Every four years, the World Hindu Congress (WHC) meet in a strategic location to further its aim for Hindus to connect, share ideas, inspire one another, and impact the common good. This year, the WHC 2023 is being held in Bangkok from 24-26 November 2023.It brings together the stalwarts of yesteryears who have toiled the furrow for the new upcoming stars of Sanatan Dharma to grow and blossom under the grace of gurus of Satya, Dharma, Shanti and Prema.
For the aspiring Hindus, take a look here: https://www.worldhinducongress.org
This year seven separate themes, but each interlocking with others, became the bedrock for the seminars and workshops. These are: Economy, Education, Media, Political, Women, Youth and Organisations.
In its preamble it states, ‘Hindus are a 1.2 billion strong community, comprising 16% of the world’s population with presence in around 200 countries. Across the world, we are the leaders and catalysts in all spheres of human endeavour - business, economy, education, governance, media, technology, and culture. As a civilisation, we have always aspired for a Dharmic world which is prosperous, just, and peaceful. However, such aspirations can only be realised if the Hindu leadership - spread across nations, societies, and cultures – comestogetherto organise and combine its energiesfor global welfare’.
I haveoften heard over the past few decades that Hindu unity is a must. And as soon as that is said, it allows everyone to pile in with their own set of grievancesand blame. I come from a position that often leaves people confused and rather perplexed. You see, in my view the very strength of Hindus is their diversity. Under the over-arching umbrella of Sanatan Dharma, we have multiple paths to higher enlightenment, and whilst sometimes some of these might look at odds with each other, if people looked closely, they would realise that each aspires to connect with that one universal reality that is the Brahman.So let our starting position be our diversity. Each brings to the whole, a set of strengths that when combined correctly, can bring us closer to our ultimate goal – a world and its people at peace with each other.
Dr Mohan Bhagwatji said it aptly, “We (Hindus) havestopped our descent. Nowwe are ascending. Hindusneed to march together inone formation. Thoughmoving forwardindividually, aware not tocollide with each other,but stepping together inthe same direction”.
The danger at such conferences,as the Christians might say, ‘it’s preaching to the converted’. Those in attendance, those who hooked up online, and those who followed proceedings via various media outlets are mostly the ones who probably don’t need too many lectures on Hindutva and Sanatan Dharma.
Maybe the time has comewhen this collective force needs to be guided towards practical action points that can yield results at the grassroots. The Hindu community faces threats from multiple sources. From Islamists and Khalistanis who seem intent in killing, raping, or converting all Hindus regardless of where they might be in the world. We have got Christians, in all their guises, who use intelligent and modern ‘liberal and woke’ ideology to infiltrate communities with a view to saving the soul of the ’heathen’. That’s you and me by the way!
Add to the mix, the Marxists, the socialists, those on various parts of the left, the morally corrupt academics and their institutions, the merchants of fake news – the mediawalas, and some governments who say one thing, yet they fund the very extremists that do us harm.
The Hindu community need to bring to the party a very modern outlook. 21st Century methods of tackling the fake narratives, of establishing our own think-tanks across the world and empowering and funding research that tells our historical and lived truths. We should also ask our billionaire Hindus – ‘why are you supporting our enemies?’. One also wonders about the ease with which they are granted direct access to 7, Lok Kalyan Marg so readily?
It is not that we are disunited as Hindus, our issue is that we are disunited in tackling the challenges we face as Hindus. When we consider the collective wealth and power of all our Sampradyas, how is it that we find ourselves in this precarious position? Most of our organisations are ultra-rich, yet where is the investment to protect Dharma? In Bharat, people may feel everything is OK, yet on the international stagewe see systematic attacks on Hindus, on Sanatan Dharma and on our cultural and dharmic heritage. The challenge for the WHC is to translate its core strength so it empowers people and organisations across the world who fight for Dharma. For a community that is so talented, so rich and so intelligent, sometimes one is left wondering – how did we ever allow ourselves to be so victimised?
World Hindu Congress 2026 is set to take place from December 18-20 at the Jio Convention Centre in Mumbai– are you all ready?
