Dear Editor,
I would like to join Swami Aksharananda’s call for the depoliticising of the Hindu religion in Guyana. It would be good if we have instead politicians with deep spiritual values, who would do what is best for the people and the country, rather than have spiritual persons become part of the political process.
I have experienced my mandir shifting allegiances from the organisation supported by the PNC to the organ supported by the PPP in the 1980s. More recently, with the exit of Pt Reepu Daman Persaud from active politics and religious festivities, the ruling party has sought the services of Sri Prakash Gossai to keep the Hindus charmed.
I must say, Sri Prakash has kept his sermons spiritual without any undertones, and he is a charmer whom the Hindus loved, with or without the PPP.
Absolutely, the time has come for politics to stay out of religious activities. The Hindu community in Guyana is free to vote for whom they want and should be free to seek spiritual knowledge from whomsoever they wish. No Hindu organisation should consider it their right to prevent persons affiliated to their organisation from supporting the activities of other Hindu leaders. This has been the experience of organisers associated with the Guruji Balakrishna outreach in Berbice. I am sure even Pandit Rudra will have his own tale to tell.
Hindus are not the chattels of any organisation. Their spiritual pursuits should be free from politics.
I must also agree with Swami Aksharananda that if you are going to appoint a National Diwali Committee, you need to have not only Hindus on board, but Hindus who will represent the voices of all Hindus. And the committee’s terms of reference need to be agreed upon by all of those on board and then published.
This is not to say that I am against the Sari Pageant. I am all for it.
Yours faithfully,
Gitanjali Singh
