Grr.

*this post is in response to an email forward I saw on the SAPAC_chicago listserv written by YSS and OY, 2 American organizations that organize South Asian youth. Do not read on if politics and/or activism is not your cup of tea.
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Ok, so I just got an email forward that is flying around saying that Indicorps has taken funds and worked with organizations that are involved with the RSS, a group known to promote an extremist religious and political agenda in India. The email questions Indicorps, saying that by working with organizations and taking funds from people associated with the RSS, Indicorps is supporting the RSS political agenda. Umm... completely unfounded, thanks. I'm still debating whether I want to get involved into an email fight about it ... but I wanted to post up here just in case any of y'all had heard anything.

My main problem is YSS and OY send this email asking Indicorps to explain themselves. The email was sent to a whole lot of people but not Indicorps itself. Ummm.. if you want Indicorps to explain themselves, why aren't you asking Indicorps? If you weren't going to ask directly, why wouldn't you at least include Indicorps on the list? ... unless your intent was not to get answers but to start rumors.

Now as we all know, I usually, if not always, ignore email forwards. The only reason I am replying to this one is because it undermines the work that I am doing this year. I won't allow it.

IDRF (India Development and Relief Fund) has been one of the past funders (one of many funders mind you) for Indicorps. This group also apparently funds some RSS organizations. The email says that, with Indicorps accepting funds from them, they are supporting the RSS agenda. Someone should tell the email's authors that they should've done their homework.

1. Indicorps is secular and non partisan. As an organization, Indicorps makes it very clear to funders that the funds are accepted with no strings attached. It's not about name recognition, it's about youth taking ownership and initiative to be agents of social change. It's so silly to have YSS and OY picking a fight like this when we're all trying to get to the same place. A unified front. Inclusive empowerment. Solidarity. I mean, come on.

2. Hindu extremist philosophies are (usually) anti-Muslim, anti-Dalit (used to be referred to as untouchables). The IDRF is the funder that actually funded the project I am working on.

I invite anyone who questions Indicorps motives to come visit my project.

I live in a community that is fully comprised of Dalits and Muslims (as I've mentioned before). Now, anyone that knows me knows full well that I am here to serve these communities. To empower the women. To give them a stable income. To give them ownership over their artistic abilities and have that ownership and confidence ripple into other facets of their lives.

No one, and I mean no one, uses me as a vehicle to push an agenda here. No one tells me how to do my work out here. Whoever wrote that email needs to email ME directly before telling me that the work I am doing is Hindutva. I am one of the direct benefactors of these funds. They are paying for me at a ground level. Why don't you ASK me what work I'm doing before telling me who I am tied to? Fools. How can you question the organization without first doing some RESEARCH? Did you? Did you find out that the first two girls on the project were Muslim and Sikh? That the following year was a Hindu and Muslim w/ Pakistani roots working together?

And lastly #3.
Had you done your RESEARCH, you would've found out that the people that spent time training us (this year's fellows) at orientation were people such as Sushma Iyengar, Anna Hazare, and Harsh Mander. Why don't you look up who these people are before you try to say you know an organization's motives?

Grr.