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A Hindutva group’s fundraiser in Frisco, Texas to raise money for, among other things, the “demolition of illegal churches” in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati has kicked off a storm in the United States, with 14 civil rights and faith-based organisations demanding a probe into the organiser’s activities.
The Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF)’s fundraiser, held at an educational facility run by an Indian American in Frisco, also listed ghar wapsi – reconversion of Muslims and Christians 'back' to Hinduism – as another part of their agenda.
A flyer for the event – GHHF: Gala Dinner, Annual Fundraiser & Volunteer Appreciation Day – was posted on the American event management and ticketing website Eventbrite. The event page listed the GHHF agenda as follows: Ghar Wapasi, Bala Samskar Kendras – Sunday Schools, Renovation of Grama Devatas, Annadanam in India, Karthika Masa Puja kit Distribution, Demolition of Illegal Churches in Tirupati, Gaushalas, Oxygen Concentrators & Ventilators, Free Meals served to First Responders in Dallas Metropolitan cities (sic).
We have highlighted Ghar Wapasi" and "Demolition of Illegal Churches in Tirupati" for clarity in the image below, taken from the flyer.
He sidestepped the question on details about their guest list and who attended the fundraiser.
Raqib Hameed Naik, a Boston-based journalist who regularly reports on the South Asian diaspora in the US and first tweeted about the event on 28 November, said "GHHF collects money in the US to fund various anti-minority activities in India."
The Eventbrite website link with the flyer was first posted on the group’s Facebook page on 9 November.
The facility is run by Revathi Naidu, who is listed as the centre director in its brochure.
The Quint sent an email to the school for their response but we have received no answer so far.
Following the event, 14 civil rights and faith-based organisations in the United States have written to the members of US Congress, the two US Senators from Texas, Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney, and Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, demanding a probe into the Hindutva outfit.
The organisations, which included the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations in North America (FIACONA), the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and Genocide Watch, among others, expressed deep concerns about the fundraiser in a letter to Texas’ elected representatives.
The organisations also demanded that the representatives write to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US Department of Justice (DoJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), seeking immediate investigative and legal action against the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation “for violating its 501c3 status by funding hate and enabling violence against religious minorities in India.”
Naik said the group runs ghar wapsi projects to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism and "they want to make Tirupati a church-free city."
Reacting to the letter by rights and faith bodies, GHHF President Prakasarao Velagapudi said, "We addressed seven different topics during the event. Demolition of churches was only one of the topics we discussed."
“We want to educate the public about the illegal construction of churches,” Velagapudi added.
Velagapudi said that they would not demolish the churches themselves but would only write to the local authorities regarding it. The group only targets "churches built illegally," he emphasised.
The Frisco Police Department said it was “aware of a flyer circulating, regarding a reported fundraiser involving the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation.”
“We appreciate the concerns brought to our attention and encourage anyone with additional information pertaining to illegal activity occurring within Frisco to contact us,” the Frisco Police said in response to The Quint’s query.
The Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation in Frisco and raises money for its operations in India, including for ghar wapsi and campaign against “illegal” churches and abolition of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Acts across India to "save temples."
The 501(c)(3) designation gives the organisation a tax-exempt status, provided to some not-for-profit religious and charitable outfits.
On its website, the GHHF describes its objectives as to “protect, preserve, promote, and maintain Hindu culture, Hindu temples, mutts, peethams, endowments, trusts and other institutions globally.”
The website is regularly updated with posts on ghar wapsi, and is flooded with photos and news of such events.
“Earlier this year, the group claimed to convert another 57 Christians in Tamil Nadu. Last week, the group claimed the reconversion of five Christians and Muslims in India's northeastern state of Assam,” Naik said.
In February this year, the GHHF claimed that it organised 'Sanatana Hindu Dharma Sabha' in Assam with about 2000 people and "passed a resolution not to sell properties to non-Hindus."
In another article in February this year, the GHHF claimed that 57 Christians belonging to the fisherman community in the Chengalpet district of Tamil Nadu "came back to their ancestral religion Hinduism."
"These people came from nine families. They were previously converted to Christianity on false pretexts and had been practising Christianity for close to a year," the GHHF said.
Every article ends with an appeal for donation, including an option to send cheques to GHHF's office at Harmony Lane, Frisco.
(With inputs from Sakshat Chandok, Saptarshi Basak, and Pranay Dutta Roy.)
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