitement and,
in some cases, of rumors and unfounded gossip.  I’d like to set to
rest a few baseless and silly reports that have been circulating on
the Internet.  First, my personal politics have nothing in common with
the views espoused by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or any such organization.  I’ve never been
involved in Indian politics, and never intend to do so.  Second, I’ve
always condemned any politics of division, of ethnic or religious
hatred, of violence and intimidation as a political tool.  Some
factually inaccurate internet rumors have attempted to link me to
Hindu Nationalist groups through a variety of tenuous connections:
Relief work I’m proud to have helped coordinate following the Gujarati
earthquake of 2001, or cultural and religious affiliations of some of
my family members, or apolitical humanitarian work I’ve been
privileged to do as a founder of the NGO Indicorps and as the Director
of Global Development for Google.org <http://Google.org>.  Finally, I do not subscribe to
the views of such Hindu nationalist groups, and never have.
Ridiculous tactics of guilt by association have been decisively
repudiated by the American people. I am delighted with what the
victory on November 4 says about my country, and about our place in
the world.  I look forward to serving our President-elect in this time
of transition.”

2) Press coverage

Times Of India Report

http://timesofindia .indiatimes. com/Ahmedabad/ Obamas_Gujarati_ aide_has. .. <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Obamas_Gujarati_aide_has_RSS_roots/articleshow/3687115.cms>

Hindustan Times Report

http://www.hindusta ntimes.com/ StoryPage/ StoryPage. aspx?sectionName =Ho… <http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=c92bdef7-a366-47df-bf51-daae396caeec&MatchID1=4816&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=1&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1212&PrimaryID=4816&Headline=Obama+team+member%2c+Sonal%2c+has+VHP+links>

Sonal Shah link for Modi visa

http://www.khabrein .info/index. php?option= com_content&task=view&id=18… <http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18415&Itemid=88>

Visa Hope for Modi

http://www.asianage .com/presentatio n/leftnavigation /news/india/ obama-… <http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/india/obama-team%E2%80%99s-gujarat-link-is-modi-visa-hope.aspx>

RSS family

http://www.deccanhe rald.com/ Content/Nov11200 8/scroll20081111 100142.asp? section=updatene ws <http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov112008/scroll20081111100142.asp?section=updatenews>

Ramesh Shah/ Modi victory party in Houston
http://www.theindia <http://www.theindia/> nstar.com/ <http://nstar.com/> index.php? udn=2008-01-04&usn=2&urn=1&upn=319

Sonal Shah, Speaker at HSS Youth Conference

http://www.hssus. org/content/ view/35/2/ <http://www.hssus.org/content/view/35/2/>

Obama’s Indian

http://www.counterp unch.org/ prashad11072008. html <http://www.counterpunch.org/prashad11072008.html>

*Indian-American groups protest Sonal Shah’s appointment
*10 Nov 2008, 2000 hrs IST, PTI
NEW YORK: Three Indian-American groups have protested the appointment of Sonal Shah in US President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team, claiming that she is closely associated with the VHP and warned against Hindutva “infiltration” into the power centres of the US society.

In a joint statement, Indian Coalition Against Genocide and Indian American Coalition for Pluralism and Non Resident Indians for a Secular and Harmonious India said they are holding consultations among themselves and like-minded Indian-American leaders on the issue.

The organisations have asked Shah to clarify her position about her association with the VHP and its “mother organisation” RSS.

The statement said they have avowed to increase their efforts to “educate the American politicians and business leaders about the attempts by the Hindu ultra-nationalist /Hindutva/ movement to infiltrate the power centres of the US society by giving big donations and through volunteer work.”

The Coalition Against Genocide was instrumental in getting the visa of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi revoked in 2005, it recalled and voiced concerns that an attempt might be made to get his visa reinstated.

After India media reports linked Shah to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, her brother Anand Shah had said the 40-year economist’s family had nothing to do with the VHP or the Gujarat government.

Shah was on November 6 named in a 15-member team which will oversee smooth transition of power from the Bush Administration to the incoming Obama dispensation.