The Indian Community in Russia has reunited over a religious cause. The president of the Indian Business Alliance and the Indian cultural and national centre Sita Sammy Kotwani expressed his intention to build the first Hindu structure in Russia, Moscow.

Hinduism, the third-largest religion in the world, has seen gradual growth in Russia, a country traditionally known for its Eastern Orthodox Church. Despite a strong Christian population, Hindu temples and community groups have started to appear in Russia. This is a sign of Russias evolving religious scene and growing diversity. Hindu cultural centers are important as they represent a safe space for the community. Hindu associations in Russia don't just serve as a religious group, but also as a hub for community-building activities. This development in Russia represents unity in diversity, how a country can grow while different religions coexist and honour the country and its traditions while adapting to newer influences.

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Hinduism in Russia: The When and How Hinduism, mostly prevalent in Southeast Asian countries like Nepal and India, started to appear in Russia around the late 1900s, during a time called perestroika. Perestroika, meaning restructuring, was a time period focused on changing the political and economic systems in an attempt to end the era of stagnation. The program welcomes immigrants, people of different ethnicities and religions, to settle and work in Russia. Russians have always been interested in new ideas from the East. Things like Indian books, yoga, and visits from spirituality helped in studying Hindu beliefs in the Soviet Union, which mainly aligned towards atheism during the 1990s.

Hinduism in Moscow The Russian government has been especially sincere to the Hindu demands, as its relationship with India tightens. Moscow, Russias capital, has many spiritual sites, including Hindu structures and community centres. The Indian Community in Moscow has demanded a Hindu temple structure, a mandir, to be built in the capital ahead of PM Modi's visit on July 8, 2024 hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin under the much-delayed annual summit mechanism. The cultural structures are not just restricted to the capital, but also spread across Russia, signifying widespread acceptance of Hinduism. Russias law allows people to practice their faith freely, and the same has also been demonstrated by the actions of the government and the local community. The people of the Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church recently welcomed a Hindu festival, reflecting a new openness in people.

There are approx Hindus in Russia, there is a notable presence of ISKCON temples in Moscow and St Petersburg. The ISKCON temple is situated inside a plain building, something the Indian Community wants to change. By demanding a Mandir structure, the Indian Community seeks a fair representation in the country.

The demand also holds significance as it is ahead of the BRICS summit, which will bring Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and other nations to discuss and deliberate upon world and local issues while emphasizing cooperation and cultural exchange amongst member countries. Previously, the Indian National Culture Center SITA had expressed gratitude to the Russian authorities for considering the historical proposal. They believe that the temple will not only enrich the cultural landscape of Moscow but also serve as a bridge of friendship between Russia and India.

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Indians in Russia demand Hindu Temple, ahead of PM Modi's visit in July - India Today

Hindus feel that it is fine to incorporateBiblelessons in Oklahoma public schools as long as lessons from ancient Sanskrit scriptureBhagavad Gitaare also included.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who has read invocation in Oklahoma Senate in the past, in a statement in Nevada today, said thatBhagavad Gitawas a historically significant document, recognised throughout the world and was a treasure that should be taught in public school classrooms in Oklahoma. This sacred text was plainly the word of God spoken by BhagwanKrishna himself.

Various well-known Americans; including essayist-philosopher Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), theoretical physicist credited with being the father of the atomic bomb J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967), novelist-philosopher Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), essayist-poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), etc.; were reportedly influenced byBhagavad Gita. It had inspired, fascinated, touched and impacted millions of readers worldwide over the centuries; Zed, who is President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.

This philosophical and intensely spiritual poemBhagavad Gitaconsiders the nature of action, religious and social duty, the human relationship to God, the means of liberation, and the nature of sacrifice, etc.; Rajan Zed adds.

Zed further said that awareness about other religions thus created by such instruction fromBhagavad Gitain now religiously-diverse Oklahoma public school classrooms would make students of the state well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow. Moreover, it would infuse morality and ethics in Oklahoma classrooms.

Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in the USA.

Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction has reportedly ordered public schools to incorporate Bible instruction.

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Hindus seek incorporation of Gita instruction along with Bible in Oklahoma schools - MyIndMakers

Hindus feel that it is fine to display the Ten Commandments in Louisiana public school classrooms, as long as posters carrying verses from the ancient Sanskrit scripture Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord) are also displayed.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada Today, said that Bhagavad-Gita was a historically significant document, recognized throughout the world and was a treasure that should be displayed in public school classrooms in Louisiana in the form of posters carrying its verses. This sacred text was plainly the word of God spoken by Lord Krishna himself.

The Hindu community would cover all the costs of creating, printing and mounting these easily readable posters (11-by-14-inches), and no funding from the state or school districts or schools would be required, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said.

Various well-known Americans, including essayist-philosopher Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), theoretical physicist credited with being the father of the atomic bomb J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967), novelist-philosopher Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), essayist-poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), etc. were reportedly influenced by Bhagavad-Gita. It has inspired, fascinated, touched and impacted millions of readers worldwide over the centuries; Zed noted.

This philosophical and intensely spiritual poem Bhagavad-Gita considers the nature of action, the religious and social duty, the human relationship to God, the means of liberation and the nature of sacrifice, Zed added.

Zed further said that awareness about other religions thus created by such displays of verses from Bhagavad-Gita in religiously-diverse Louisiana public school classrooms would make students of the state well-nurtured, well-balanced and enlightened citizens of tomorrow.

Moreover, it would infuse morality and ethics in Louisiana classrooms.

Hinduism is the oldest and third-largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents, and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about 3 million Hindus in the U.S.

Louisiana is reportedly the first U.S. state to require display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom.

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Hindus seek display of Gita verses along with Ten Commandments in Louisiana schools - Hammond Daily Star online

LONDON: Hinduism in England is the third largest religion in the country and represent over 1.8% of the English population. British Hindus include Hindu communities like Gujaratis, Punjabis, Tamils from Srilanka, Nepali Hindus, Fijians, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyanese & Mauritians among others. In the recent years other Indian origin Hindu communities have made UK their home.

The largest concentration of Hindus is in London and Leicester. A number of regional and cultural organisations have been set up over the years to bring local Hindu communities together. There are also a few umbrella organisations which try to bring together the voice of Hindu communities to engage with each other and represent the community e.g., HCUK, HFB etc.

The community overall is highly educated and contributes significantly to the GDP of the country. The crime rate within the community is also very low. Despite all this the community has often felt ill represented in the local and national politics.

The Hindu Manifesto for GE 2024 is a first consolidated effort to bring forward the vision and aspirations of the British Hindu community to the forefront so that the political parties and candidates understand the long pressing needs of the community and develop better understanding of what the community expects from them.

In the UK the ethnic minorities distribution and representation is better understood from a religious spectrum as opposed to nationality or other classifications primarily because communities from a number of commonwealth countries have migrated to the UK in the last 70 years and they are organised and represented locally through their religious bodies including temples, mosques, synagogues and gurudwaras.

Other minority communities including the Jews, Sikhs and Muslims have been producing a community manifesto for a number of election periods now and it is the first time that the British Hindu community have consolidated the efforts to produce a manifesto which covers a range of issues that are close to the community and represents their vision and aspirations.

Ever since the manifesto has been released, there has been a lot of interest in the Manifesto and a number of hustings organised by the hindu community has seen parliamentary candidates taking keen interest in reading the manifesto and providing their endorsement to the demands listed in the Hindu manifesto.

There have also been some publications questioning the need for a Hindu manifesto, and also questioning some issues listed in the manifesto. It is clear that there is some misunderstanding within sections of the media on the demands listed in the Manifesto and a lack of understanding on the need for a Hindu Manifesto. Lets look at some of these questions and why there was a need for the Hindu Manifesto for GE 2024:

Why Use Religion in a democracy for representing community demands: United Kingdom is a thriving Democracy and at the same time by law United Kingdom is still a Christian country, as at the institutional level the Anglican Church maintains its status of religion of the state and King is still the Head of the Church.

This also means that ethnic minority representation both in the parliament and in local government on the basis of minority religions is within the charter of the democratic values of the country. And as stated before the Hindu community in the UK is representative of communities from various parts of the world and they come together under the common religious identity which binds them culturally, spiritually and religiously.

Streamlining Visa for elderly dependants: The streamlining of Visa policies so that elderly dependents who are struggling because of being away from their family and children has been a long-standing demand of the minority communities. There should be better options to travel and stay with their families in the UK than just being able to visit on a short tourist visa. The elderly dependents often have lost their partner, do not have any other members of family back home and are dependent on their children living and working in the UK. This is a demand based on principles of equality and human rights enshrined in the laws of the land and there is precedence of similar Visa regulations in other countries like the USA, Canada etc.

Anti Hindu Hatred: Last year there were communal riots in Leicester which is the one of the largest Hindu population town in the UK. Hindu places of worship were attacked and vandalised. The community has felt deprived of justice from the policing action and the administrative response to the violence in Leicester. The politicians and media have also not done enough to support the community and the community has felt targeted despite being a largely peaceful and law-abiding community.

The demand to recognise and include Anti-Hindu hatred as Hate crime is a pivotal demand of the community and it is not based on any knee jerk response to Islamophobia or any other such parallels but out of genuine lack of support the community received when they were attacked in the 2023 Leicester riots.

A large number of Hindu Organisations have provided their support and endorsement to the Hindu Manifesto for GE2024 and parliamentary candidates participating in the hustings over last few weeks have also shown their understanding, support and endorsement for the manifesto.

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British Hindu Manifesto GE 2024: Why the manifesto and key demands - The Sunday Guardian Live - The Sunday Guardian

Sunak during his visit to the iconic BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir complex where he performed puja and praised India for winning the T20 world cup. Source: X

With UK general election scheduled for this Thursday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Leader Keir Starmer have made efforts to woo British Hindu voters by visiting temples and making promises.

With approximately 1 million Hindus in the UK, their voting bloc holds significant sway in the July 4 election.

While Sunak (44), visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden Sunday, his key rival Keir Starmer (61), chose the Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury on Friday to vow commitment to making the community proud and sharing their vision for a for a strategic partnership with India.

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Their efforts coincided with the launch of a the first-ever Hindu Manifesto by a coalition of British Hindu organisations ahead of the election. This manifesto urges elected officials to safeguard Hindu places of worship and combat anti-Hindu sentiments.

Sunak at Neasden Temple spoke: This mandir stands as a great statement of the contributions that this community makes to Britain.

Education, hard work, family, those are my values. Those are your values. Those are Conservative values, he declared in his election pitch.

Meanwhile, Starmer echoed similar sentiments at the Kingsbury Temple, pledging to govern with the spirit of service (sewa) if elected, and condemning Hinduphobia in the UK.

If were elected next week, we will strive to govern in the spirit of sewa to serve you and a world in need, said the Labour Leader, reiterating a previous message that there is absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain.

The Hindu Manifesto aims to foster recognition and protection of Hindu contributions to the UKs social, cultural, and economic fabric.

Hindu Influence in UK

Hinduisms prominence in UK, now the third-largest religion with over 1.02 million followers, is largely represented by leading organisations such as BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha UK, Chinmaya Mission, and Iskcon UK.

In England and Wales, British Hindus constitute 1.6% of the population, totaling 1,066,894 individualsa demographic that holds considerable electoral power. The communitys numbers have surged from 552,421 in 2001 to 835,394 in 2011, reflecting both internal growth and external migration patterns. In Scotland, the Hindu population stands at 29,929, contributing to the religious diversity across the UK.

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The concentration of Hindu communities is predominantly urban, with over 97% residing in areas such as London and the southeast. This demographic concentration not only highlights their significant cultural and social contributions but also enhances their collective voice in national discourse.

The political influence of British Hindus goes beyond demographic statistics. With a network of nearly 200 registered places of worship across the UK, Hindus play an active role in civic engagement and public advocacy.

As the election approaches, political parties are increasingly recognising the importance of addressing Hindu concerns and priorities, ranging from cultural preservation to socio-economic issues.

As such, the upcoming elections are poised to be a crucial juncture for British Hindus to assert their interests and aspirations within the broader political framework. Their growing presence and unity has introduced a new chapter in Hindus relationship with UK politics, marking an important moment in their quest for representation and recognition on national platforms.

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Despite trailing in pre-election polls, Sunaks Conservative Party hopes his leadership as Britains first Prime Minister of Indian heritage will resonate positively with British Indian voters.

The Hindu Manifesto is a call to action for all parliamentary candidates and political parties to engage with and support the Hindu community in their constituencies, says the Hindus for Democracy group behind the initiative.

It highlights the contributions of Hindus to the UKs social, cultural and economic fabric and seeks to build a future where these contributions are recognised, valued, protected and promoted for a better future for all, the group said.

For the Conservative Party, obviously, they have Rishi Sunak a British Indian leader for the first time. Its an unknown factor how much it will matter to British Indian voters that the leader of the party is from their background, notes Sunder Katwala, Director of the British Future think tank.

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Sai Deepak traced the origins of this animosity to the British colonial period, during which newly minted versions of Khalistanism began targeting Brahmins. He argued that this initial vilification laid the groundwork for a broader anti-Hindu sentiment. They first decided to vilify the Brahmins in the name of newly minted versions of Khalistanism under the British period. From there they gradually moved towards anti-Hinduism because the jump from there was not much, he stated.

Highlighting the current events in states like Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, Sai Deepak warned that the animosity towards Brahmins often leads to a rejection of Hinduism altogether. This rejection, he argued, frequently ends at the doors of churches or mosques. After that how far do you think is the jump from there to the church or Islam? Throw in drugs and it is over, he cautioned.

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Sai Deepak criticized certain Hindutva proponents for fostering internal hatred within the Hindu community to create a semblance of unity. He condemned this strategy as counterproductive, noting that it isolates the Brahmin community while making accommodations for others. You want a textbook example of what happens when you start making the Brahmins the hate figure and from there, they jump to the churches. Not too far, take a look at Punjab, he said.

He further emphasized that this internal division weakens the Hindu communitys ability to defend itself from external threats. If you constantly want to use untouchability as the touchstone for every position on Varna-ashram Dharma, I am sorry to say you must be treated as an insider-outsider or a mole or a Trojan which is even worse than the outsider, he asserted.

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Addressing the impact of anti-Brahmin sentiments on the Vedic core of Hindu philosophy, Sai Deepak warned that vilifying Brahmins undermines the foundation of Hinduism. He posed a poignant question to those who seek to undermine the Hindu faith: What vision is this? So, what is the message that you are sending to people who subscribe to the rules of the Veda?

Sai Deepak concluded with a cautionary note about the real-world consequences of anti-Brahmin prejudices. He highlighted how the common people bear the brunt of these internal divisions and criticized those who denigrate the centuries-old Varna-ashram Dharma. This is the most raging internal debate that needs to be addressed because this virus has infected our ideology and the discussion is not happening in the places where it has to happen, he remarked.

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In his powerful address, J Sai Deepak not only exposed the dangers of anti-Brahmin sentiments but also called for a unified Hindu community that respects and preserves its ancient traditions and values.

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The Dangerous Path from Anti-Brahmin Sentiment to Anti-Hinduism: J Sai Deepak's Stark Warning - The Jaipur Dialogues

On 6 March 2024, Justice Anita Sumanth, officiating at the Madras High Court, delivered a judgment in what has come to be known as the Sanatana Dharma case. In September 2023, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the minister for sports in the Tamil Nadu state government under the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, had spoken at a conference on abolishing Sanatana Dharma, convened by the Tamil Progressive Writers and Artists Association. He noted that any dharma that proclaimed itself as having existed forever, as Sanatana Dharma does, was bound to turn moribund and rigid. In this particular instance, it had become just that, and so had helped legitimise the caste system and foment hatred and violence. It therefore needed to be eradicated, he argued, as one would eradicate dread diseases. In contrast to those who abide by Sanatan Dharmas eternal values, Udhayanidhi declared, Dravidian and communist ideologues favour a critique of all that existed earlier and set store by such change. He also pointed to the achievements of the Dravidian government ruling the state in sustaining a culture of peace and fraternity unlike the atmosphere of hatred and hurt fostered by those who claim to adhere to Sanatana Dharma.

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The limitations of the Dravidian model - Himal Southasian

In a landmark development, a section of British Hindus have launched their first-ever 'manifesto', marking their growing political influence in the UK. As the country gears up for the general election on 4 July, the initiative tries to outline the community's aspirations and demands and urges candidates from all parties to acknowledge them.

Hinduism, now the third-largest religion in England, boasts a following of over 1.02 million people as per the 2021 Census. This collective voice, endorsed by 29 leading Hindu organisations such as BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha UK, Chinmaya Mission, and Iskcon UK, among others, marks a new chapter in the community's engagement with the UK's political landscape.

British Hindus number 1,066,894 in England and Wales alone, making up 1.6 per cent of the total population, andwield considerable influence electorally.

The "Hindu Manifesto UK 2024", launched by Hindu organizations in the UK ahead of the July 4 general elections, demands the recognition of anti-Hindu hate as a religious hate crime. The manifesto, supported by several parliamentary candidates, outlines seven key demands, including the protection of Hindu places of worship, access to fairer education, equal representation, streamlined immigration, healthcare, and social care, and the acknowledgment and protection of dharmic values. This document aims to unify the UK Hindu community's voice, urging all candidates to support their community.

In 1892, Dadabhai Naoroji became the first Indian elected to the British Parliament. Hailing from Bombay and of Parsi origin, Naoroji had travelled to Britain in 1885 as a business partner of Cama and Company. A versatile businessman, he also served as a Professor of Gujarati at University College London from 1856 to 1865. As a founder of the Indian National Congress in 1885, he played a pivotal role in the movement for Indian independence, earning him the title 'Grand Old Man of India.'

A flier from the election campaign of Mancherjee Bhownaggree in 1895

Mancherjee Bhownaggree, born in Bombay, became the second Indian to be elected to the UK Parliament in 1895 as Conservative MP for North-East Bethnal Green. He was re-elected in 1900 but lost in 1906.

In recent years, the Hindu community's political presence in the UK has seen significant growth. In the 2017 general election, eight Hindu MPs were elected to the British Parliament -- an all-time high -- reflecting the community's increasing political engagement. Priti Patel, Alok Sharma,Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Lord Swaraj Paul are some prominent leaders of Indian origin in the British Parliament.

A historic moment came in 2022 when Rishi Sunak of Indian origin became the UK's first non-white Prime Minister amid political turmoil in the country.

As per the 2021 Census, there are 1,066,894 Hindus in England and Wales, making up 1.6 per cent of the total population. The number has seen significant growth over the past two decades -- 552,421 in 2001 and 835,394 in 2011. In Scotland, the Hindu population numbered 29,929 in 2021. As of 2015, the UK has 189 officially registered Hindu places of worship.

Over 97 per cent of the UK Hindu population resides in urban areas, particularly in the southeast and London, where they contribute significantly to the cultural and social fabric.

Three major waves of Hindu immigration since 1947 have shaped a diverse community, with roots not only in India but also in Sri Lanka, East Africa, the Caribbean, Fiji, and Mauritius. Despite this rich diversity, 96 per cent of UK Hindus identify as of Asian ethnic background, with Indian heritage being the most prevalent.

The community's strong sense of British national identity, reported at 91 per cent in 2001 and their commitment to integration underscores their dual identity as Indian and British Indian.

On Camera, Family Of 7 Swept Away In Swollen Waterfall Near Mumbai

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UK Elections 2024: Significance Of Hindu Votes And "Hindu Manifesto UK 2024" - NDTV

KAUAI, HAWAII, June 28, 2024 (Hinduism Today, by Lavina Melwani): When a child is born, there is so much joy and celebrationas if royalty has arrived at the home, with music, dance and sweets. Yet what happens when people get old? There is no celebration of aging bodies, grey hair, fading eyesight and memory loss. There is almost a sense that the elderly are dispensable, just waiting for death. These seniors are often abandoned by their own families and made to feel unwanted and unnecessary.

Meet a woman who is a champion for the forgotten and the disposable. Krishna Kashyap has not only founded a retirement home for elderly people but also a retirement home for old, abandoned cows who can no longer give milk and whom no one wants. Kashyap, lovingly known as Mataji, runs Punya Dham Ashram in Pune. Service to God through Service to Humanity is its mission, and it is operated by The Vishwa Jagriti Trust, Pune. The ashram, which initially consisted of just the widows own modest home and personal assets, has through donations been transformed into a sprawling home for everyone, retired Gods, humans and cows, as Ma Kashyap jokingly puts it, and she couldnt be happier. Prayers are held in a large satsang hall or in the three temples on the land, and the presence of the Almighty is everywhere.

Read more at source. https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/april-may-june-2024/celebrating-the-circle-of-life/

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Punya Dham Ashram: Celebrating the Circle of Life Hindu Press International - Hinduism Today

The event showcased urgency for formal recognition of Hinduphobia via initiatives like H.Res 1131

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lawmakers, Hindu students, researchers, and community leaders came together in a packed room during the 3rd National Hindu Advocacy Day on the Hill, to discuss the concerns Hindus living in the US face. Close to 25 lawmakers (a mix of congressional representatives and staffers both Democrat and Republican) attended the event, organized by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) which highlighted the multi-pronged attacks Hindus face. These range from the continued usage of stereotypical colonial frameworks, to gaslighting and verbal slurs, and all the way to the vandalizations of multiple temples. Over 100 delegates (including a large number of Hindu youth) from 15 states attended the event and 40 plus core CoHNA volunteers visited over 115 congressional offices to advocate support for H.Res.1131, which condemns Hinduphobia and attacks on temples, while celebrating the contribution of the Hindu American community. Watch vignettes from the day here.

"From students to retired community members of diverse backgrounds, CoHNA's Advocacy Day has grown steadily to become an important mechanism through which our community engages with lawmakers on the Hill," remarked CoHNA President Nikunj Trivedi. "We are also glad to see other organizations as well as non-Hindu allies join us in support of the causes that matter to our community and especially our youth."

The highlight of the event was the multiplicity of student voices. Attendees heard heartfelt personal testimony from a powerful panel of Hindu students from Stanford, UC Berkeley, and University of Georgia. They delved into the challenges they face on campus, in academic settings, and even in their dorm rooms. Their voices and stories brought home the prevalent Hinduphobia on campus and the way it shapes their lives and the choices they make.

Rutvij Holay spoke of being mocked for having a small space for Hindu worship in his dorm room and of having to console a close Kashmiri friend who was traumatized by the display of on-campus displays sanitizing the ethnic cleansing his community had faced. Aryan Sawant shared his isolation in being an openly proud Hindu on campus and having to deal with the disapproval of peers. He highlighted the misinformation by professors who deny anti-Hindu hate, even as they peddle it by denying the religious nature of recorded pogroms against Hindus around the world such as the 1971 Bengali Hindu Genocide. Anvita Yerramsetty shared how growing awareness of anti-Hindu hate in her high school years strengthened her resolve to stay proud of her roots and reshaped her decision and research on something as fundamental as where to apply and go to college.

Surya Naga, the Youth Director for Hindu on Campus, presented data collected from student testimonials across the United States and the impact of such experiences on a student's psyche - from students being told to wipe off the bindis on their foreheads and attempts to rip of their sacred threads, to being made fun of for worshiping Hindu deities with "weird names," to being accused of supporting extremism and oppression of minorities just because of one's Hindu identity, etc.

American Hindus have just lived through a turbulent year and these issues were highlighted throughout the event. Data shows a rise in hate against Hindus. Academic Hinduphobia has been amplified as a result of the turmoil on college campuses and Hindu students shared personal stories of the many ways they get targeted on campus. And even sacred spaces are not safe -- SIX Hindu temples were attacked in California between Nov. 2023-Jan. 2024, with no resulting action and little lasting outrage. A detailed list of the incidents waspublished in April.

Congressional Support

The event began with Congressman Max Miller (R-OH), talking about the importance of freedom of religion and sharing how proud he was for supporting H.Res 1131. He expressed empathy with the issues the Hindu community has been facing, and assured that he would continue to stand against all forms of hate and bigotry throughout the country. He acknowledged that it was a tough time for the country, but that he would be there for the Hindu community: "If anything were to happen to your community, I'll be there standing shoulder to shoulder with you." He also asked the audience to stand strong and never back away from their values.

CoHNA was excited to host the force behind H.Res 1131 - Congressman Shri Thanedar (D-MI) - who stressed he will not tolerate Hinduphobia, discrimination, or other forms of hate. "We are here and we are fighting," he said, drawing attention to "the voice you all have, the voice the Hindu community has in Congress." Thanedar spoke of why H.Res. 1131 was needed in the first place and also shared his own immigration story as a way of illustrating the great American story and the ability to surmount hurdles.

Sharing his excitement at being back at CoHNA's event, Congressman Rich McCormick (R-GA) welcomed the continued and growing engagement of the Hindu American and Indian American community in policy making and its potential to transform the future of America. He called attention to his support for H.Res 1131, honoring the contributions of Hindu Americans, and asked the community to continue pursuing the American dream which celebrates innovation, hard work, success, AND its traditions.

Other lawmakers like Congressman Glen Grothman (R-WI) also expressed solidarity with the community and congratulated CoHNA for being a force in advocating for the community

Closing out the day, Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) celebrated the growth of the community's advocacy over the past decade, and lauded CoHNA's efforts in ensuring the community has a growing voice on Capitol Hill via advocacy events. He exhorted everyone to be proud of who they are and congratulated the audience on making time to come to DC for an event that exemplified pride in their heritage and roots.

Several lawmakers also spoke about the importance of tackling immigration - especially problems like the Green Card backlog - an issue that has an outsized impact on the Hindu American immigrant community.

In addition to lawmakers and staffers, the event was also attended by community leaders and representatives from various organizations such as HinduACTion, Howard County Jewish Advocacy Group (HoCoJAG), ISKCON, Association of United Hindu and Jain Temples, Americans for Hindus (A4H), Indian Cultural Association of Howard County, etc.

Data and Research

Aaron Gross, Research Fellow at Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), highlighted the alarming rise of Hinduphobia in North America, driven by the Khalistan extremist movement and attacks on temples, along with the need for law enforcement to tackle online hate before it escalates into further violence. NCRI's analysis of online chatter surrounding real life anti-Hindu hate incidents (attacks on temples, vandalization of Gandhi statues, etc.) pointed to the involvement of Khalistan movement supporters, a group advocating for the creation of a separate Sikh nation out of Punjab, India. Each attack was preceded and followed by a spike in online posts promoting violence, powered by a bot network designed to amplify anti-Hindu sentiment. Often, these posts include videos from Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of Sikhs for Justice, who openly incites his followers to target Hindus in Canada, US, and India. Interestingly, about 20% of these Twitter accounts purport to be from Pakistan, where Sikhs constitute less than 0.02% of the population. This suggests that many of these accounts do not genuinely support Sikh separatism but are driven by Hinduphobia and geo political considerations.

Rana Reddy, CoHNA's Policy Fellow, shared his analysis of a report recently published by Carnegie Mellon University. He showed how geo-political players use Hinduism to target India even though India is a secular country. And in a digital world, these anti-India tropes are used to target Hindus across the globe. The key report findings - organized cybercrime, bot networks, and sophisticated disinformation tactics to propagate Hinduphobia globally by exploiting/misrepresenting Indian political narratives for targeted information attacks. He concluded that counter strategies and reporting mechanisms are required by private distribution platforms to mitigate this digital threat through robust cybersecurity measures and international regulatory bodies.

About CoHNA

CoHNA is a grassroots level advocacy and civil rights organization dedicated to improving the understanding of Hinduism in North America by working on matters related to the Hindu community and by educating the public about Hindu heritage and tradition. For more information, please visithttps://cohna.org or follow us onTwitter,Facebook,LinkedIn and onInstagram.

SOURCE Coalition of Hindus of North America

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Testimony on Persistent Targeting of American Hindu Students and Attacks on Hindu Temples Resonate at CoHNA's ... - PR Newswire