Gathering hosted by CoHNA comes against the
recent introduction of SCR104
condemning Hinduphobia
TRENTON,
N.J., May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More
than 15 State Senators and Assembly Members (Democrats and
Republicans), attended the first ever Hindu Advocacy Day in
New Jersey, hosted by the
Coalition of Hindus of North
America (CoHNA). New Jersey
is home to one of the largest Hindu communities in the US, and the
bi-partisan event focused attention on their many contributions to
the state across all sectors. Lawmakers also pledged support for
the Hindu Heritage Month resolution for New Jersey, which has passed the Assembly and
is now making its way to the Senate.
Coming on the heels of the recently introduced
resolution SCR 104, CoHNA's
Hindu Advocacy Day also focused on the growing problem of
anti-Hindu hate and Hinduphobia. Senator Vin Gopal, the primary sponsor of the bill,
joined the event in the middle of a busy senate schedule, recalled
how he took his oath on the Bhagavad Gita while being sworn in, and
that hate in any form must not be tolerated. He thanked CoHNA for
working with his office on the resolution and invited the attendees
to the Senate voting session for a special shoutout.
"I am really excited CoHNA got a special shoutout and
recognition in the Senate for coming to Trenton and hosting the Advocacy Day and
working on the Hinduphobia resolution," said Hitesh Trivedi, CoHNA Board Member and Director
of its NJ chapter. "We thank our New
Jersey leaders for standing with the Hindu community and
engaging in a constructive dialogue. As many of our lawmakers
stressed today, it is critically important for Hindus to engage and
talk with our elected officials - and a grassroots platform like
CoHNA has been the starting ground for so many of us."
FBI data and research from universities like Rutgers have documented the growing hate against
Hindus in America. The rash of attacks on individuals and on Hindu
temples from New York to
California has brought the problem
home in a most visceral way, traumatizing the community and
impacting the ability of some to freely practice their faith.
The gathering was addressed by lawmakers from both sides of the
aisle, all of whom thanked the Hindu community for the scale,
depth, and impact of their contributions to their districts, to
New Jersey, and to the US as a
whole. Others shared their experiences of being part of vibrant
Hindu celebrations - be it Diwali, Holi, Navratri, Guru Vandana, or
International Yoga Day.
Upendra Chivukula, the first
Hindu Assemblymember ever to be elected in New Jersey, shared insights from his decades
of experience on why representation matters and how far the
community has come. "If we don't ask, others will ask for us.
Whoever gets to the lawmakers first will get their attention
first," he said, thanking CoHNA for organizing this important day
and bringing the community to Trenton to meet public officials.
A Community Effort
A number of Hindu community leaders attended the event and spoke
of the important work that CoHNA is doing in representing the
community and advocating for the causes that the community cares
about and giving Hindus a platform. Speakers at the event explored
the many different ways American Hindus can serve and give back to
their community.
"I was inspired by the Hindu values I learned while growing up
through Bal Vihar camps in Massachusetts and New Jersey," said Cherry Hill
Councilwoman Sangeeta Doshi,
recalling her decision to run for office.
The NJ Democratic Hindu Caucus Co-chairs, Falguni Pandya and Venu
Menon, also talked about why the caucus was formed and how
it has been advocating for the Hindu community.
Collaboration between different organizations was also an
important theme, where leaders like Dhiren
Amin, President of Indian Business Association, Ganesh
Ramakrishnan, NJ Communications Coordinator for Hindu Swayamsevak
Sangh, and community leader Dr. Mukund
Thakar highlighted the need to work in tandem to amplify the
positive impact on the community in various areas - from political
representation and education to serving people regardless of race,
ethnicity, or religion.
Find pictures and comments from the event on our feed on X
formerly known as Twitter.
About CoHNA
CoHNA is a grassroots level advocacy and civil rights
organization dedicated to improving the understanding of Hinduism
in North America by working on
matters related to the Hindu community and by educating the public
about Hindu heritage and tradition. For more information, please
visit https://cohna.org or follow us
on X(Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn and
on Instagram.
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SOURCE Coalition of Hindus of North
America