The widespread criminal activity and murders in the guise of xenophobia has called South Africans to strive as a nation to spread goodwill and embrace all foreigners. Religious leaders and places of worship have a role to play as the recent weeks evidenced.
Amid having a significant part to play many Hindu places of prayer are themselves fractured and leadership struggles wrapped in egotism is dogged. In many temples cabals that cannot grab leadership, split the devotee base and move on to start another prayer group- and this continues supported by regional religious leaders.
Some temples are one-family dominated and subjected to the will of the wealthy family. In other places, the rich dictate from behind the scenes. Devotees are made to fill membership forms to manage voting rights and a preferred group to lead.
Against these examples of disunity the bigger picture of national harmony and peaceful co-existence is going to be difficult. It is long overdue for the core principles of Hinduism to be practised in our daily lives- not just preached from the lectern by the very same persons clinging to power. Hinduism like other religions has a meaningful role to play in the government’s call for national unity. It is time to abandon the quest for power, shed the ego and strive sincerely to heal a wounded South Africa, we will be spiritually uplifted.
K. Perumal
