Founded in April 2020, British Hindus is primarily a social media-based movement which aims to engage with Hindus of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. Our movement is spearheaded by over 20 young British Hindu volunteers who have one overarching aim - to celebrate the success of over 1 million British Hindus. Our content has been people-centric, positive and apolitical. Within a few months the project had snowballed and we were blessed to be featured on BBC Asian Network as well as being publicly endorsed by Hindu organisations such as the City Hindus Network.
We are trying to trace the origins of the Hindu History in the UK. We tried to answer what seemed like the fairly simple question of, how did Hinduism arrive in Britain? Hindu influences in Britain were much deeper than we thought, ranging from early Hindu influences on Greek and European philosophy, to Shakespeare’s references to Hindu traditions, all the way through to the current era.
We found that British Hindus, particularly the youth, have been itching to give back to their local communities, learn more about their traditions and understand their identity in depth. Decades ago, it would have been excusable for the British public to view Hindus as almost exclusively Indian. Today, this is no longer the case with huge populations of Sri Lankan, Nepali, Pakistani, Afghan and Bangladeshi Hindus living in Britain. The Hindu identity is now very multiracial, with Hindus who are White, Caribbean or African in origin often seen leading Hindu temples.
After hundreds of years of wars, trade and cultural exchange, Hindus in this country now want to be represented in every single field. Whether it is medicine, the arts or even politics, Hindus have a tapestry of cultural values, traditions and philosophies which we want to share with the world. Yoga, meditation and mindfulness are small examples of Hindu traditions which have had a global influence and continue to benefit humanity.
Over the next few weeks our British Hindu History campaign will explore the early 20th Century, when the early founders of modern India visited Britain. Many Hindu leaders who participated in the Indian freedom struggle were heavily influenced by Hindu ideas and their relationship with Britain has shaped the course of history.
Coronavirus pandemic has been a stressful time for us all, but as with all grey clouds, a silver lining is bound to appear. For Hindus in Britain, this period has given us time to reflect on all of the selfless service which suddenly became ever more valuable in British society. It is out of this reflection that the British Hindus project had emerged and we have been working hard on the #BritishHinduHero campaign, which aims to highlight what British Hindus have been doing for their local communities during this pandemic. We have received brilliant feedback so far with 100+ nominations ranging from doctors on the frontline to chefs who have been feeding the vulnerable, to personal trainers who have been keeping their local communities fit. Hindus and non-Hindus alike have received the project well.
