பிளஷிங் வினாயகர் கோவிலில் டாக்டர் சுப்ரமணிய சாமி உரை

பிளஷிங் வினாயகர் கோவிலில் டாக்டர் சுப்ரமணிய சாமி உரை

கட்டுரைக்கு நன்றி இந்தியா போஸ்ட்

Hindus resolve to fight divisive forces
Monday, 09.03.2007, 12:14am (GMT-7)

NEW YORK: It was the afternoon of Saturday, August 18. American Hindus assembled in the spacious auditorium of Ganesh Temple in Flushing, New York. The unusual occasion was the mass celebration of Hindu Sangathan Divas, a tradition set in New York now going into its thirteenth year. The rare event that carried great historical significance for Hindus of the world was jointly organized by the Hindu Temple Society of North America and the Indian American Intellectuals Forum and then wholeheartedly supported by other forty-seven big and small Hindu groups.

Commemorating the coronation of ShivajiThe participation of the nearly thousand enthusiastic Hindus gathered under one roof to reaffirm their deep pride in their Hindu identity, in itself, was a powerful commentary on the surge of Hindu renaissance around the world. The enthusiasm, energy and excitement of the audience was clearly evident as they proceeded to commemorate the coronation, 333 years ago, of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the courageous Hindu King who successfully demolished the Islamic domination in India.

The energized audience was addressed by Chief Guest, Dr Subramanian Swamy, the former Commerce and Law Minister and the President of Janata Party in India. In his eloquent and thought-provoking speech Dr Swamy reminded those assembled how the Hindus in India were being systematically targeted in the Jammu and Kashmir State and mercilessly killed in various bomb blasts in places like Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Coimbatore, and Kerala.

Hindus under siege in their own countryDr Swamy pointed out that the Hindus, actually, were under siege from all directions by the Jihadi Islamic elements and the fanatic Christian groups. Hindus had already become a minority in their own country in states like Kashmir, Kerala, and in the North-Eastern corridor, he pointed out. Dr Swamy continued that under the circumstances, the Hindu unity had become the crying need of the hour. "Right now, it is not enough to have a mere Hindu Ekta (unity)," he said.

"What we really need badly is Viraat Hindu Ekta… for the very survival of India as a Hindu nation."Chiding those who label Hindu Dharma as a religion practicing casteism, Dr. Swamy gave examples galore from the Hindu history refuting the baseless and motivated charges that Hinduism condoned the discrimination on the basis of caste. Learned leader reminded that Sage Valmiki who wrote Ramayan was not a Brahmin. Sage Vishwamitra Mahakavi Kalidas, Ved Vyasa who wrote the epic Mahabharat - none were Brahmins.

Lord Ram was not a Brahmin but a Kshatriya, Lord Krishna was a Yadav. Yet, Hindus worship all these saints, intellectuals and heroes with equal reverence, he said. After India's independence, an anti-Hindu cult has emerged in the country that seeks to rubbish our gods, damn our scriptures, belittle our saints, demonize and vilify Hinduism as a whole. "Unite and jettison these atheists and their fellow travellers," thundered Dr Swamy.

We need new Hindu leaders with mission and vision that can work to safeguard our Dharma and society."Restoring Hinduism as a global forceDr Frank Morales, now re-named Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya, the President of International Sanatana Dharma Society and the keynote speaker of the occasion, spoke on the subject of "Dharma Ascending: Restoring Hinduism as a Global Force." Sanatana Dharma is at a crucial point in its history, Dr Morales said.

Having withstood over 1000 years of brutal oppression and battering, the Sanatana Dharma today finds itself rising from the ashes and reconstructing from the scratch. It is facing several challenges - both internal and external. Of these, it is the internal ones that are in most dire need of being met. The biggest challenge before Sanatana Dharma is the severe lack of qualified leadership. A true Hindu leader has to be the manifestation of the "Sovereign will of the Hindu nation" he said.

Such a leader requires the dual qualities of humility and fearlessness, and has to be willing to give his life for the sake of Dharma and the Hindu people, Dr Morales said. Once the Hindu world witnesses the rise of such a leader, Sanatana Dharma will then burst onto the world stage as a revitalized and dynamic global force destined to change the course of world history.

Hope for all Hindu temples in the US Dr Uma Mysorekar, President of Hindu Temple Society of North America (HTSNA) reminded the gathering that Hinduism necessarily believes in non-violence and tolerance. Only Hinduism has the capability to bring peace in the world, according to her. She hoped that the day was not far when all Hindu temples in the US would celebrate Hindu Sangathan Divas.

"The first one among them to join hands is the Maha Vallabh Ganpathy temple in New York," she said referring to the temple run by HTSNA.Dr Mysorekar said there was an urgent need to save the temples in India from the clutches of vote-bank politicians. She urged Hindus to send their children to temples so as to enable them to learn more about their ancestral Dharma and heritage. Narain Kataria, President of Indian American Intellectuals Forum (IAIF) and Arish K. Sahani, its Senior Vice President, also spoke on the occasion.Five prominent American Hindu leaders -- Rajan Zed, who led the Hindu prayer at the US Senate in July, Nathir N. Lalchandani, Prof. MG Prasad, Gopinathan Pillai and Pabitra Chaudhuri -- were honored for their valuable and untiring contributions to the service of Hindu community.Unanimous Resolutions

At the conclusion of the event, the following three resolutions were unanimously passed by the enlightened assembly by a voice vote:1) To call upon the Government of India to immediately cease the destruction of the holy Ram-Sethu Bridge between India and Sri Lanka. 2) To call upon the Government of India to scrap the Hindu Charitable and Religious Endowment Act currently in force. This Act is being systematically abused by numerous state governments across the country to encroach upon and sell away the temple lands.

This land has been the property of Hindu temples since ages and is meant for the sustenance of temple priests and the Hindu devotees. 3) To observe silence for two minutes for the thousands of innocent Hindus killed in numerous Islamic Jihadi attacks and over religious discrimination of Hindus carried out all over India.
NARAIN KATARIA