*Sonal Shah and Links with Hindutva Brigade: More Info* ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sukla Sen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20081109/814/tnl-no-vhp-links-our-family-condemns-guj.html No VHP links, our family condemns Gujarat riots, says Sonal Shah's brother Sun, Nov 9 04:07 AM Anand Shah, the brother of economist Sonal Shah who has been named by US President-elect Barack Obama as member of his advisory board, said today that his family and their NGO had nothing to do with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or the Gujarat government. As a "coordinator" of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad America (VHPA), Sonal Shah helped raise funds for victims of the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat. Her brother, who said that she couldn't comment given her present responsibilities, criticised the 2002 riots. "We strongly believe that no one in their right minds would ever approve of violence. The riots in Gujarat are not the way our society should deal with conflicts. Our entire family believes in this. We follow a compassionate Gandhian ideology that underlines pluralism, diversity and the need to take all sections of the society along in whatever we do," Anand Shah told The Sunday Express. "We are in no way involved with the VHP in India or the Gujarat government here," said Anand Shah, who runs Indicorps in Ahmedabad, an NGO Sonal Shah co-founded that provides fellowships to overseas Indian-origin young professionals to do internships in India in social work. VHPA media secretary Shyam Tiwari told The Sunday Express: "Sonal was a member of VHP of America at the time of the earthquake. Her membership has expired." Sonal Shah, 40, a former Vice President at Goldman Sachs and director of the US State Department of Treasury, works for Google.org on its Global Development team. Her father Ramesh Shah moved to New York in 1970. Sonal joined her father, with her mother, sister and brother, in 1972. Her father is a former member of the Overseas Friends of BJP. (with ENS, Ahmedabad) http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2008/11/suspected-fascists-in-obama.html Obama Team Member Has 'Fascist' Sangh Links New Delhi, November 08, 2008 http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=c92bdef7-a366-47df-bf51-daae396caeec&MatchID1=4816&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=1&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1212&PrimaryID=4816&Headline=Obama+team+member%2c+Sonal%2c+has+VHP+links US President-elect Barack Obama may have cultivated a left-of-center image for himself, but Sonal Shah, the Indian-American advisor in his transition team, has well established rightwing leanings. The 40-year-old economist has been associated with the overseas activities of the Sangh Parivar. She was a national coordinator of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America campaign to raise funds for Gujarat earthquake victims in 2001. Her father Ramesh Shah, a vice-president of the Overseas Friends of the Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP), had campaigned for LK Advani in Gandhinagar during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. He had also briefly traveled with Advani during his Bharat Udaya Yatra, countrywide election tour. Sonal's brother Amit and sister Rupal are now based in Ahmedabad, running a voluntary organisation, indicorps. Its website says its aim is to "engage the most talented young Indians from around the world on the frontlines of India's most pressing challenges". "I returned to India eight years ago," Amit told HT before suddenly deciding not to talk any further. An SMS from Rupal said "no comments from here", and added that Sonal be contacted through email for any queries. A senior functionary of the fascist Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), involved in the global activities of the Parivar, said only Ramesh is associated with its activities. "He works with the OFBJP and supports, among other things, the Ekal Vidyalayas," the functionary said. Ekal Vidyalayas are single-teacher primary schools run by the RSS with the aim of inculcating Hindu values in children, mostly in tribal regions. The Shah family hails from Sabarkantha in Gujarat but Sonal was born in Mumbai. Ramesh Shah moved to the US in 1970. Two years later, Sonal, Rupal and their mother joined him in New York. The family later moved to Houston. Sonal has worked as vice-president with Goldman Sachs and also in the US Department of Treasury. Currently, she is with the global development team of Google.org. Volunteers at the indicorps office in Ahmedabad were under instructions not to speak anything. Sonal Shah's Fascism Links: The Many Faces of 'Sonal Shah': Obama's Indian By VIJAY PRASHAD http://www.counterpunch.org/prashad11072008.html Vishwa Hindu Parishad website: Read below she is designated as National Coordinator http://www.vhp-america.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13 Sonal Shah link for Modi visa http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18415&Itemid=88 Sonal's Dad Ramesh Shah celebrating Modi victory in Houston http://www.theindianstar.com/index.php?udn=2008-01-04&usn=2&urn=1&upn=319 http://gaboworld.blogspot.com/2006/12/indicorps.html IDRF report of funding by NRI sanghi supporters are produced by this group http://www.stopfundinghate.org/resources/Saff$/Jan-Feb2005.htm Obama's Indian http://www.counterpunch.org/prashad11072008.html Visa Hope for Modi http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/india/obama-team%E2%80%99s-gujarat-link-is-modi-visa-hope.aspx __._,_.___ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
