CHICAGO: A former Kharagpur IIT student turned a foremost protagonist of Sanatan dharm and its philosophy thru Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Swami Vigyanand ji Maharaj was in Chicago last week seeking support for and explaining the basics of Word Hindu Economic Forum meet slated to be held in London coming September.
His presence in the city was also an invigorating one for a large number of VHP activists who are actively canvassing for hosting the proposed World Hindu Convention in Chicago in 2018. The Convention is to be held in USA and Chicagoans want it be its host here.
The Convention once in every four years is being held in different parts of the world for the past decade and half and it has been attracting steadily rising support from the global Hindu community.
As indicated by Swami Vigyanandji in his meet with the ethnic media meet, the last Convention in New Delhi was a tremendous success with the attendance surpassing the best estimate of even organizers.
And this was only because, he said, it was not a sectarian meet but encompassing all interests and all groups.
“We have never believed in exclusiveness since the basic philosophy and a cardinal principle of Hinduism or Sanatan Dharm is -Vasudha Aive Kutumbakam- the whole world is my family-.
We believe in inclusiveness, ” he said and sought to point out that the World Hindu Economic Forum that is meeting in London from September 11 to 13 has topics of interest to all- education, women empowerment, economic development, technological advances, and medicine.
Vigyanandji Maharaj stressed that it is important to get more and younger generation of Hindus to be involved in the activities. In his brief address, he detailed how VHP has been trying to help the economic development of the country thru net working, capital formation, exchanging ideas on trade opportunities and encouraging more and more women and second generation participation.
The Chicago press meet was organized by a group of VHP volunteers – Shyamkant Seth, Sohan Joshi, Vandana Jhingan, Nirav Patel and Harendra Mangrola. Vandana indicated that the VHP group wanted the forth coming Convention be held in Chicago which has huge historical significance. Other activists also backed the idea.
Vigyanandji Maharaj was not averse to the idea but indicated that Chicago has to buttress its claim preparing a case that would convince the VHP top brass that this city has capacity to host the meet, attract huge attendance and address all relevant issues- economic and non economic. “It is up to the Chicago leaders to push their claim. Nothing is decided so far but there are other cities in the country staking their claim to host the 2018 Convention,” he said.
Ramesh Soparawala
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