Hindu Council UK

The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) heard with horror news of the killing of Hindu priest Swami Laxshmananda and four of his colleagues, allegedly by Christian fundamentalists, on the evening of August 23rd, and the subsequent reprisal attacks made by local Hindus on members of the Christian community in the area, attacks which left 16 dead and many displaced from their homes.

The students who study Hinduism at GCSE as well as Advanced level have done well in recent examinations. Some GCSE candidates have managed to gain 100 percent marks.

Half the A level candidates obtained A grade (this is twice the national average) and one Advanced level candidate manged to gain 100 percent marks in the difficult synoptic module at Advanced level.

Indo-European Kashmir Forum members and the members from the various Hindu Organizations held a protest demonstration in London ,outside the Indian High Commission on Thursday 14th August,2008. The demonstration was held against the revocation of land transfer order to Shri Ammarnath Shrine and the atrocities committed on the peaceful protesters and the media in Jammu.

Sunday 10th August 2008:
His Holiness Swami Ramdevji, the worlds leading exponent of Yoga returned to the UK this summer to host another series of inspirational yoga events across the country. Following the amazing success of his visits to the UK in 2006 & 2007, when he attracted over 10,000 attendees to his unique yoga camps in London, Bolton, Glasgow and Coventry, he set about to bring his popular method of teaching to Leicester.

Venue: High Commission of India, India House, Aldwych

Time: 2pm on Thursday 14th August

Kashmiri Pandits have been ethnically cleansed from their homeland by an evil ideology of Islamists and to which the Government of India has bowed out of fear for the last 60 years.

Swami Ramdevji Maharaj is well practised in Sanskrit Grammar, Ayurved and Vedic philosophy. His practical approach to yoga, research in the field of Ayurved and his devotion to social service has earned him widespread respect and has made him a living symbol of Indian culture. With a key message that “a healthy lifestyle is humanity’s birthright”, Swami Ramdevji’s core aim is to promote and encourage healthy living.

The work of the Hindu Council in the field of Education continues as under:-

Universities: This year the number of Universities we will be interacting with will go up from 12 to 20..
All these talks will be screened and broadcast on aastha which is now free and on sky 807. Aastha already hold about 20 hour of tapes of talks at Universities and Hindu Organisations round the country. Times: Sunday mornings from 10am to 11am and Saturday evenings from 9.30 to 10pm.

The Vedic revelations of God imparted to Humankind through the first seven Seers, Rishis, the most fundamental proclamation for Humans came to be: "Behold the Unity in Diversity". In another stanza of these ancient Vedas, God gives a purpose to the diverse Humankind to train its ego to live in this world as of one family, for it is in that training for reconciliations with diverse Humans that they may learn the true meaning of humbleness and renunciation, thus moving closer to God and finally liberation from the cycle of re-birth.

This morning the undersigned did a two and a half hour session on esoteric Hinduism at Roehampton University for about 20 post-graduate students. The session was a dialogue between Hindu and Abrahamic world-views. Professor Mike Castelli the senior lecturer at Roehampton offered a Catholic perspective on the sacred text of Hinduism called the Kathopnishad. Though the dialogue was warm and good humoured at the various stages it pointed out the key differences between these two world-views.

The Archbishop Dr Rowan Williams hosted a round table meeting at Lambeth Palace on 29th May with Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist faith leaders to debate the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) with particular emphasis on world poverty.

Dr Williams set the scene by highlighting the inequities around the world which strike at the heart of all faiths and introduced his friend and key note speaker Jim Wallis who has been working on these issues in the USA.

In ancient India sage Valmiki told the story of prince Rama in the epic Ramayana in Sanskrit, consisting of 24000 verses. Traditionally Hindus believe that Lord Rama lived in Treta Yuga, one of the four Yugas (aeons) namely Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali.

As part of the Oxford Artweeks, Artist in Residence at Harris Manchester College of the University of Oxford Miranda Cresswell has launched a solo exhibition entitled ‘One Room, five corners.’

Ms. Cresswell, having worked as an artist in a number of diverse locations and situations relates that the idea for the exhibition was to bring sacred texts together in order to look at them side by side. The purpose of this noble venture is not only to highlight differences and similarities between faiths, rather for the audience to understand them more fully.

May 2008:
We are sure you will have seen the appalling pictures from Burma, where cyclone Nargis has left more than 100,000 thousand people dead and more than a million rendered homeless without food, water and shelter. The roads to the city are strewn with uprooted trees and electricity poles while roofless houses are surrounded by over spilling water.

The UKs first structured volunteering scheme to target the Indian diaspora was launched today in North West London with the support of Cricketing hero Monty Panesar.

The 1.3 million Indian community in Britain is recognised to be charitable and supportive of causes internationally and in Britain, often repatriating huge sums of money to causes in India and elsewhere. However, this new initiative seeks to take advantage of their interest in volunteering by making it easier for them to find local groups and charities, which can make good use of their time, skills, and experiences.

During my recent visit to India I was fortunate enough to meet some of the Office Bearers of the All India Kashmiri Samaj, the apex body of many Kashmiri Pandits organisations ,both in India and abroad. The meeting was hosted and attended by Mr. Maharaj Kishen Kaw , President of the AIKS, at his residence. Mr.Shiban Dudha, General-Secretary , Mr. Hira Lal Wangnoo, Vice President AIKS ,Mrs. Raj Kaw and I were present at the meeting.

Hindu Council UK is a non-partisan faith organisation. We do not recommend or endorse any political parties, however we do work with all parties to ensure that as one of the largest faith groups, well integrated, hardworking with a sense of fairness living in London we are not forgotten. We need to have fair representation and a representative voice in running one of the best and the largest city in the world.

Elections Elections Elections why it is important for you to vote.

Community Governance & electoral participation of South Asian Hindu communities in England and Wales

Despite Joseph Rowntree Foundations Findings of February 2007 that “Hindus are most likely to vote of all the religious groups common in the South Asian electorate.” there are many who don’t

Chris Gopaul the HCUK Executive representing the Mauritian Association of UK took a delegation of UK Hindus to experience the great festival of Mahashivratri in his native country Mauritius. The initial delegation included Virendra Sharma MP and consequently Hindu Council UK requested the Government of Mauritius through the kind assistance of the Mauritius High Commissioner to receive the delegation for which the Government arranged security and private transport. The Minister of Environment Shri Anil Baichoo and the Minister of Justice Shri Rama Valayden graced the occasion.

3rd April 2008
For Immediate Use

Jay Lakhani, Head of the Hindu Academy and Education Director for the Hindu Council UK, has been appointed to the post of part time Hindu Tutor at Eton College. Mr Lakhani’s role will be to provide pastoral support and religious teaching to Hindu boys at the school, and contribute to school inter-faith activities.

Gurkhas have been serving Britain for over 200 years and many have sacrificed their lives in the service of the Crown. The British government's present attitude to forsake and disown the Gurkhas who were recruited before 1997 and deny them their legitimate rights of citizenship is a betrayal of their service to the defence of the country.

On Wednesday 27th February 2008, Lord King of West Bromwich organized a landmark programme to applaud tributes and respects to Satguru Ram Singh on His 192nd birth anniversary. The celebrations were supported by Hindu Council UK and Universal Peace Federation.

The birth place of India’s independence is Sri Bhaini Sahib, in Punjab, where on Thursday 3rd February 1816, holy incarnation of Satguru Ram Singh took place during Basant Panchmi.

The Commonwealth Day 2008 was observed Monday 10th March at the Westminster Abbey with the underlying theme on “The Environment our future”.

Dr John Hall the Dean of Westminster welcomed everyone to the abbey, a historic place where God has been worshipped daily for a thousand years, and he spoke of creating a new equilibrium as humanity’s responsibility to protect the environment.

Once again Hindu Council UK lead the struggle for social, economic, religious, racial, cultural, educational and political justice; this time of Malaysian Hindus protesting in front of Downing Street on 1 February 2008 where the HINDRAF Chairman, Mr Waytha Moorthy, Rajah Thavalou and his wife Jeya [local Malaysian activists] and hundreds others including both Tamil and Sikh British Malaysians and students currently studying in Britain were joined by Anil Bhanot, General Secretary, HCUK and myself on a cold crisp sunny morning.

Esoteric Hinduism thrills students at Kent Grammar school Last week the undersigned did sessions for about 500 students at Princethorpe College, Coventry and Weald of Kent Grammar School, Tonbridge. The Hindu input on the issue of global warming was quite unusual. Instead of repeating the rhetoric of using energy efficient bulbs or improving insulation, Hinduism offered a lateral suggestion. It said, 'Encourage extended family tradition because then we can drastically cut the number of homes we need to heat and maintain.

The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) has today released a revealing report on varnashram or the caste system, a subject HCUK says is much misunderstood by the British media, politicians and the public. “Caste has been the subject of ill-informed comment for too long,” says HCUK General Secretary Anil Bhanot. “Today, we are putting the record straight. We are also naming and shaming those who spread misinformation about Hinduism and its relationship to caste in an ill-disguised attempt to vilify the Hindu people and cause division within our community.”

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, today confirmed his commitment to installing a plaque in memory of Andrew Hargovind Jagroop, a young man knocked down and killed by an uninsured and unlicensed driver while waiting at a Croydon bus stop.

Andrew Jagroop, who was 21 at the time of his death, was a Law graduate who had won a place at Harvard University to continue his studies. He was killed when a car driver lost control the vehicle and mounted the pavement. The driver was later

Tuesday 22nd January 2008
For Immediate Use

The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) has today offered a cautious welcome to the Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell’s suggestions as to how University vice-chancellors should take steps to tackle violent extremism on their campuses. Mr Rammell has issued new guidance to universities, suggesting they ban some guest speakers from making presentations and train Muslim Chaplins to support those who may be being groomed or harassed by violent extremists. His guidance also says that setting up multi-faith chaplaincies would be a better way to monitor extremism and promote integration than allowing separate prayer rooms for different faiths.

On Thursday, 13 December 2007, the Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford issued a press release: Hindu community betrayed by RSPCA. The statement from ISKCON stated: The cow Gangotri was sick but had no disease. She was being cared for by temple residents and visiting worshipers, and was being administered pain relief. The temple runs 'The Cow Protection Project' and allows old cows and bulls to die naturally. Head Farm Manager and former Royal Marine Stuart Coyle [Shyamsundar Das] explained: "Gangotri was unable to walk, but due to her condition there was some tolerable discomfort".