Our Baithaks for Liberation series was born out of a need for a progressive Hindu space that tackled modern-day issues such as queer liberation, feminism, the annihilation of caste, and more through a progressive religious lens.
By bringing together scholars, activists, and experts in the field, together we explore what a truly liberatory and justice-oriented Hinduism could look like.
Our Baithaks don’t shy away from tough conversations – rather, they tackle them head on through a Hindu framework designed for equity, liberation, and solidarity.
These virtual conversations provide a space for participants to engage with Hindu thought and values through current day problems, weaving the two together as we journey towards what justice really means and how it can be accomplished.
What is a Baithak?
The word ‘baithak’ is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word for ‘sitting’. It describes a close knit community gathering that facilitates both intellectual and artistic engagement and exchange.
Baithaks have a vibrant history interwoven with that of South Asia itself; from being a space where saints could spread their spiritual teachings to carving out a niche for cross-cultural exchange during Mughal rule to serving as a launching pad for anticolonial discourse during British rule.
We wish to bring that legacy and history into the modern age; adapting to the online era by allowing for conversations as meaningful as those that occurred centuries ago to take place in the current day, thus building a community founded upon learning, growth, and human rights for all.
Each of our baithaks features an esteemed moderator from the field alongside a panel of experts, ending with an interactive Q&A where all participants are encouraged to share their questions, thoughts, and ideas.
August Baithak
Standing Together Against Religious Supremacy: A Hindu-Jewish Interfaith Dialogue
With Dr. Linda Hess, Rabbi Alissa Wise, and Umesh Kabir
Religion has often been used to justify social and political oppression- from centuries-old caste discrimination and the current Hindutva-fueled hostility toward Muslims in India to Zionism’s defense of colonialism and displacement in Palestine, leading to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Our August discussion brings together courageous religious leaders from Hindu and Jewish traditions who are standing up against hate and violence being committed in the name of their faith.
July Baithak
Reimagining Birth and Death in Hinduism
With Aminta Kilawan-Narine, Punya Upadhyaya, and Pandit Dr. Raja Gopal Bhattar
Our July Baithak focused on how we can reinterpret and reimagine Hindu principles and practices focusing on birth and death. From naming ceremonies to funeral rites, ritual practices continue to carry the weight of exclusion and inequality into the present day. In this conversation, we hear from community leaders and organizers who are challenging these ideas and creating new ways to mark life’s beginnings and ending grounded in justice and dignity for all.
June Baithak
Celebrating Queerness in Hindu Thought and Practice
With Dr. Gautham Reddy, Aruna Rao, and Dr. Raja Gopal Bhattar
Held in honor of Pride Month, this discussion centered queerness in rethinking Hindu theology, ritual, and practice. Grounding the discussion in the lived realities of the LGBTQ+ South Asians, our panelists will examine how Hindu traditions can affirm and nurture queer belonging. Together, we will envision what it means to uphold queer sacredness while challenging Brahmanical cisheteropatriarchy, cultivating a radically inclusive Hinduism rooted in joy and justice for all.
April Baithak
Can Hindus Annihilate Caste? Engaging Ambedkar’s Critique to Envision an Anti-Caste Hinduism
With Dr. Anand Teltumbde, Dr. Anantanand Rambachan, and Dr. Balmurli Natrajan
Held in honor of Dalit History Month, this discussion brought together together Dr. Anand Teltumbde and Dr. Anantanand Rambachan to explore Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s critique of Hinduism as being inextricably tied up with the violence of caste oppression. Rejecting framings that treat caste as external to Hinduism, our panelists will engage with Ambedkar’s assertion that Hindus must “give a new doctrinal basis to your religion” in order to illuminate what lessons Ambedkar’s critique of Hinduism can offer us in the project of building an anti-caste Hinduism today.
March Baithak
Feminist Hinduism in Action: Resisting Brahmanical Patriarchy Through Inclusive Ritual and Practice
With Sapna Pandya, Pratima Doobay, and Sravya Tadepalli
Held in honor of Women’s History Month, this discussion uplifts the voices of two pioneering panditas who are at the forefront of challenging Brahmanical patriarchy by transforming Hindu ritual and practice in their communities. We delved into their journeys to leadership, resistance to gatekeeping in sacred spaces, and contribution to fostering radically inclusive spiritual practices that affirm a liberatory Hinduism rooted in gender justice for all.
February Baithak
Swami Vivekananda’s Complex Legacy
With Dr. Balmurli Natrajan, V. Govind Krishnan, and Swami Medhananda
Our first baithak was an exciting panel discussion on the life and legacies of the renowned 19th-century Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda. We discussed the complexities of Vivekananda’s teachings and thought, and what lessons they can offer us as we strive to build a liberatory Hinduism in our present moment.