Washington, D.C. (March 22, 2012) -- Despite protests
from across the nation, a professor well-known for her virulently anti-Hindu
and anti-India positions, delivered testimony at a hearing hosted by the Tom
Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) yesterday. The TLHRC called upon
Angana Chatterji to speak at a hearing on the persecution of religious
minorities in South Asia -- an invitation
which was met by strong criticism from the Hindu American community.
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) contacted congressional
co-chairs of TLHRC and its staff members last week detailing what it viewed as
clear indications of Dr. Chatterji's personal links to Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, a
Kashmiri separatist operating in the United States who was arrested by the FBI
and convicted late last year for illegally lobbying on behalf of Pakistan's
Inter-Intelligence Services (ISI). HAF leaders were very concerned that
the inclusion of Chatterji, who was recently fired from her academic post at
the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and also known for her
close relationship with Fai, would dampen the impact of the hearings and the
reputation of the TLHRC.
"Chatterji is not a credible witness due to her
connections to organizations that are counter to American foreign
interests," said Samir Kalra, Esq., HAF's San Francisco based Director and Senior Human
Rights Fellow. "The efforts of the TLHRC are too important to risk
the credibility of the hearings. And while we are very disappointed that
Chatterji's testimony was heard despite widespread opposition, we will continue
to engage the Commission to ensure a balanced perspective at future
hearings."
Public records indicate that Chatterji was dismissed from
her post at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) for lack of
professionalism and student complaints. Media reports and FBI transcripts also
show clearly that Chatterji enjoyed a close relationship with Fai, was possibly
introduced to Fai's high level contacts in the Pakistan's ISI, and spoke at
conferences organized by Fai on topics dictated directly by the ISI.
The hearing did include discussions on the status of Hindus
in Bangladesh
as detailed in HAF's 2011 annual Hindu human rights report released
earlier this month. Dr. Sachi Dastidar of the State University of New
York spoke on the lagging reforms in Bangladesh and the failure of that
government to compensate that country's Hindus for losses suffered due to the
now defunct Enemy Property Act. No witness at the hearing spoke of the
recent case of Rinkel Kumari, a young Hindu female in Pakistan that was recently
kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam, or the other estimated 20-25 Hindu
girls who suffer similar turmoil every month in Pakistan -- this too after
Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), a member of TLHRC, recently wrote a
letter to Pakistan's President, Asif Ali Zardari, demanding
intervention to bring Ms. Kumari's abductors to justice.
"The legacy of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, a Holocaust survivor and human rights champion, is one that promotes awareness of the plight of all persecuted communities," said Jay Kansara, HAF's DC-based Associate Director. "It is our hope that the Commission will continue its critically important work by giving a forum to human rights advocates and academics that are untainted and not profoundly compromised by their association to violent, anti-American agendas as manifested by Pakistan's ISI."