HinduACTion plans Capitol Hill briefing on minorities

Washington, Jan 12 (IANS) HinduACTion will hold a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill on January 16 to spotlight what it calls the persecution, forced conversions, and trafficking of Hindu, Christian, and other religious minorities in Pakistan.

The briefing “Our Lost Daughters of Sindh” is aimed at members of Congress, congressional staff, officials from the US State Department and National Security Council, human rights advocates and groups working against human trafficking, a media release said Sunday.

Organizers said the briefing will bring together historical material, art, testimony and documentary evidence to present what they describe as an underreported human rights crisis in South Asia.

The program includes a visual presentation on the millennia-long history of Hindus in Pakistan. It will also feature an immersive art exhibit by Kiran Chukkapalli that depicts the experiences of Hindu refugees fleeing persecution.

Testimonials from civil rights defenders in Pakistan are scheduled, along with a documentary produced by Indus Valley Minorities. The film focuses on forced conversions and trafficking involving Hindu, Christian and other religious minorities in Pakistan.

“This briefing is designed to move policymakers beyond statistics and headlines,” said Utsav Chakrabarti, executive director of HinduACTion. “By centering lived experience, historical truth, and documented evidence, we aim to inform and galvanize US leadership to confront ongoing religious persecution,” he said.

In a statement, HinduACTion urged participants to invite their local elected officials to attend and speak at the briefing.

Meanwhile, severeal organizers on Sunday said a nationwide peaceful rally will be held across US cities on January 31 to raise awareness about violence against Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh.

The rally is being described as a non-political and humanitarian human rights initiative open to people of all faiths and backgrounds.