Hindu community leaders and the ‘Chai-Pakora Syndrome’
A few years ago, I became aware of several problems that affected Hindus in Britain, and wanted to do my bit to help. I have come across many young Hindus who have felt like this at some point in their life. In my innocence, I thought that joining some or other large Hindu organisation would be a good idea. Over the next two years I attempted to work with many Hindu organisations in Britain, as well as some local temple committees. God knows how I persevered so long!
November 20th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Rajun Shah - very good article. Love the Samosa sketch. Maybe this virtual world (HVoice) will aid in our joint expectations.
Pls pass the Samosa.
November 22nd, 2006 at 1:15 pm
This article is so true. It reminds me of the mindset of so many of the mandir leaders. Most of these leaders expect respect just because they are elderly and have a position in the Mandir administration. Usually they are more interested in propagating their egos then anything else.
I have to admit it is such a common attitude among most mandir adminstration, I just term them into one group: THE OLD BASTARDS.
In fact they go out of their way to kill youths interest in understanding Hindu Dharma or even their attempts at getting mass Hindu youth participation.
They love the photo ops and speeches. When the media contact them, even though most of them are terrible articulators they insist on doing interviews.
November 22nd, 2006 at 4:22 pm
very nice article indeed - except that the negativity is seen more. While there is no doubt that most of the people in position are there for “power of position”, that, but should not dissuade us from action.
Best is to ask nicely a few question on Hinduism to these people.
Talk to them about what is SANATANA DHARMA, what is LAW OF KARMA, etc. They will ofcourse come out with some reply. But one need the knowledge to ask further questions when you will see that they fumble or start getting upset ( because their own ignorance will start showing). This is the point…NOT TO ATTACK THEM, but to tell them that WE TOO DO NOT KNOW THESE AND WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THESE…
Todays problem about HINDUISM is that every one is ALIGNED to one or other political party. They forget that politics is only a small part of our VYVAHARIKA life. They talk about primitive, modern, realistic, prgamatic …all jargons…
they will talk about veda and other PRMANAS often without the knowledge of that or - reading some translation by one author AND assume that what they read is ultimate.
vedanta is such a vast subject and understanding this is so interesting, when one hear or read, one feels very often that one understand that - but when one comes across a situation in DAY TODAY life { vyvaharika life} one forget all about vedanta and deal like any person who knew nothing about VEDANTA…nothing about the SANATANA DHARMA.
one can see the comments on perception of ATHIEST - with ref to another article. Interestingly, the ultimate of vedanta - advaita - is
when one knows the SELF, there is nothing more to know…the knowledge of self makes known everything else. Then one wonder if there is anything called GOD….etc..
that is why some would like to say that a perfect HINDU who understood vedantan very well and knows the self, is a perfect communist.
But problem is that we cannot say we know self as every moment of our life we are attached to something or other resulting in confusion in decision making.
So our friends need to understand that there are very few who understand HINDUISM well enough and many are only born HINDUS with ignorance due to no trying to uncover or learn that vedanta.
and with positive attitude, slowly, but steadily we can change the situation.
we need to make the people aware that TEMPLES are meant for SATSANG
and SATSANG means not merely BHAJANS, but discussions of GITA, UPANISHAD etc.
The otherday when some people were discussing the MAHA BHARATAM, the way one was explaining the subject made me wonder if we are listening to a class in psychology or spirituality.
THERE IS NO DISEASE WORSE THAN POVERTY
THERE IS NO POVERTY WORSE THAN IGNORANCE
November 22nd, 2006 at 4:45 pm
The article very well speaks of the situation & has given a right remedy . I am personally going to schools where very deprived children come, to study(I hope). These are Govt schools. The situation is so pathetic that makes one feel -is this the country of Ram & Krishna? So called Govts should be whipped publicly to death!
November 22nd, 2006 at 6:23 pm
Well said Park X. 100% true the old coots are totally useless. They never stand up when the xxxx hits the fan.
I’ve spoken to many of them bout the Shiv Mandir in Pakistan. Their response, Bart Simpson like “Duh! Where is Pakistan?” I am also convinced that some want to say “Duh, who is Shiva?”
November 22nd, 2006 at 11:53 pm
Well written article and so true.
The same things happened to me and the famous quote I always got for my ideas was ‘Its not practical’.
The annual Mandir mags are self glorification issues with a glossy spread of all the temple members sitting proudly. No young people to be seen in that photoshoot.
I really love it when they invite a religious teacher from India and all the mandir leaders get together and give flowery speech at the function about how they are all united and work together and the need for unity and involve young people. Its all lies.
Very rarley do temples support other temples.
Very rarely do Hindu temples support other Hindu organisations.
I once went to put up a poster at a Mandir about the film Mystic India. I was told I could not put the poster up as it was advertising a film.
I said yes its about a great Hindu saint Swaminarayana.
His response
“OK if you have a small A5 sized leaflet then leave it with us, I will see if there is room anywhere”!!!
No joke!
Funny thing is he got invited to a free showing organised by the Swaminarayna group three weeks later (premier).
And lo and behold the next day I saw two massive posters of Mystic India in the temple. Only money and power talks.
November 23rd, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Very funny comic strip and its gets the message through.We need to get rid off these Chai Pakora fraudy Hindu leaders who are holding Hinduism back and putting off the younger generation of Hindus away from Hinduism.
November 23rd, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Nice article bringing out the difficulties in discussing positive issues. I will appreciate having Mr. Shah’s email address so that I can communicate with him common programs of interest. Thanks.
November 24th, 2006 at 7:35 am
yes the comic strip is very funny
December 6th, 2006 at 11:21 am
I had a similar problem with a community (samaj) i am working with, the old farts kept trying to screw me up, they even went to the depths of trying to take disciplinary action against me!! but what showed in the end was that i worked hard and contributed well, this helped me to earn the respect of the members and many of the committee members who still stand by me and help out if needed. I have always believed that switching off is not the solution to the problem, it IS the problem. Fight them and get onto the committee and generate the momentum needed to bring more youngsters to the samaj/ mandir/ organisation/’sanstha’ u name it. Tried and tested by me! Jatin
December 14th, 2006 at 7:01 pm
Most people do things out of self interest.
Volunteering is never easy for anyone.
Work together (old fart and young radicals) or else be overrun by barbarians.
I once asked a sociologist why certain relgions are historically so powerful. His comment was that it is easy to destroy a tradition but hard to create one. Thus a new kid (christianity, islam, communism) can come and destroy the native culture and replace it with nonsense then walk away.
We don’t want that. Our elders are at least trying. We can help them, criticize them, but best of all work with them to make it better. If that doesn’t work, no worry. If your passion for Sanatana Dharma is so much greater than theirs you can make your own committee and do your own thing, then people will say, “wow, s/he’s got some good ideas.” Even the old farts may hold onto their gas a bit.
hariaum
January 17th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
well said Navin… I welcome all of you who are tired of the same old farts in the same old news papers, having their mug shots taken with the same old lying politicans to come up and join the “300″…
January 17th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
i fully agree with your sentiment-
you can add to that phenomenon also a keith vaz syndrome who speaks up and acts as sagent of many rich indians only -as if being memebr of parliament concers BCCI bank etc and lobbying only
his concern shown after racist behaviour shown to shilpa in big brother is opportunistic -has he ever bothered about many indians having racist abuse inside uk?
he cares for big name persons -and that is the way so called indians leaders act.