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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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

Nita and Mukesh Ambani , the parents of the groom, will also be attending the occasion. In Sanatan Dharma, charity is considered one of the most significant aspects of spirituality. This act, known as daan, emphasises the importance of giving. It is believed that charity absolves our sins. According to the Rig Veda, "He who gives to others will be blessed by the gods," meaning it can improve ones karma and bring good luck and prosperity. In March, the Ambani clan during the pre-wedding celebration of in Jamnagar had also done Anna Sewa, and fed the villagers, wholesome meals.

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Nita and Mukesh Ambani Organise Mass Wedding For Underprivileged; Spotlights Importance Of Charity In Hinduism - Times Now

As the dust settles on what has been the most toxic, regressive, and religiously divisive elections, time to reflect on the relationship between the State and the proverbial Church. It is an ironic call to introspect for a nation that is constitutionally secular, and was borne out of an opposite impulse and rationality to the only nation to be created in the name of a religion i.e., Pakistan.

As has now become increasingly fashionable to question even the father-of-the-nation, Mahatma Gandhi, in the land of his janam, dharam, karam (land of birth, faith, and work). Many talk half-mockingly about the ostensible hypocrisy in Gandhis known religious beliefs, or conversely, of his supposed appeasement of the other.

But unlike the ill-informed and bigoted sections of society, Gandhi was an extremely well-read and knowledgeable individual who had read almost all religious texts, of all faiths. His was a very nuanced, erudite, and sophisticated position on religion per se, and on Hinduism in specific.

He was to famously state that his Hinduism was, all-inclusive. It is not anti-Musalman, anti-Christian or anti-any other religion. But it is pro-Muslim, pro-Christian and pro-every other living faith in the world.

Indeed, when conflated with the modern flag bearers of faith, Gandhis large-hearted interpretation of his Hinduism is in stark contrast with the aggressive and exclusivist understanding, today. Befittingly, the Mahatma was to die with Ram on his lips as his last word, despite paying the price for defending the other.

Today, that vital difference in interpretation of faith, or in this case, Hinduism (as mirrored by the distinct partisan divide prevailing) is exemplified by those who genuinely revere the Mahatma, versus those, who do make a mealy-mouthed case with his assassin.

Jawaharlal Nehru, who was to seed and nurture the Idea of India and define the subsequent question of national identity, was also inspired by Gandhi. Like Gandhi, Nehru was a man-of-letters, an aesthete and profound intellectual. He was given to a diachronous understanding of Indias civilisational and cultural past, which was enmeshed with modernist and progressive instincts.

He was extremely proud of the rich past, but even more concerned about the present, and the future. He knew that he couldnt be bound by history, which was given to certain dark and complex corridors, as is the case anywhere in the world.

Therefore, he too defined his lofty interpretation of Hinduism in what he called the widest sense of Indian culture and not in its narrow and suffocating sense that proximate a Pakistans, albeit, with another religious denomination. A deliberate effort to cherry-pick elements of religio-cultural syntheses were institutionalised in the Indian consciousness and therefore, in its identity.

Befittingly, Nehru was to instead coin the term Temples of Modern India to invest the raw sovereign emotions and national resources towards science, technology, infrastructure, public sector entities and institutions of educational excellence.

Both Gandhi and Nehru were proud and practising Hindus, but both firmly believed that religion could never be the basis of nationhood, like in the case of Pakistan.

Understandably, the inclusivist legacy of a Mahatma or a Nehru is at variance with the alternate truth that is sought to be supplanted, today. Part of this project is to take certain things that were either said or done out of the context, or even attribute things or statements that never happened or were never stated.

One recent falsity bandied was about how Nehru supposedly dissuaded President Rajendra Prasad from attending the inauguration of the Somnath temple in 1951. Like most accusations about Nehru these days, it wasnt a fact, as President Rajendra Prasad did attend the temple function.

What is true, however, is that Nehru did believe that for the State to partake a religious function was avoidable. In Nehrus mind, it perhaps made India look like Pakistan, as it violated the spirit of the Constitution, which had just been framed.

One only needs to read Nehrus letters (none of which were ghostwritten) to understand the impulse behind his discomfort with the State associating itself with religiosity. Newly independent India was staring at crippling economic, social, and infrastructural inequities, herein to be spending (State Government had sanctioned monies toward the same) on religious sites tantamount to splurging in Nehrus eyes.

Nehru wrote to the Chief Minister of Saurashtra, U. N. Dhebar, querying, Whatever the importance of Somnath temple might be, this is not a governmental matter and it is for private individuals to collect money for it. I doubt if it is a proper use of public funds held by Governments to be spent in this way.

Nehru was to write to K. M. Munshi, the force behind Somnath Temple reconstruction, echoing the same concern, I think this is improper expenditure for a government at any time, and more especially in view of the circumstances in the country today.

But Munshi had gone ahead nonetheless as disagreements were commonplace in Nehrus era, and he wasnt petty enough to hold grudges. Later, Munshi was appointed as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

Nehru then wrote to the Jam Saheb Digvijay Singhji, who was not just the Chairman of Somnath Trustees, but also the Constitutional Rajpramukh of Saurashtra.

To him, Nehru clarified that he had written to the Chief Minister to express concerns on spendings and even on fundamental optics, with the President of India agreeing to attend the same. He feared, All this naturally confusing to the foreign mind and leads them to draw certain inferences which are not really justified by the facts.

Nehru alluded to such optics militating the inherent Idea of India by specifying, Pakistan of course is taking great advantage of this to prove that we are not a secular state. The reports that the Jam Saheb had written directly to Indian missions abroad to collect water and soil from different countries for Somnath installation, too had sent confusing signals.

Lastly, not shy to express his contrarian opinion with the Rashtrapati, Nehru wrote to the President explaining the event, it is assuming a certain political importance and added, we are asked how a secular Government such as ours can associate itself with such a ceremony which is, in addition, revivalist in character.

He then pointed to the inherent prolificacy, At any time this would have been indesirable, but at the present juncture, when starvation stalks the land and every kind of national economy and austerity are preached by us, this expenditure by a Government appears to me to be almost shocking.

We have stopped expenditure on education, on health and many beneficent services because we say that we cannot afford it. Any yet, a State Government can spend a large sum of money on just the installation ceremony of a temple.

Issues from financial, optical, to constitutional irked Nehrus conscience, but perhaps the gravest issue was one of the principles involved. One that necessitated a dignified and deliberate distance from private matters of individual faith, especially so given the historical residue of wounds, violence and diminishments from the past, which were best not invoked or scratched further, as the State needed to look at the present and future.

The past was the past. The future could not be compromised by invoking the darker side of the past, even if it meant sacrificing the electorally gratifying polarisation of society.

Decades later, President K. R. Narayanan, arguably the most accomplished, constitutionally versed, and profound Rashtrapati, had decided to uphold that hallowed distance from religiosity.

Narayanan was one who had refused to be confined to the political monikers like First Dalit President, as it was very patronising and condescending, and not definitive of the constitutional tasks and responsibilities that he upheld.

He felt it important to rise beyond monikers and vacuous platitudes to uphold constitutionality. He was after all a most accomplished individual after having been declared the best diplomat of India (served as Ambassador to USA, China etc.), three consecutive time member of the Lok Sabha, Vice Chancellor of a Central University with many books to his name, Central Minister, and even the Vice President no one had a more distinguished curriculum vitae.

Narayanan therefore understood the sensitivity and necessity to walk the path of distance from religiosity, for a Constitutional appointment.

During his tenure he studiously avoided Godmen/Godwomen or their likes from all religions and refused to visit religious sites, not out of any particular or personal disagreements with any of them, but just out of sheer respect for the healthy distance from the proverbial Church.

He could therefore view societal dissonance, unrest and tensions owing out of political machinations by looking the leadership in the eye and questioning, as should be the norm for leadership.

Narayanan did so during the 2004 riots and the equally concerned Prime Minister, A. B. Vajpayee, had concurred with his concern. Everything aside, both men reflected the finest constitutionalists, patriots, and men of immense dignity, despite their ideological differences.

We must ask ourselves if our leadership today is maintaining a similar distance from religiosity or succumbing to the electoral lure of pandering to the same?

As the wise Vivekananda once said, An empty stomach is no good for religion with over 800 million Indians sustaining themselves on rations provided by the Government, shouldnt the national discourse be focused on far more pressing and meaningful things. Doesnt seem so if the discourse in the recently concluded election is anything to go by.

Lt. General Bhopinder Singh is the former Lieutenant Governor of The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry and an Indian Army officer who was awarded the PVSM. Views are the writers own.

Cover Photograph - Late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurating the Bhakra Nangal dam he described as the temple of modern India.

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Keep State And Religion Separate - The Citizen

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Gathering hosted by CoHNA comes against the recent introduction of SCR104 condemning Hinduphobia

TRENTON, N.J., May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --More than 15 State Senators and Assembly Members (Democrats and Republicans), attended the first ever Hindu Advocacy Day in New Jersey, hosted by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA). New Jersey is home to one of the largest Hindu communities in the US, and the bi-partisan event focused attention on their many contributions to the state across all sectors. Lawmakers also pledged support for the Hindu Heritage Month resolution for New Jersey, which has passed the Assembly and is now making its way to the Senate.

Coming on the heels of the recently introduced resolutionSCR 104, CoHNA's Hindu Advocacy Day also focused on the growing problem of anti-Hindu hate and Hinduphobia. Senator Vin Gopal, the primary sponsor of the bill, joined the event in the middle of a busy senate schedule, recalled how he took his oath on the Bhagavad Gita while being sworn in, and that hate in any form must not be tolerated. He thanked CoHNA for working with his office on the resolution and invited the attendees to the Senate voting session for a special shoutout.

"I am really excited CoHNA got a special shoutout and recognition in the Senate for coming to Trenton and hosting the Advocacy Day and working on the Hinduphobia resolution," said Hitesh Trivedi, CoHNA Board Member and Director of its NJ chapter. "We thank our New Jersey leaders for standing with the Hindu community and engaging in a constructive dialogue. As many of our lawmakers stressed today, it is critically important for Hindus to engage and talk with our elected officials - and a grassroots platform like CoHNA has been the starting ground for so many of us."

FBI data andresearch from universities like Rutgers have documented the growing hate against Hindus in America. The rash of attacks on individuals and on Hindu temples from New York to California has brought the problem home in a most visceral way, traumatizing the community and impacting the ability of some to freely practice their faith.

The gathering was addressed by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, all of whom thanked the Hindu community for the scale, depth, and impact of their contributions to their districts, to New Jersey, and to the US as a whole. Others shared their experiences of being part of vibrant Hindu celebrations - be it Diwali, Holi, Navratri, Guru Vandana, or International Yoga Day.

Upendra Chivukula, the first Hindu Assemblymember ever to be elected in New Jersey, shared insights from his decades of experience on why representation matters and how far the community has come. "If we don't ask, others will ask for us. Whoever gets to the lawmakers first will get their attention first," he said, thanking CoHNA for organizing this important day and bringing the community to Trenton to meet public officials.

A Community Effort

A number of Hindu community leaders attended the event and spoke of the important work that CoHNA is doing in representing the community and advocating for the causes that the community cares about and giving Hindus a platform. Speakers at the event explored the many different ways American Hindus can serve and give back to their community.

"I was inspired by the Hindu values I learned while growing up through Bal Vihar camps in Massachusetts and New Jersey," said Cherry Hill CouncilwomanSangeeta Doshi, recalling her decision to run for office.

The NJ Democratic Hindu Caucus Co-chairs, Falguni Pandya and Venu Menon, also talked about why the caucus was formed and how it has been advocating for the Hindu community.

Collaboration between different organizations was also an important theme, where leaders like Dhiren Amin, President of Indian Business Association, Ganesh Ramakrishnan, NJ Communications Coordinator for Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, and community leader Dr.Mukund Thakar highlighted the need to work in tandem to amplify the positive impact on the community in various areas - from political representation and education to serving people regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion.

Find pictures and comments from the event on our feed on X formerly known as Twitter.

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.orgor follow us onX(Twitter),Facebook,LinkedInand onInstagram.

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SOURCE Coalition of Hindus of North America

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CHICAGO: Mantras be read on May 14 in Bonneville County Commissioners Board in Idaho Falls (Idaho); containing verses from worlds oldest extant scripture.

Rajan Zed will deliver the invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures in Bonneville County Commissioners Board. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will read the English interpretation of the prayers. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and the root language of Indo-European languages.

Zed is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism. He will recite from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use; besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He plans to start and end the prayer with Om, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.

Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urge county commissioners and others present to keep the welfare of others always in mind.

He has been panelist for On Faith, a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post; and produces a weekly multi-faith panel Faith Forum in a Gannett publication for over 13 years.

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

Bonneville County was established in 1911.

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NEW DELHI, INDIA May 19, 2024 (New Indian Express): The situation in Myanmar continues to be grim with increased fighting between the military-led Junta army and the ethnic rebel groups across many parts, especially in Rakhine state. The tensions have taken a communal turn with reports of nearly 5,000 houses belonging to Buddhists and Hindus being gutted in Buthidaung, which is just 15.5 miles away from the Bangladesh border. These 5,000 houses were targeted as they belonged to Buddhists and Hindus. Most people had fled to safer zones so many houses were empty, but those who were left behind were pulled out and their houses looted and burnt in front of their eyes. Conscripts who include young boys from Rohingya camps in Bangladesh are being used for this exercise, according to a source.

These houses were gutted between April 11th and 21st. Buthidaung is now under complete control of the rebel ethnic group Arakan Army. Reports suggest that most of the local Muslims living in Buthidaung and Maungdaw township are not supporting the communal divide and some have sought help from the ethnic rebels to move to safer zones. In the 2018 census there were 3,000 houses in Buthidaung. This number has increased more than threefold to 10,000 as many people fled their homes from other areas to settle here. Over 50 per cent of residents are Muslims while the remaining are ethnic groups (Buddhists, Hindus), according to a source. Thousands of young people from across Myanmar have fled to safer zones, some have even crossed over to other countries to avoid forced conscription. Meanwhile, recently, Bangladeshs Foreign Minister, Hasan Mahmud said that they were hoping that the Rohingya refugees they are sheltering would return to Myanmar. There are said to be one million Rohingyas in Bangladesh.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2024/May/19/nearly-5000-houses-of-buddhists-hindus-gutted-in-myanmar-as-tensions-simmer

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Nearly 5000 Houses of Buddhists, Hindus Gutted in Myanmar as Tensions Simmer Hindu Press International - Hinduism Today

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CHICAGO: The Hindu invocation is scheduled to be read for the first time in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in Yellowknife (the Canada) on June five, containing verses from worlds oldest extant scripture.

Rajan Zed will deliver the invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will read the English interpretation of the prayers. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and the root language of Indo-European languages.

Zed, the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, will recite from Rig-Veda, will read the oldest scripture of the world still in common use; besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He plans to start and end the prayer with Om, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.

Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed plans to say Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya; which he will then interpret as Lead us from the unreal to the real, Lead us from darkness to light, and Lead us from death to immortality. Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urge members and others present to keep the welfare of others always in mind.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

The Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories operates on a unique consensus government system, unlike the party politics seen in most of Canada. It has 19 members and Frederick Blake Junior is the Speaker.

Also Read:Idaho proclamation mentions 1st Hindu invocation

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Ancient prayers to open Canada's Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly 1st time - IndiaPost NewsPaper - IndiaPost.com