That's So Hindu

In this episode, part of Indu Viswanathan’s Hindu at Heart series, she speaks with Hemanth Venkataraman, a New York City-based educator and restorative justice practitioner about his life growing up Hindu in New Jersey in the 1980s and 90s, his time teaching in the NYC public school system and co-founding the Unity Preparatory Charter School in Brooklyn, and how he moved on to consult with schools on implementing restorative justice with School Culture Solutions. School Culture SolutionsSchool Culture Solutions on Instagram

In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with historian Vikram Sampath (author of the two volume definitive biography of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar) about the origins of Hindutva and misunderstandings about, its relevance for Hindus living outside of India, and more. 

In this episode HAF Board Member psychologist Dr Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria and HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla have a wide ranging discussion about parenting as Hindus, the book Bad Therapy, how we can raise resilient children, the differences in parenting across the generations, and more. 

In this episode we're speaking with Jayanthi Moorthy, founder of the arts education organization AkṣarāWe talk about the importance of the arts in transmitting Indian culture, the role museums have in this and the limitations they have, issues of cultural appropriation in events such as Color Runs, and how drawing the traditional South Indian art form of kolam has both mental and physical benefits. 

In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with author Hindol Sengupta about the origins of Hindutva as a philosophical concept, its relationship to Hindu nationalism, the inclusiveness of Hindu thought, the future of the BJP, and the US-India relationship. 

In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with author and analyst Walter K Andersen about misunderstandings about the history of Hindutva, the goals of the RSS, the role of Hindutva in the Indian diaspora, and what the recent Indian elections mean for the direction of the BJP.

In this episode HAF’s Raj Rao, Suhag Shukla, Vijay Satnarine, and Mat McDermott delve into how Hindu dharma traditions, for millennia, have recognized a Third Nature in gender and sexuality, how this framework both overlaps with contemporary LGBTQ categories and how it is distinct, as well as some guidance on how Third Nature individuals and their families can act compassionately rooted in dharma when addressing these issues. Read: HAF Policy Brief - LGBTQ Rights

In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with filmmaker Prem Kumar about his documentary series on the sage Agastyamuni, his work educating Hindus about their heritage via his YouTube channel and in-person workshops.PremKV on YouTubeTatvamasi USA workshops Tatvamasi homestay