Indian-American philanthropist donates $1 million for Hindu causes in US

Ramesh Bhutada has committed $1 million over the next four years to the Hindu American Foundation.

An additional $450,000 amount was raised by participants at the Houston event. / Courtesy Photo

Indian-American philanthropist Ramesh Bhutada has donated $1 million for Hindus in the US, it was announced during a recent Hindu American Foundation (HAF) event in Houston. Another $450,000 were also raised by participants at the event.

Bhutada had also donated $1 million to the Hindu University of America (HUA) based in Florida in March 2023. The university is the only higher institution in the US whose aim is to provide education based on the principles of Hindu philosophy.

Bhutada stressed that knowledge imparted in institutions like the HUA is crucial to ensure that the younger generations understand and apply Hinduism in their lives.

The Houston gathering started off with gala emcees, Dr Subodh Bhuchar and Vikram Sheshadri, a member of HAF’s Board of Directors, introducing local elected officials to the crowd as they lit the lamp to mark the auspicious start of the occasion, followed by an invocation by local HAF youth volunteer Sanvi Pandit.

Sheshadri and another HAF Board Member, Rishi Bhutada, then updated the over 350 attendees about HAF’s work in both advocating for the Hindu community as well as educating Americans, including educators and media, about Hindus and Hinduism.

One of the themes of this presentation was HAF’s focus on empowering local Hindu communities to advocate for themselves locally, through training and resources, such as its Dharma Ambassador and Dharma Advocates programs.

Later, Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur Sunder Iyer recounted experiences of facing caste-based discrimination. The case, which previously caught the attention of the HAF, is now the subject of a federal lawsuit against the state of California.

Iyer said that the erroneous idea that the Hindu community could themselves be engaging in widespread caste-based discrimination and violence could easily seep into corporate HR departments and local city ordinances as a result of targeted campaigns by certain anti-Hindu caste activists in the US.

A statement said how HAF executive director Suhag Shukla and Iyer emphasized on the need for the Hindu community to stay alert against such scenarios.