Sunita Viswanath is an Indian-American activist who has been associated with various women’s and human rights organizations in the United States for more than three decades. She is the co-founder of the human rights organizations Women for Afghan Women, Sadna: Alliance of Progressive Hindus and Hindus for Human Rights. After Union Minister Smriti Israeli tagged Rahul Gandhi’s photo with Sunita Viswanath from Gandhi’s meeting with US think tank, Suni Towers was thrust into the spotlight after the latter’s alleged ties to George Soros raised concerns about their meeting.
Wiki/Biography
Sunita Viswanath was born in 1968 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India (age 55 in 2023). A few years after her birth, her family moved to London, England, and she spent her early years traveling between Chennai and London. At the age of 19, Sunita moved to the United States and studied at Douglas College, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where she studied for a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Thereafter, she obtained a Master’s degree in Sociology from SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′ 5″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: black
family
She was born into a traditional South Indian Hindu family.
Parents and siblings
Not much is known about her parents and siblings.
husband and children
Sunita Viswanath was married twice. Her husband, Stephen Shaw, is Jewish and an active member of Jewish Voice for Peace. The organization advocates for Palestinian rights. They openly support boycotts, divestment and economic sanctions against Israel. They had three sons: Gautama, Akash and Satya. Sunita was earlier married to New York University professor Suktu Mehta.
Religion/Religious Views
Sunita Vishwanath follows Hinduism. Sunita said in an interview that she had been immersed in traditional Hindu rituals since childhood and went to temples regularly. she says,
I have always been secure in my identity as a Hindu. Growing up, I thought a lot about faith and religion, but I also had a very strong sense of social justice—what was fair. I learned deep lessons about love and justice from my religious upbringing, the stories we heard, the prayers we learned, and the scriptures we read. As an adult, I continue to work toward promoting social justice—equity. “
Although Sunita is a Hindu, she has repeatedly made anti-Hindu statements. In an interview, she expressed concern about what is happening in India against minorities, Muslims and Christians. Challenge those who call her anti-Indian. she says,
India accuses them of being anti-India. Is it the India of Gandhi and Ambedkar, or an India where only upper-caste Hindus have rights? “
In an interview, Sunita revealed that as a child she was a witness and participant in untouchability. As she grew up, this became a deep shame for her. It was her upbringing that ultimately led her to become a human rights activist.
caste
Although Sunita Vishwanath was born into an upper-caste Hindu family in southern India, she considers herself an anti-caste Hindu.
Profession
sister funds
Sunita started working at the Sister Fund, an American private family foundation, in her 20s. There, her work allowed her to connect her two passions: faith and feminism. She worked for the organization for several years before quitting her job to co-found Women Supporting Afghan Women (WAW).
Afghan Women (WAW)
In 2001, Sunita became the co-founder of WAW, a grassroots civil society organization dedicated to promoting the human rights of women around the world. A year later, Sunita served as editor of Women of Afghan Women: Breaking Myths, Seizing the Future, a collection of essays. Originally founded to support the Afghan community in Queens, the organization expanded its work in 2005 to advocate for the rights and well-being of Afghan women. Sunita served as WAW board chair until January 2022, before leaving the organization in protest of some of the allegations against her. At WAW, her job included regular visits to Afghanistan every few years. However, she is primarily responsible for the fundraising and publicity efforts of WAW New York. Since she co-founded WAW in 2001, WAW has grown significantly.
Sunita Viswanath advocates for women’s rights at an event
Practice method
In 2011, Sunita played a key role in founding Sadhana: Alliance of Progressive Hindus, an organization that seeks to mobilize Indian Americans to integrate their faith with social justice and human rights principles such as anti-casteism and anti-racism. The organization’s motto is to live out the faith by providing service around the world. The Prithvi Project is an important cause within Sadhana, dedicated to environmental protection (Prithvi represents Mother Earth in Hinduism).
Sunita Viswanath on the show
Through the Prithvi Project, Sadhana addressed the issue of Jamaica Bay Beach, Queens, where Hindus worshiped but left large amounts of offerings behind. Sadhana has officially taken responsibility for the beach, organizing regular clean-ups. Additionally, the organization reaches out to Hindu temples to promote environmentally friendly practices during worship. Sadhana has also participated in art exhibitions at the Queen’s Museum of Art. The exhibition showcases religious items recovered from beach cleanups, highlighting the importance of the initiative. Sunita serves on the Sadhana Executive Committee and actively contributes to its mission.
Swami Agniweshi (left foreground) with (clockwise) Sunita Viswanath, Swami Vidananda, Gautham Reddy and Sadhana’s Ni Kir Mandalapathy at Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto
Hindus fight for human rights
Sunita Vishwanath is the Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), a US-based civil society organization co-founded by Sunita in 2019. According to some investigations, Hindu human rights groups have been promoting misleading narratives. “Hinduism and Hindu Identity.” Additionally, it was found to support the “Disband Global Hindutva” campaign. The seminar faced strong opposition from Hindu groups on social media.
Sunita Viswanath talks about why it’s important for Hindus to resist Hindu nationalism
Columbia University
In 2020, Viswanath was appointed advisor for religious life at Columbia University. Despite a petition being filed against her, the university has stood by Sunita Viswanath and continues to provide support to her.
others
She has served on the advisory board for Unfreeze Afghanistan since its inception in September 2021. Sunita also serves on the advisory board of the Center for Population Media, an organization that uses entertainment education and mass media to drive social and cultural transformation. Additionally, she is a board member of the Dalit Solidarity Forum.
Sunita Viswanath at US protests
In March 2022, Viswanath joined Ruth Messinger, Medea Benjamin, Pastor Chloe Breyer, Daisy Khan, and Masouda Sultan on the Women’s Peace and Education Representatives regiment and headed to Afghanistan. Their purpose is to advocate for women’s rights and provide humanitarian aid. In August 2022, Viswanath and Masouda Sultan joined forces to form Abad: Afghan Women Forward, a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on providing humanitarian assistance to women and supporting economic initiatives. Abad’s initial beneficiaries include individuals who previously served WAW. She has co-chaired several projects in partnership with several organizations, including the American Muslim Council (IAMC).
dispute
Columbia University Controversy
In 2020, Sunita sparked controversy after she was appointed adviser on religious life at Columbia University. The Hindu Student Organization at Columbia University filed a petition calling for Sunita’s removal, citing Viswanath’s long history of divisive activities, support and public support of anti-Hindu bigotry and individuals.
Hindu American Foundation defamation case
In May 2021, the Hindu American Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against representatives of U.S. Hindu, Muslim and Christian organizations, including Sunita Viswanath, alleging defamation. and defamation. However, the case was eventually dismissed in 2022.
Awards and Honors
- In 2011, Sunita Viswanath was awarded the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Global Women’s Rights Award for her work at WAW.
- In 2015, she was one of 12 faith leaders honored as a “Champion of Change” by President Obama at the White House for their efforts to protect the environment and communities from the impacts of climate change. She received this honor through her work on Sadhana.
- In 2021, Sunita was named one of 21 “Faith Leaders to Watch” by the Center for American Progress.
Facts/Trivia
- In 2020, Sunita Vishwanath faced restrictions that prevented her from entering Ayodhya, leading her to return from Patranga on the border of Barabanki and Faizabad.
Sunita Viswanath was stopped by police on her way to Ayodha
- She often writes against the BJP. Apparently, she wrote in an article that the BJP is selling lies to the country’s Hindus that Hinduism is in danger in a country where the Hindu population is over 80%.
- After her marriage to Suketu Mehta, she was known as Sunita B. Mehta.
- Sunita lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, children, and parents.
- Sunita is one of five Hindus selected for New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams’ faith-conversion team. Additionally, she is the only Hindu to be included in the Marquis Who’s Who in December 2021 as an influential figure in religious circles.
- BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya highlighted potential links between Jamaat-ISI and certain Western entities. He singled out Sunita Vishwanath’s organization Women of Afghanistan for allegedly being funded by the Soros Open Society Foundations. Malviya further shared a visual representation depicting the association of Sunita Vishwanath. Malviya also claimed that Sunita was a representative of George Soros, who allegedly pledged $1 billion to use a network involving opposition leaders, think tanks, journalists, lawyers and activists to interfere in India’s internal affairs .
Diagram showing Sunita Viswanath relationship
- In June 2023, Indian Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani showed a photo of Rahul Gandhi and Sunita Viswanath at a press conference in Delhi ( from one of his meetings with a US think tank) and raised questions about Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with George Soros – Sunita Vishwanath who funds the US.
Smriti Irani shows a photo of Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with a US think tank at a press conference in Delhi, in which he can be seen sitting next to Sunita Viswanath
Sunita Viswanath sits next to Rahul Gandhi at a Hudson University think tank conference
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education