By Sanjay Parekh
NHSF Learning Team

28^th January 2012 (Magh Sud 5 in the Hindu calendar)

Vasant Panchmi is a very significant festival in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the Goddess of Knowledge, Music and Art, Saraswati (Diwali is dedicated to Lakshmi and Navratri is dedicated to Durga and Kali). ‘Vasant’ means spring and the day welcomes the blooming of the new season. It is the time when the sun enters the Meen ‘rashi’ (Pisces).

By Sunil Pala
NHSF (UK)

What is a “Hindu” identity ? Have you exhausted all possibilities in adding meaning to this “label”?

Creating an affinity between being a Hindu and valuing the source of this identity – India – is not only an integral part of this initiative, but a natural thought process in itself.

“Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots”, Victor Hugo.

By Sneha Patel
NHSF (UK) Campus Coordinator

On the 18th January 2012, Hindu students at the University of East Anglia (UEA) woke up to the cheerful news that fixed drop-in times would now be allocated for them at the University Chaplaincy - allowing them to practice their faith to its full extent. 

In the past, the University had prohibited Hindu students from placing icons in the Chaplaincy, with the justification that this would offend students of other faiths. At the same time, the Hindu society at UEA (NHSF UEA) was faced with the dilemma of competing with other groups and societies in booking University rooms for weekly worship events. 

Following the murder of Anuj Bidve, NHSF (UK) is deeply sadened to find that another student of Indian origin, Gurdeep Hayer, has been found dead in Manchester City Centre. The city, which prides itself on excellence in academia, a thriving student atmosphere and a strong police force that claims to be “fighting crime and protecting people”, has been host to the second death of an Indian student within a month. NHSF (UK) are deeply concerned with the surveillance and protection that university students are being given by the Police, particularly during the holiday season. Our prayers and thoughts go out to the Hayer family and friends. NHSF (UK) will be offering full support throughout the investigation.

NHSF (UK) PR Team