Talk:Dheepa Sundaram

By Sachi Anjunkar

Dheepa Sundaram is Assistant Professor, Hindu Studies, Critical Theory and Digital Religion at University of Denver as of October 2022. According to her university profile, her research examines the formation of Hindu virtual religious publics, online platforms, social media, apps, and emerging technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

As per her bio, she has published no books, papers or research pertaining to the rights of Hindus, the impact or relationship between Islam and Hinduism / Hindutva, India or the Indian Government in the context of BJP Government.

In 2021, she endorsed the "Dismantling Global Hindutva" conference and made the allegation

"the current government of India [in 2021] has instituted discriminatory policies including beef bans, restrictions on religious conversion and interfaith weddings, and the introduction of religious discrimination into India’s citizenship laws. The result has been a horrifying rise in religious and caste-based violence, including hate crimes, lynchings, and rapes directed against Muslims, non-conforming Dalits, Sikhs, Christians, adivasis and other dissident Hindus. Women of these communities are especially targeted. Meanwhile, the government has used every tool of harassment and intimidation to muzzle dissent. Dozens of student activists and human rights defenders are currently languishing in jail indefinitely without due process under repressive anti-terrorism laws."

Publications related to India

1. Sundaram, Dheepa. Aesthetics as Resistance: Rasa, Dhvani, and Empire in Tamil “Protest” Drama. Jan. 2015.
2. Sundaram, Dheepa. “Instagram your Durga Puja! Social media, hashtags and state-sponsored cultural marketing 1.” Digital Hinduism, Routledge. 2019.