Sunday, July 20, 2008

Hindu Unity Day

The last two days (July 19 & 20) were celebrated as Hindu Unity Day at Dallas. Organised by the Sanatana Dharma Foundation, the event was held at the DFW Hindu Mandir, Irving, Texas. The first day's events featured talks about the Rama Sethu Agitation, which took place in India amidst high political drama and finally saved the rock bridge built by Lord Rama across the Palk Strait. One of the main speakers politician-economist Dr. Subramanyan Swamy presented conclusive evidence about the Hindu heritage of India and how Rama Sethu is important to preserve the unity of our country. Dr. Swamy has written a book about the Rama Sethu issue compiling various archaeological, geological and historical evidences to prove that there was indeed a bridge built several thousand years ago.

The other speaker Dr. S. Kalyanraman has been doing tremendous amount of work as the chairman of the Sarasvathi River Center in India. His work in proving that Sarasvathi river existed and that is where the original Hindu civilisation/ Sanatana Dharma thrived and provided knowledge to the rest of the world is taking the academia by a storm. But it will take some more time before academics, especially the communist-ideologues from India will recognise it. These people are hell bent on accepting the now-dead Aryan Invasion theory which was propagated by the Englishmen to make us Indians feel inferior. But now thanks to the work of people like Dr. Kalyanaraman, ancient truths are coming out and soon we will be able to prove that India or more apropriately Bharat was indeed the cradle of civilisation and the place of origin of several advanced scientific knowledge.

Today's deliberations were more for the really committed Hindus and people who were concerned about the threats our religion is facing from within and also from external forces. Today's panelists included Dr. S. Kalyanaraman (mentioned above) and Dr. Raghavendra Prasad, a Dallas-based geriatric care professional. The sessions discussed the threats faced by Hinduism from the two of the largest religions, Christianity and Islam. The missionaries of both are hell bent upon decimating and killing our religion. It was interesting to note that each presenter didn't just make passionate statements but gave conclusive evidence in the form of numbers, statistics, quotes from research papers and other evidences which are accepted by the "Worldly wise academics and sceptics".

But one surprising thing I noticed at the sessions on both days. The participants were predominantly, at least 95%, older and born-in-India people. There were hardly anybody who were second generation Indians or American born Indians. This is really a matter of concern, this means that the youth of today, the teenagers are just not interested in Hinduism or Hindu Unity or anything like that. If these people born in America are not interested in Hinduism it is not completely their fault, a major portion of the fault lies with their parents who haven't educated them properly or instilled in them the love for their religion and respect for India.

Anyway to bring these youth towards Hinduism will be another programme or campaign and I am sure it will be far more difficult than fighting against proselytisation or war against terrorism.

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