PONDA: Supporting the idea of declaring India as a Hindu nation, religious leaders attending the fourth ‘Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Adhiveshan’ (National Hindu Convention) under way at Ramnathi, Ponda, have expressed their “whole-hearted support” for it.
Advocating the need of the ‘Hindu Rashtra’ (Hindu nation), national guide of Hindu janajagruti samiti (HJS), Charudatta Pingale asked, “If Christians can have 157, Muslims have 52 and Jews and others have two nations, why Hindus don’t have at least a nation?”
He said if every religion can have their nation, Hindus should be allowed to have a nation. Pingale was addressing the gathering about the achievements of past conventions and programmes of the ongoing convention. He said ‘Hindu Nation’ is essential for the welfare of the world and not the Islamic State.
“We will accomplish establishment of ‘Hindu Nation’ by following the path of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Peshwas,” he said.
The convention will be held until June 17 at Ramnathi temple hall, Ponda, and is being attended by over 390 representatives from over 200 Hindu organizations from 21 states of India along with Nepal and Bangladesh. It will discuss the establishing of a Common Civil Code across the nation, rehabilitation of Kashmiri Hindus, removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, love jihad, ghar wapasi (home return), increased killings of Hindu leaders, riots, etc, the organizers said.
The convention began with the blowing of a conch, lighting a traditional lamp, recitation of vedic mantras.
Cyriaque Vallee, originally hailing from France and the main guide of Spiritual science research foundation; Acharya of Arsh Vidyapith, Andhra Pradesh; Swami Pranavatmanand Saraswati, mahant of Nityanand Dhyanpith, Karnataka; Nitya Shantimayanand; and representatives of Swami Narayan sect, and Gujarat Divya Jivandas Maharaj, were present at the inaugural function. tnn