Vinod Khosla, a Hindu-American billionaire, faced criticism from prominent Hindu activist Mohandas Pai, for his apparent silence on the plight of minority Hindus in Bangladesh.
Pai’s criticism was sparked by Khosla’s social media post on 7th August 2024 which celebrated Muhammad Yunus’ appointment as the leader of Bangladesh’s interim government, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s regime. In the post, Khosla wrote, “Excited as I am a big fan,”, praising Yunus’ new role.
Mr Pai chairs Manipal Global Education Services and is the founder of the Hindu charity Akshaya Patra Foundation, which serves meals to millions of children. Mr Pai’s activism and work also focus on improving education, healthcare, and human development. Pai, is also a vocal advocate for Hindu human rights, and expressed his discontent on X:
“Will you please stand up and protest against the genocide of minority Hindus in Bangladesh led by your very close friend Muhammad Yunus? Hindus are being beaten and killed by jihadi extremists in the streets, and Yunus is basking in glory at the admiration of people like you. Please stand up for human rights.”
Mr Pai’s frustration reflects the growing demand for influential Hindu voices like Khosla to leverage their platforms to advocate for Hindu human rights.
Image credits: Collision Conf, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons