Georgia has become the first US state that has condemned anti-Hindu bigotry. The US state passed a resolution in which it said that Hinduism is one of the world's largest and oldest religions with over 1.2 billion adherents in over 100 countries and encompasses an array of diverse traditions and belief systems with values of acceptance, mutual respect, and peace.
Condemning Hinduphobia, Representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones from Forsyth County in the suburbs of Atlanta introduced the resolution. Georgia's resolution observed that the American-Hindu community has been a major contributor to diverse sectors such as medicine, science, and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, academia, manufacturing, energy, and retail trade, among others.
It highlighted the Hindu community's contributions of Yoga, ayurveda, meditation, food, music, and arts have enriched the cultural fabric and has been widely adopted in American society and enhanced the lives of millions.
However, there have been documented instances of hate crimes against Hindu Americans over the last few decades in many parts of the country, the resolution pointed.
A move in this regard was spearheaded by the Atlanta chapter of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), which organised the first-ever Hindu Advocacy Day held on March 22 at the Georgia State Capitol. It was attended by around 25 lawmakers -- both Republicans and Democrats -- who joined the Hindu community to understand its concerns, pledge to create ways to protect the community against discrimination, and facilitate the inclusion of Hindu voices in important decision-making processes in the state.
“It was a true honor to work with Rep McDonald and Rep Jones as well as other lawmakers who guided us through the whole process of getting this County Resolution passed,” said Rajeev Menon, CoHNA vice president.
“We also heard that all the lawmakers had been working really long hours given the number of legislative items on the agenda, but still decided to join us at the Advocacy Day to show how much they value the Hindu community,” he said.
CoHNA general secretary Shobha Swamy said, “The issues faced by Hindu Americans in Georgia and the rest of the country via false, Hinduphobic narratives are negatively impacting a community that has been hardworking, law-abiding, and enriching the fabric of America.”
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