Manufacturing Evidence: Journalism in the Age of Social Activism

On May 24, 2021, Sewa International received an email from Nitish Pahwa, a copy editor at Slate Magazine. He wrote:

Hello,

I’m Nitish Pahwa, a writer at Slate. I was told to contact this email for the purposes of my inquiry.

I’m working on a piece about fundraisers being held for COVID relief in India, particularly those being held by Sewa International’s U.S. branch. I wished to ask, specifically, to which India-based organizations, institutions, and relief projects Sewa is sending funds from the “Help India Defeat COVID-19” campaign. I also wished to ask whether there is any merit to suspicions — based on past reports of Sangh Parivar–led projects in India that used international funds and/or were allegedly used for trafficking — that money being raised from the U.S. for “Help India Defeat COVID-19” is being put toward ideological projects within India.

Let me know your thoughts, and thank you so much,

Nitish Pahwa

***

Sewa International responded to Pahwa as follows:

1) To which organizations, institutions, and relief projects is Sewa sending funds from the “Help India Defeat COVID-19” Campaign?

How and in which manner the funds being collected through Sewa’s “Help India” are being spent are regularly being shared on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/donate/updates/486054246054033.