Sunita Viswanath Age, Caste, Husband, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sunita Viswanath

• Sunita Viswanath is an American activist of Indian origin. She has been associated with several women’s and human rights organizations in the US for more than 30 years. Sunita has co-founded many prominent human rights organizations including Women for Afghan Women, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, and Hindus for Human Rights. Sunita gained public attention when Union Minister Smriti Irani highlighted a photograph of Rahul Gandhi alongside Sunita Viswanath during their meeting with think tanks in the United States in June 2023. Smriti raised concerns about their meeting as Sunita was purportedly associated with George Soros.

• She belongs to a traditional South Indian Hindu family.

• She spent her childhood partly in Chennai and partly in London.

• At the age of 19, Sunita moved to the United States to pursue her higher studies.

• In her mid-20s, Sunita embarked on her professional journey at the Sister Fund, a private family foundation in the United States. This role provided her with an opportunity to bridge her two passions: faith and feminism. After dedicating several years to the organization, Sunita made the decision to step down from her position and co-found Women for Afghan Women (WAW), where she could further pursue her commitment to advancing women’s rights and empowerment.

• In 2001, Sunita co-founded Women for Afghan Women (WAW), a grassroots civil society organization committed to advancing the human rights of women worldwide. A year later, she took on the role of editor for the book “Women for Afghan Women: Shattering Myths and Claiming the Future,” which featured a collection of impactful essays.

• Initially established to provide support to the Afghan community in Queens, WAW expanded its efforts in 2005 to advocate for women’s rights and well-being in Afghanistan. Sunita served as the Board Chair of WAW until January 2022, demonstrating her enduring dedication to the organization. However, she made the difficult decision to leave the organization in protest against certain allegations made against her. Throughout her tenure, Sunita made periodic visits to Afghanistan, primarily focusing on fundraising and advocacy for WAW in New York. Under her co-founder leadership, WAW experienced significant growth and expansion since its establishment in 2001.
  

  Sunita Viswanath advocating for women’s rights during an event

• In 2011, Sunita made a significant contribution by co-founding Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus. This organization’s primary objective is to engage Hindu Americans in blending their faith with principles of social justice and human rights, including anti-casteism and anti-racism. The motto of Sadhana emphasizes the embodiment of faith through active service, known as seva, in the world.

• Within Sadhana, Project Prithvi holds notable importance. This initiative is dedicated to environmental preservation, recognizing Prithvi as a symbol for Mother Earth in Hinduism. Through Project Prithvi, Sadhana endeavours to promote environmental consciousness and sustainable practices among its members and beyond.

• Sadhana’s Project Prithvi focuses on tackling the challenge posed by a beach in Jamaica Bay, Queens, where Hindu worshippers leave behind significant amounts of offerings. In response, Sadhana took up the responsibility for this beach, organizing regular clean-up drives to maintain its cleanliness and ecological balance. The organization actively engages with Hindu temples, promoting environmentally conscious practices during worship and encouraging worshippers to be mindful of the impact their offerings can have on the environment.
  

  Swami Agnivesh, foreground left, with (clockwise) Sunita Viswanath, Swami Vedananda, Gautham Reddy and Nikhil Mandalaparthy of Sadhana, at the Parliament of World Religions, Toronto

• Furthermore, Sadhana’s impactful initiatives extend beyond clean-ups. The organization collaborated with the Queens Museum of Art to curate an art exhibition that highlighted religious items collected from the beach clean-ups. This exhibition underscored the significance of the initiative while raising awareness about the responsible treatment of sacred items.

• As a dedicated advocate, Sunita plays an active role as a member of Sadhana’s Executive Board, making valuable contributions to the organization’s mission and objectives.
  

  Sunita Viswanath speaking about why it is important for Hindus to pushback against Hindu nationalism

• Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder and executive director of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), leads a civil society group based in the United States. However, certain investigations have raised concerns about Hindus for Human Rights promoting a narrative of ‘Hindu Vs Hindutva’ that has been deemed misleading by some. Additionally, the organization has faced criticism for endorsing the ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ event, which has sparked strong opposition from Hinduist groups on social media platforms.
  

  Sunita Viswanath during a protest in the US

• In 2020, Sunita Viswanath assumed the role of Religious Life Advisor at Columbia University. Despite facing a petition against her appointment, the university chose to stand by Sunita Viswanath and provided ongoing support throughout the controversy.

• Since September 2021, Sunita has actively contributed as an advisory board member for Unfreeze Afghanistan, a role she undertook following the organization’s establishment.

• She also holds a position as an advisory board member for the Population Media Center, an organization dedicated to catalyzing social and cultural change through the power of entertainment education and mass media.

• In addition to these roles, Sunita serves as a board member for the Dalit Solidarity Forum, further demonstrating her commitment to promoting solidarity and justice for marginalized communities.

• In March 2022, Sunita Viswanath embarked on a significant journey as part of a Women’s Delegation for Peace and Education, accompanied by notable figures such as Ruth Messinger, Medea Benjamin, Rev. Chloe Breyer, Daisy Khan, and Masuda Sultan. Their purposeful trip to Afghanistan aimed to advocate for women’s rights and provide essential humanitarian aid. Building on this commitment, in August 2022, Sunita Viswanath joined forces with Masuda Sultan to establish Abaad: Afghan Women Forward, a non-governmental organization (NGO) with a primary focus on providing humanitarian assistance and supporting economic initiatives for women. Abaad’s initial beneficiaries included individuals who had previously received support from Women for Afghan Women (WAW).

• In her ongoing dedication to fostering collaboration, Sunita has partnered with various organizations, including the American Muslim Council (IAMC), to co-host several programs aimed at advancing shared goals and promoting positive change.

• In 2020, Sunita Vishwanath encountered restrictions that prevented her from entering Ayodhya, compelling her to return from Patranga, situated at the border of Barabanki and Faizabad.
  

  Sunita Viswanath stopped by the police on her way to Ayodha

• She frequently contributes articles expressing criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In one such article, she highlighted the notion that the BJP was disseminating false information to the Hindu population, suggesting that Hinduism was under threat in a country where Hindus constitute over 80 per cent of the population.

• Sunita resides in Brooklyn, New York, alongside her spouse, children, and parents.

• Sunita was chosen as one of the five Hindus to be part of NYC Mayor-Elect Eric Adams’ Faith Transition Team. Furthermore, she holds the distinction of being the sole Hindu included in the influential December 2021 Marquis Who’s Who list, recognizing notable individuals in faith-based circles.

• Amit Malviya, the Chief of the BJP IT Cell, has drawn attention to a potential link between Jamaat-ISI and certain entities in the West several times. In particular, he mentioned that Sunita Vishwanath’s organization ‘Women for Afghan Women’ purportedly received funding from the Soros Open Society Foundation. Malviya additionally shared a visual representation illustrating Sunita Vishwanath’s associations.
  

  A graphic showing Sunita Viswanath’s connections

• Malviya has also alleged that Sunita serves as a representative of George Soros, who is claimed to have pledged $1 billion to interfere in India’s internal affairs through a network involving opposition leaders, think tanks, journalists, lawyers, and activists.

• During a press conference in Delhi in June 2023, Smriti Irani, the Women and Child Development Minister of India brought attention to a photograph of Rahul Gandhi alongside Sunita Viswanath, taken during one of his meetings with think tanks in the US. Irani raised questions regarding Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with Sunita Vishwanath, who is allegedly funded by George Soros, during his visit to the United States.
  

  Smriti Irani, during a press conference in Delhi, showing Rahul Gandhi’s pictures from his meeting with the think tanks in the US in which he can be seen sitting alongside Sunita Viswanath

  

  Sunita Viswanath sitting next to Rahul Gandhi during a Think Tank session at the Hudson University