India Facts – 2022 Fellowships — Announcement
We are pleased to offer ten fellowships this year, with durations of one month or three months.
One-month Fellowships
Number of fellowships: Five
Duration of fellowship: One month
Fellowship award: Rs. 7,500 each
Topic areas:
- Hinduphobia in Indian mainstream English language media
- Hinduphobia in Bollywood movies (OR other regional language movies)
- Hinduphobic posts on social media by academics, activists, media persons
- Hinduphobia in American mainstream English language media (The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, National Public Radio, etc.)
- Hinduphobia in International English media
Qualifications:
- Undergraduate degree (minimum): BA, BS/BSc, BE, B.Ed or equivalent
- At least three popular magazine/newspaper/news portal publications in the past year
- Understanding of the nature of Hinduphobia*
- Ability to write clearly and precisely in English
- An understanding of research methods in the social sciences or humanities; or good, general analytical skills
Expectations:
- Submission of at least two articles analyzing Hinduphobic reporting in the media; anti-Hindu comments and posts on social media platforms; and/or academic publications (books, journal articles, conference papers, etc.) that overtly and systematically demonize, attack, diminish Hindus and Hinduism.
- Length of articles: 1,500 to 3,000 words
- Articles could be in the form of book reviews, opinion pieces, or analyses of anti-Hindu sentiment expressed in mass media or academic books/journal articles.
- Application Deadline: April 30, 2022
- Please include your latest CV/Resumé and list articles/books you have authored.
Three-month Fellowships
Number of fellowships: Five
Duration of fellowship: Three months
Fellowship award: Rs. 30,000 each
Topic areas:
- Hinduphobia in Indian mainstream English language media
- Hinduphobia in Bollywood movies (OR other regional language movies)
- Hinduphobic posts on social media by academics, activists, media persons
- Hinduphobia in American mainstream English language media (The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, National Public Radio, etc.)
- Hinduphobia in International English media
- Hinduphobia in Indian academic journals, books, textbooks
- Hinduphobia in European academic journals, books, textbooks
- Hinduphobia in American academic journals, books, textbooks
- Hinduphobia in international academic journals, books, textbooks
Qualifications:
- Undergraduate degree (minimum): BA, BS/BSc, BE, B.Ed or equivalent
- At least five popular magazine/newspaper/news portal publications in the past two years
- Understanding of the nature of Hinduphobia*
- Ability to write clearly and precisely in English
- An understanding of research methods in the social sciences or humanities; or good, general analytical skills
Expectations:
- Submission of at least three articles analyzing Hinduphobic reporting in the media; anti-Hindu comments and posts on social media platforms; and/or academic publications (books, journal articles, conference papers, etc.) that overtly and systematically demonize, attack, diminish Hindus and Hinduism.
- Length of articles: 3,000 to 5,000 words or more.
- Need to include a reference section carefully listing sources consulted.
- Articles could be in the form of book reviews, opinion pieces, or analyses of anti-Hindu sentiment expressed in mass media or academic books/journal articles.
- Application Deadline: April 30, 2022
- Please include your latest CV/Resumé and list articles/books you have authored.
*What is Hinduphobia?
— It is a term dating back to 1883 (https://www.hinduhumanrights.info/use-of-the-term-hinduphobia-1914-1997/).
— However, the use of the term was rare, and has only recently found some traction.
— Some people argue that the term “phobia” is inapplicable to the prevailing anti-Hindu sentiment (https://swarajyamag.com/culture/defence-against-hinduphobia).
— Hinduphobia does not necessarily refer to a “fear” of Hindus or Hinduism as much as the direct or indirect scapegoating, shaming, demonizing, marginalizing, and mocking of Hindus and/or Hinduism. Wikipedia describes Hinduphobia as “anti-Hindu sentiment… a negative perception, sentiment or actions against the practitioners of Hinduism”.
— Prof. Jeffery Long says: “Like any phobia, Hinduphobia is an intense and deeply rooted aversion—a fear and hatred—in this case, of Hindus and Hinduism. As such, Hinduphobia is a non-rational phenomenon. That is, it is not the result of a process of reasoning or thoughtful reflection based on experience. It is a feeling that occurs at a visceral level rather than at the refined level of the intellect, though it can manifest as a set of intellectual claims that portray Hindus and Hinduism in a negative light. This set of claims—let us call it Hinduphobic discourse—is a narrative which typically portrays Hinduism exclusively as an oppressive and regressive tradition, inextricably bound up with social institutions like caste and patriarchy.”
— Hinduphobia is also evident in the denial of rights to Hindus that are offered to others; the attacks and threats to Hindu identity; and strategies to overwhelm and undermine Hindus through demographic strategies
— Hinduphobia has grown exponentially, and we see new spikes every time the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins an election, or a leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) addresses large audiences, or when a new book on caste, or the BJP or the RSS is released, which has occurred more frequently since 2014 when the BJP won the General Election and formed a government.
tags: fellowship, announcement, hindophobic, hindophobia,
