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By Varun Anand PR Team
On Saturday 21st November, around 400 British Hindu students from over 25 University Chapters across the country were engaged in a series of inspiring talks and workshops. Whats the point of idol worship and rituals? Is Hindu Dharma becoming too Bollywoodised? Was Nick Griffins claim of Hindus backing the BNP true? Are the Mahabharata and Ramayana irrelevant myths? Is the Caste system a Hindu problem?
National Hindu Students Forum (UK) [NHSF], the largest Hindu student body in Europe, hosted their Annual Conference, Hindu Times, at City University London. Some of the conclusions presented were:
- The relevance of deity worship is in its individuality and as a practical stepping stone to understanding the self through the spirit of God residing dynamically in the deity
- Bollywood is a form of entertainment and its concepts should not influence our daily lives; but it can be used to give a positive message of social reformation to the masses
- Hindu rituals must be always be questioned and their logical, scientific significance passed on to the next generation
The conference was supported and endorsed by Tony Blair and Nick Clegg through video messages shown on the day and in writing by Rt Hon Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Rt Hon David Cameron. VIP guests included Barry Gardiner MP and prominent leaders of the Hindu community. Baroness Verma, patron of the Tory Reform Group and Seema Malhotra, former chair of the Young Fabians, were part of a Question Time panel. Questions such as How can Hindu students get more involved with British politics were responded to with succinct to-the-point answers.
Kajal Valani, president of NHSF, highlighted to the students in her concluding speech, You are today, you are tomorrow and you are the future. The Hindu youth community were empowered to realise they CAN be the news they wish to see in the world.
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