Scottish Hindu Foundation(SHF) emerged from the necessity to represent Scottish Hindu Mandirs on a national level. Following the Leicester violence in October 2022, there was widespread concern within the UK Hindu community, including in Scotland, about the potential spread of violence. Amidst this anxiety, conversations and meetings took place which led to the formation of the Scottish Hindu Foundation, which is now the Representative body to the Scottish Government and is actively engaged in promoting and protecting the interests of Scottish Hindus and Mandirs in Scotland.
In a conversation with Asian Voice, Dr Richa Sinha and Mrs Naina Penman, the Chairperson and the Vice Chair of the foundation respectively, share the sentiments of the Hindu diaspora, representation and expectations beyond the UK general election.
Lack of genuine representation hinders progress:
The leaders shared their opinion on the current representation and challenges facing Hindus in Scotland. Dr Sinha who is the Hindu Representative to the Scottish Government's Faith and Belief Committee feels that the lack of elected representation within our community is a big challenge in itself. Explaining further, she said, “Before the establishment of the Scottish Hindu Foundation, most representation was selected based on individual friendships or partisan opinions . They may have had minimal connections to a single temple, or no real mandate to speak on behalf of the whole community, yet they were appointed as representatives. This lack of scrutiny over who represents us, what they contribute, whilst in their roles, and who they report to was a critical issue that needed to be addressed.”
Adding to the same, Vice President Nainaji, who sits on the Dundee interfaith Body, said, “Before a national strategy and organisation We didn't realise we had representation in interfaith communities across many cities and towns included within the Scottish Interfaith network. While Hindu communities are spread throughout Scotland, they are sometimes overlooked because they are not in the social consciousness due to successful integration into the fabric of Scotland and their representation within Interfaith groups as mentioned can be individual based and disconnected from temples This lack of cohesion means that important consultations and opportunities are not always shared effectively, unlike our counterparts in other faith groups who are well-established, organised and informed about where to seek support and raise awareness consistently.”
“Now, with the establishment of the Scottish Hindu Foundation,which has united Scottish Hindu temples and organisations, we are starting to see positive changes. While we are not yet where we aim to be, these efforts are just the beginning , and our community is becoming more visible and earning respect through our diplomacy and outreach efforts. .”
Push for recognition and representation
Dr Sinha and Naina also shared the expectations of the Hindu community from the incoming government. Currently, the primary focus of the foundation is in advocacy efforts to gain recognition for Hinduphobia as a legitimate form of hate. “Unfortunately, many people, including police officers and civil servants, are unfamiliar with Hinduphobia, and we lack the resources to raise awareness effectively. Even our representatives often lack sufficient knowledge about Hinduphobia or anti hindu hate. We are in discussion with the respective bodies to understand the appointment process and ensure individuals who are appointed have the requisite credentials and mandate to deliver for the Scottish Hindu community.
“We appreciate the dialogue initiated by the Hindu manifesto, it is essential for Hindus in Scotland to voice our specific concerns and take a defined document along as a starting point when meeting their local MP candidate”, explained Dr Sinha on the matter. Naina further added that historically, the Hindu community has often shied away from advocating for their needs, but now is the time to push for action rather than delaying consideration. “It would be beneficial to see these points acknowledged and integrated into the agenda of the incoming government, rather than overlooked or dismissed”, she said.
She also stressed that someone representing Hindus in any discussions should be part of a robust organisation capable of effectively communicating and advocating the interests and needs; and the transition to a new government presents a prime opportunity to assert these needs prominently.
Call for action against Ignorance
Both Dr Sinha and Naina also shared their thoughts on the issue of hate crimes and the misunderstanding of Hindu culture in that context stating that the lack of understanding was evident and even the Hate Crime Bill failed to represent the community's lived experiences and perspectives.
“Currently, we're focused on preparing a report on Hinduphobia for the UN. This will probably be the first report submitted to the UN on Hinduphobia. Even though this process should have started earlier, possibly before the Hate Crime Bill became law, we remain committed to ensuring our report to the UN is comprehensive and impactful”, shared Dr Sinha.
Lastly, the leaders expressed that while the Hindu Manifesto UK 2024 is comprehensive and welcome, the foundation is currently deliberating on including a Scottish addendum to it. Dr Sinha said, “One critical point under consideration is addressing the labelling and gaslighting of Hindus with terms that are prejudiced and derogatory for example rituals, practices or political and philosophical expressions.
The Scottish Hind Foundations position is to advocate for those provisions that safeguard the community. In this technological age when there is so much misinformation, we take our inspiration from our Dharma, the Gayatri Mantra for example ends with may She [Gayatri Devi] enlighten our minds, we hope our efforts to educate and inform, enlighten the minds of those who are under a shroud of ignorance.
