SUNDAY – 08/30/15 – QUEENS NEW YORK

HSAI Attends 20th Annual “Hindu Unity Day” put on by the Indian American Intellectuals Forum (IAIF). IAIF is one of the groups supporting the Hindu Holidays Campaign. Location: Auditorium of Hindu Temple Society of North America,  143-09 Holy Avenue, Flushing,  NY 11355.

HSAI joined the Hindu community of NYC in celebrating Hindu Unity Day and commemorating the coronation of Ch. Shivaji Maharaj, the Hindu warrior king who, after demolishing foreign domination,  established a Hindu kingdom in India in 1674. IAIF’s aim in organizing this celebration was to create a feeling of pride about our Hindu identity and heritage in our community. The Chief guests and renowned speakers at the event included members of Indian State and highly respected and prolific intellectuals such as:

Dr. Subramanian Swamy, Senior BJP Leader and former Cabinet Minister of Law, Justice and Commerce, Government of India

Rajiv Malhotra, Founder and President of Infinity Foundation, author, philanthropist and community leader;

Suresh Chavanke, Chairman and CEO of Sudarshan TV and

Aditii Banerjee, Corporate Council at a leading Global Financial Services firm

HSAI had the opportunity to set up a table at the event for the HINDU HOLIDAYS CAMPAIGN, a campaign started by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC). The Hindu Holiday Campaign is seeking to get at least one Hindu Holiday into the NYC school calendar. There are Christian school holidays, Jewish school holidays, and in NYC now we have Muslims school holidays… but nothing for NYC’s nearly 1 million Hindus. On Friday, 04/10/15, HSAI joined with two dozen Hindu organizations and nearly 200 Hindus to demonstrated outside City Hall for the inclusion of Hindu holidays in NYC public schools. (See Here) At this Hindu Unity Day event, HSAI collected hundreds of signatures and many donations for the campaign which will be used to begin the process of courting the NYC political machine to make this vision a reality. We have to thank Narain Kataria, Arish Sahani and Pabitra Chowdhury of IAIF for hosting Hindu Unity Day and also thanks Sitangshu Guha of BHBCUC for kickstarting and guiding the Hindu Holidays project.

HINDU UNITY DAY SPEAKERS

Rajiv Malhotra, Founder and President of Infinity Foundation, author, philanthropist and community leader told the audience that Hindus need to change and steer the discourse on Hinduism and religion in general.  He called for Hindus who give no apologies, are dynamic, fearless and who are master debaters.  He calls these Hindus “Intellectual Kshatriyas”, men and women who have knowlege of Moksha, law, media, comparative religion and how to compete, how to argue and how to win.  Malhotra says that Hindus need to learn to be able to debate all issues.  He’s looking for such an organization where people are being trained in this way, if he can find it he will teach there.

Aditii Banerjee is Corporate Council at a leading Global Financial Services firm and co-authored/co-edited the book “Invading The Sacred: An Analysis Of Hinduism Studies In America” with Rajiv Malhotra. She spoke on the need for Hindu leadership which is based on talent, vision, strategic thinking and keeping cool under pressure.  She called for a “Steve Jobs of Hinduism” someone who can design, market and sell Hinduism as a lifestyle.  Banerjee said that all other religions have a business model for selling their religions, and they work.  Hinduism has armies, but no leaders, we operate on emotion rather than cold blooded strategy.  We also need to set goals for success and define success. When we have a strategy, a plan and clarity of vision, Banerjee says that funding comes immediately.  She asked Hindus to stop looking at what Hinduism was 2,500 years ago but what it can be 2,500 years in the future. This is what she called the “Hindu Renaissance”.

Dr. Subramanian Swamy, Senior BJP Leader and former Cabinet Minister of Law, Justice and Commerce, Government of India said that it is incumbent upon Hindus to think of any way they as individuals can help to Unite Hindus.  He also signed copies of his latest book on rebuilding the Sri Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

HINDU UNITY DAY RESOLUTIONS 

Narain Kataria, president of IAIF, later announced the following:

RESOLUTIONS UNANIMOUSLY PASSED AT THE 20TH ANNUAL HINDU UNITY DAY IN NEW YORK ON AUGUST 30, 2015

We hereby solemnly take a vow that:

1. From this day onward we will work for the rejuvenation, reinvigoration, unification and consolidation of the Hindu Samaj;

2. If there is any discrimination, injustice or cruelty perpetrated on any Hindu anywhere in the world, we will raise our voices in unison to protest;

3. We will say or do nothing which will create a rift in the Hindu Samaj;

4. We will devote our time, energy , talent, and wealth (Tan, Man and Dhan) to nurturing, preserving and propagating the Hindu values of life, viz. truthfulness, yoga, meditation, peaceful coexistence, compassion and charity;

5. We will always support the associations, organizations, individuals, groups which have dedicated their lives to the service of Hindu Samaja;

6. We will keep a vigilant eye on anti-Hindu forces in media which have been unfairly and deliberately slandering and demonizing Hindu Samaj; we will vigorously expose their mean, malicious and mendacious designs so that they stop forthwith.

After Event

After the event, HSAI was able to meet with many of the event speakers and organizers as well as speak with the large audience of attendees. It really was a day of unity where many different Hindu organization supported each other to make a successful event.  We will be using all the contacts and donations from the event to further the Hindu Holiday Campaign and Hindu Unity.

Source: hsainternational.org