For United Hindus--A School With A Difference

By KANTI B PATEL

Have you ever noticed a group of kids, of 11-12 years age, editing a professionally done magazine titled Nirvana? Worried about what is ‘Common’ between our ‘Different’ denominations! Determined to dig deep, as much it requires, to find out what is the definition of a Hindu, what is the basic foundation of the Hindutva culture. Inquiring about the philosophies of monotheism versus polytheism. Insisting to understand the meaning of every Sanskrit ritual in English. Ready to take a lesson in Sanskrit. Refusing to pay any fees for rituals like Aarti or a Puja, unless references are shown in our scriptures. Demanding a library to see, touch, read, debate and understand our scriptures. Trying to reach out to all the schools of the US for joining together. Traveling, attending and joining the Youth Wing of the Federation of Hindus- Associations. Reaching out Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register. Absolutely worried why their parents don’t realize that they are not understanding the real religion in these structures of our temples. Utilizing their lunch time to organize meetings of Hindu clubs. Distributing a slice of pizza to hold their colleagues till the end of such meetings. Inviting teachers and principal to attend. Requesting students of other faiths to listen about Hinduism. Taking the torch high in their small hands and declaring that they want to be proud Hindus. Taking out portions from FHA’s Hinduism Simplified and distributing them to their colleagues. Arranging a Question-Answer session to clear their doubts about the issues normally asked by their non-Hindu students.

Are These Kids Becoming Role Models: If an opinion poll is conducted and the first generation settlers are asked their ‘foremost worry,’ the majority will answer ‘the children.’ They are justifiably worried about their future, which includes their education, career, culture, religion, prosperity, health, marriage and links to their roots i.e. the religion and the country of India. Will they continue to be Hindus? Will they marry out of their religion? Will they ever pay a pilgrimage visit to their ancestor’s land of birth? The professional status and prosperity of the parents may not affect the designs and plans of their sons and daughters. Any undue pressure and strict enforcement of disciplinary rules, not understood by them, may make the conditions worse and may result in loosing them.

Modern education, lack of a familiar atmosphere with the same culture and opportunities of economic independence do affect the decisions of the modern youth. Any amount of formal visits to temples may not suffice. Unless they understand and appreciate the advantages, these kids, who are hungry for their identity, will never become strong in their convictions.

In such a cloudy atmosphere, it was heartening to visit the Whitney High School in Cerritos, Greater Los Angeles Area, and meet the youth of junior and senior levels. The Federation of Hindus-Associations (FHA) utilized one such occasion to reach out to them and the findings were amazingly unbelievable. A Hindu Club was being attempted there because there are about 100 students of Hindu faith, more than members of other religious clubs like Islam and Buddhism etc and also, because our kids prefer to join together as Indians, remain and worship with their parents in individual denominations, but not together as Hindus.

To FHA this phenomenon remains a big challenge that our adults attend Chinmaya Mission, Arya Samaj or Bochasanwasi Swaminarayan Sanstha congregations, and when they all gather, the umbrella becomes a ‘secular’ front. The strength of the united Hindus thus becomes a mirage. Keeping the diversity, which is the beauty of Hinduism, and still bringing them under a common umbrella then becomes a formidable task. They gather their spiritual satisfaction in the different denominations and understandably feel ‘no further need’ for gathering again. Islamic and Christian followers do not face the same dilemma. No wonder there are virtually no mosques, Gurudwaras or churches, as members of an umbrella like the FIA. That’s why the concept of a Federation of Hindus- Associations is being so aggressively attempted by FHA to unite them as well as keep their diversity alive. By meeting with the students of Whitney High School, this resolve grew much stronger. The students are brilliant and determined to let their parents belong and follow ‘Vaishnavism’ or ‘Sai Baba,’ and still create a Hindu Club of FHA to create a Federation of such Shaivaites and Prabhupada followers. This might be the beginning of a revolution in Hinduism at the real grass root level.

These Kids Will Show A Way: If such ‘schools with a difference’ are recognized and encouraged, and if such experiments succeed, 21st century is not far off to belong to Hindus, including the denominations and Gurus of its break away units. Instead of the ‘not common,’ Gurus, denominations, castes, languages, rituals, regions, nationalities, philosophies, gods and goddesses, interpretations of scriptures, names, dress and food habits dividing us, let the ‘Common’ Vedic scriptures, land of origin, history, basic Hindu principles, festivals, pilgrimages, names, temple architecture, yoga, meditation, Ramayana, Mahabharat, music and past and present exploitation of Hindus by invaders and ‘secularists’ etc become the reasons for United Hindus.

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