British Hindus

10 Hindu-origin MPs have been elected as MPs, following the 2024 UK General Elections.

Seema Malhotra (Labour), Gagan Mohindra (Conservatives), Navendu Mishra (Labour), Rishi Sunak (Conservatives), Lisa Nady (Labour) and Priti Patel (Conservatives) retained their constituencies.

Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservatives) and Kanishka Narayan (Labour) have been newly elected into the constituencies of Solihull West & Shirley and Vale of Glamorgan respectively. Uma Kumaran (Labour), is the first Tamil Origin woman to be elected into Parliament and represents the new constituency Stratford and Bow.

Shivani Raja is the only Conservative MP to have gained a constituency in the whole country. In Leicester East, she defeated the Independent candidate Claudia Webbe, a divisive figure who has voiced support for both Kashmiri and Khalistani separatists. This was Leicester East's first non-Labour win in 37 years and is significant because this area was the epicentre of the anti-Hindu attacks on homes and Hindu temples in Autumn 2022.

During their swearing-in ceremony, Shivani Raja, Rishi Sunak and Kanishka Narayan took oath on the Bhagavad Gita and Bob Blackman, who was re-elected as MP for Harrow East. Uma Kumaran also swore on the Bhagavad Gita on 16th July.

Guru Purnima is dedicated to offering gratitude to Gurus (Spiritual Masters). On this sacred day, Hindus around the world perform puja to their Guru and the parampara (lineage) of previous Gurus. The festival falls on the full moon day of Ashada. The full moon's brightness against the night sky symbolises the light of knowledge overcoming the darkness of ignorance; a process which a Guru facilitates. This festival is also the appearance day of Veda Vyasa - the Rishi (sage) who is credited with organising the spiritual wisdom of the Sanatan Dharma into the Vedas and other texts. Across different Hindu traditions, living Gurus are regarded as representatives of Vyasa and other Vedic Rishis. 

About the image:  Dakshinamurthi is one of the principal forms of Shiva who takes the form of the Guru. Across many Hindu traditions, Dakshinamurthi is regarded as the origin of the Guru tradition and from whom all systems of knowledge emerged. Dakshinamurthy faces south (Dakshina); the direction of death and hence teaches the ultimate wisdom on how to overcome the cycle of samsara.  

Image credits: Himalayan Academy

This month, Nikesh Mehta (OBE) will take up his position as British High Commissioner to the Republic of Singapore. Nikesh’s mother was among the many Hindus who restarted their lives in the UK after being expelled from Uganda.

Between 2022 and 2024 Nikesh served as the Director for Policy and Requirements in the UK’s National Security Community. Nikesh’s career with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office started in 2002. He has had postings in Iraq, Uganda, Malaysia and South Korea. In Uganda he reported on the 20-year conflict between the Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army and in Malaysia, he led the British response to the Malaysia Airlines disasters (2014 and 2015). Nilesh led the British Embassy in South Korea during the challenging period of COVID-19 (2018 to 2022). A highlight of his time in South Korea was facilitating the K-pop band Blackpink to agree to work with the British government on climate action.

Singapore is home to a large Hindu diaspora, with Hinduism first arriving on the island from India in 7th Century CE. Currently, 5% of Singapore's population are Hindu.

In 2014, the late Queen awarded Nikesh an OBE for his contribution to British foreign policy and diversity.



How do you feel about Nikesh Mehta's appointment as British High Commissioner to the Republic of Singapore?

On 8th January 2024, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS), one of the oldest and largest Hindu Umbrella organisations in the Caribbean, marked its 50th anniversary. Led by the late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, GHDS was formed in 1974 to unite Hindu communities across Guyana when the country was undergoing political turmoil.

Since its inception, the GHDS has supported the preservation of Hindu dharma through its network of 100+ affiliated temples and a branch in the USA, home to a sizable Guyanese Hindu community.
The organisation has taken steps to ensure Hinduism remains relevant to contemporary society through educational initiatives, such as tailored activities for children, its own nursery and primary school as well as a programme to train local Pandits. GHDS organises one of the largest Diwali celebrations in the Americas and has preserved traditional Hindu folk music through several cultural festivals. GHDS is active in national media through dedicated TV and radio programmes. The Sabha has also developed a shelter and support facility for child victims of abuse.

Home to the descendants of indentured labourers from India, Guyana is home to one of the oldest Hindu diaspora communities in the
West.

Majid Novsarka, also known as Majid Freeman, has been charged with encouragement of terrorism and supporting a proscribed organisation, Leicestershire Police said.

Majid is well known for being platformed by mainstream media organisations during the anti-Hindu riots in Leicester in 2022. Before the riots, Majid used his social media reach to post false stories of mosques being attacked, Hindu men trying to kidnap Muslim girls and a "Quran desecration". These were then used to instigate violence against Hindus, resulting in several Hindu homes being attacked and Hindu flags on the premises of Hindu temples being burned.

Shockingly, the BBC, Guardian, Sky, ITV and Daily Mail either quoted Majid Freeman or interviewed him. In some cases, they presented Majid as a community hero in Leicester, despite his extreme anti-Hindu bias.

In 2023 Majid attended several Hindu celebrations, such as Ganesh Chaturthi, where he posted videos of Hindu families and children celebrating. In one video he complained to the police about the presence of a Hanuman flag and an India flag, stating that they shouldn't be flown in public.



Should mainstream media organisations have given a terrorist supporter a voice?

Ratha Yatra, the festival of chariots, involves the presiding deity of a temple going on a procession in a wooden chariot pulled through the surrounding streets. The timing of this festival varies between temples. Here in the UK, South Indian temples that follow ancient Agama traditions hold Ratha Yatras through the spring and summer months. The most famous Ratha Yatra is of Shri Jagannath in Puri, where three giant wooden chariots, the size of temples, are re-constructed annually for a festival that spans nine days.

Puri is one of the Char-Dhams, four key centres of Hindu spirituality located in the four corners of Bharat. At the heart of this sacred city is the temple of divine siblings- Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra. Though popularly understood as Krishna, Jagannath is also regarded as form Shiva, Kali, Surya and Ganesh and hence the Puri temple is a unique confluence of all major Hindu sects. The pan-Hindu importance of this temple and the grandeur of its Ratha Yatra has inspired Hindu communities worldwide to hold Jagannath Ratha Yatras in their locality. Hence, it has developed into a pan-Hindu festival no longer confined to the streets of Puri.

On the same day (Ashada Shukla Dwiti), Hindus in Kutch also mark their New Year, known locally as Ashaadi Beej. Part of the modern Indian state of Gujarat, Kutch developed a language and culture distinct from the rest of Gujarat due to geographic isolation.

Image Courtesy of - Glasgow Ratha Yatra

On Friday, 28 June 2024, Asian Voice in collaboration with the City Hindus Network and the City Sikhs, held a political hustings for the run-up to the UK General Election. When a member of the audience posed a question to Anneliese Dodds on the presence of MPs in the Labour Party who hold anti-Hindu/anti-India views, the Chair of the Labour Party responded that she was ‘unaware’ of any such views. Annaliese Dodds's response promoted sharp criticism from the audience.

In 2019 days after India annulled article 370 Liam Byrne (then MP for Hodge Hill Birmingham) was one of several Labour MPs who came out to condemn India and took a pro-Pakistan stance on the Kashmir issue, failing to discuss the plight of Hindus and other minorities in the region. Liam participated in a pro-Pakistan protest outside the India embassy in London which turned violent and aggressive. In 2020, the APPG for Kashmir received £33k from the Pakistan Government for a trip Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Sam Tarry was also involved in making false accusations against Sadhvi Ritamabarji whose planned trip to the UK in 2022 was targeted by Islamists which culminated in the attack on the Durga Bhawan temple in Birmingham.

In 2022, the Labour Mayor of Leicester, Peter Soulsby, met with Majid Freeman, one of the key instigators of the Leicester riots. Peter blamed Hindus for the violence and ignored the impact of Islamic extremism.
In 2021, the local election in Batley and Spen was marred with anti-India rhetoric and local Labour MP Kim Leadbeater upon pressure from a local Islamic group wrote to the Home Secretary to blame Leicester riots on 'Hindutva'. In 2021, the Labour MP from Birmingham Preet Kaur Gill made a series of provocative tweets where she falsely referred to an unidentified man involved in an altercation in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab as being a Hindu 'Hindu terrorist'.

On the same evening of 28th June, Keir Starmer on a visit to the Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury talked about there being no place for Hinduphobia in the UK

Conservative candidate for Dudley North, Marco Longhi, recently made news for Hinduphobic and racist comments against his Labour Rival. He recently sent a leaflet to his Pakistani voters in Dudley, the West Midlands constituency he standing in, which outlined his support for Kashmiri separatism.

The Conservative MP has also been accused of racism and Hinduphobia for his comment, "Who will speak for Kashmir in Parliament? "Will it be me, or Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate Sonia KUMAR?". In the letter, the name Kumar is underlined and printed in uppercase letters in an obvious attempt to point out Ms Kumar's Hindu and Indian identity.

Marco Longhi's letter drew criticism from members of the British Hindu community who called upon Rishi Sunak and his party to suspect this candidate. So far, the Conservative Party has not acted on this incident, leaving many British Hindus disappointed with the Conservative leadership for not standing against Hinduphobia. Mr Longhi defended his comments when he told GB News: “This is politics. Do you want someone who has consistently been supportive of Kashmiris where there have been human rights abuses, or do you want someone called Sonia Kumar who no one has ever heard of?”



Should Marco Longhi be suspended from running as an MP?

In February 2024, the Billionaire Ambani family made global headlines with the pre-wedding party of Anant Ambani and finance Radhika Merchant held in India and attended by a list of 1200 A-listers. A noteworthy aspect of the event and the upcoming wedding in July, are the family's efforts to express their Hindu identity proudly.  Mother of the groom, Nita Ambani is taking the lead in raising the profile of traditional Indic arts during this wedding and its pre-events. 

At February's party, Nita Ambani demonstrated her enthusiasm for Hindu arts when she took to the stage with a troupe to perform a carefully choreographed devotional dance in honour of Durga, drawing upon multiple traditions from across Bharat. Dancers performed in Bharatanatyam style (from Tamil Nadu) to a rendition of the Vishvambari Stavan (a Gujarati hymn to Durga). The stage was designed to resemble the classical temple architecture of Northern India with a backdrop featuring a painting of Durga created in the Kalighat style from Bengal and a large Murthi of Ganesh that is native to Maharashtra.  

Image used under Copyright fair use from Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre's video on Youtube.




How do you feel about celebrities using their platform to promote Hindu culture?

Join us this Friday at 8pm to learn about the history of Hindus in Northern Ireland. We are joined by Sanjay Ghosh, a long time resident of Belfast (NI), who'll talk us through the general history of Northern Ireland, Hindu/Indian migration over past few decades and the communities that makes up NI today.

Sanjay is a prominent social worker and the founder and CEO of ImageNation NI. This organization is committed to the integration, celebration, innovation, and support of the Indian community in Belfast. Through ImageNation NI, Sanjay has created a vibrant platform that fosters unity and cultural exchange, making significant strides in promoting diversity and inclusion in Northern Ireland.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Sanjay was shortlisted for the Minority Recognition Awards NI in 2023. Moreover, he has received the prestigious Social Activist Award through the Bharat Bhagya Vidhata Mahatma Gandhi Award in 2024.

Beyond his role at ImageNation NI, Sanjay works as a Quality Controller for a healthcare company in Northern Ireland.

Hindus for Democracy launched their campaign for the UK General Election on July 4, 2024. In addition to releasing the Hindu Manifesto 2024, the group has issued guidance for how Hindu temples and charities can engage with the General Election. Politics is sometimes viewed as a taboo subject amongst many British Hindus and many Hindu temples and community organisations actively avoid engaging in politics. This is driven by the misconception that it is illegal for places of worship and other charitable organisations to be involved in politics.

The Hindus for Democracy website has issued clear guidelines to dispel myths about what temples and other charities can or cannot do. Charitable organisations can encourage the public to register to vote and explain the importance of the democratic process. Moreover, they are also able to explain how members of the public can apply for postal voting. Whilst charities cannot fund, canvas, campaign for or promote any political party, they can host a husting on their premises provided all parties contesting in the constituency are invited and given equal voice. Hindus for Democracy also highlights how Hindu organisations can use their platform to promote the Hindu Manifesto 2024. 

Over the past week, Hindu communities in Basingstoke, Leeds North East, Reading Central, Southall, Sutton, Leicester East and Warwick & Leamington Spa have held hustings to hear how their local candidates stand on Hindu concerns.

Visit for more details.

15th April 2024: Rachel Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton South met with members of Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front UK (JKLF UK) to discuss the trial of a notorious terrorist, Yasin Malik, that is taking place in India. In the meeting that was held in Parliament, Rachel expressed her support for the release of Yasin Malik, who in May 2022 was convicted of terrorism charges.

With its goal to separate Jammu & Kashmir from India, JKLF under the leadership of Yasin Malik has been banned in India for its terrorist activity in the region. In addition to being one of the terrorist groups involved in the ethnocide of Kashmir's Hindu population, JKLF stands accused of killing Kashmiri Muslims who supported religious pluralism, liberalism and unity with India. In 1984, UK-based militants associated with JKLF carried out the kidnapping and murder of Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre in Birmingham.

In 1989/1990, over 350,000 indigenous Kashmiri Hindus were forced to leave their homes after seeing their leaders, colleagues and family members being subjected to murder, r**e or kidnapping. Islamist terrorist groups had become emboldened with numerous Kashmiri Muslims crossing the Line of Actual Control (notional demarcation line) from India into Pakistan to receive weapons training. Although the majority of Kashmiri Hindus left their livelihoods behind at the end of 1989 and the start of 1990, the majority of Hindus who remained were systematically persecuted. This traumatic period in our history left 350,000+ Hindus displaced, 1300+ murdered and now 99% of Kashmiri Hindus live outside of their homeland in Kashmir.



Should the UK clamp down on Anti-Hindu terror groups?

On 4th February 2023, the Utkala Ghana Association inaugurated the newly constructed Shree Jagannath Mandir in Accra. The temple is a replica of Sri Mandira in Puri (Odisha), one of the Char Dham temples. Murtis of Jagannath and other deities were installed by a team of pujaris who travelled from Puri. The West African nation of Ghana is notable for its large population of Indigenous Ghanaians who embraced Hinduism under the influence of the late Swami Ghanananda. The founding of the Jagannath temple, however, was spearheaded by Bharatiya Hindus originating from the eastern state of Odisha, making this a notable milestone for Diaspora Hinduism.

Most traditionally constructed temples in the diaspora reflect the architectural style of Rajasthan-Gujarat or Southern Bharat, due to the large population of Hindus from Gujarat, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Telugu States. The temple in Accra is one of few diaspora temples built in the Kalinga style that is native to Odisha. Though Odiyas are one of the smaller communities in the contemporary Hindu diaspora, traders and sailors from Odisha played a critical role in the expansion of Hinduism into South East Asia from the 3rd century CE and influenced the development of Hindu temples in countries such as Cambodia.



Should Hindus around the world visit Ghana?

Via

"The Hindu community in the UK comprises more than 1 million people, contributing significantly to the UK economy through taxes, healthcare, education, and business. We are hardworking, self-sufficient, and well-behaved citizens. However, despite our achievements, we lack a unified voice in shaping policies and legislation. We are underrepresented in media, academia and politics. We have to recognise the importance of politics, even though it’s often considered a taboo topic in our community. It’s time for change. The upcoming UK General Election on July 4, 2024, presents a crucial opportunity. Let’s make our voices heard, hold candidates accountable, and actively participate in shaping our nation’s future. It’s not just our right - it’s our duty."

Join us this Tuesday at 8pm (UK) to learn about the role of young British Hindus in politics and how they are making an impact that benefits all.

We are joined by Dhrishti Bhardwaj (aged 17), who is Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament from Dumbarton and the Vale. She has played a key role in launching a summer camp for kids under 18 in her region. She's also been a strong advocate for addressing food poverty, specifically focusing on the challenge of young people experiencing hunger at school.

She is also a member of the Scottish Hindu Youth Foundation. She recently gave a Keynote speech at the Future Leaders Forum an event attached to the Scottish Hindu Foundations Dharmocracy Works initiative, aimed at Scottish Hindus and political engagement.

She champions youth volunteering and has a passion for making a change for all communities.

Jyeshta Ashtami (Zyeth Atham in Kosur) marks the annual pilgrimage to Tulmul (Kashmir, India) in honour of Kheer Bhavani the Kuladevi (clan deity) of many Kashmiri families. Devi Kheer Bhavani was worshipped in Lanka and was brought to Kashmir by Hanuman due to the fall of Ravan. After the 14th century when Kashmir was invaded by Muslim conquerors, ancient temples were destroyed, and many were replaced with mosques and graveyards (Sita Ram Goel lists 52 sites).

With sustained persecution of Kashmiri Hindus, most of these temples remain derelict or under occupation. The Kheer Bhavani temple is one of few to have been re-built and is now active. After being driven out of Kashmir in 1990 and unable to return for the annual pilgrimage, Kashmiri Hindu refugees across India and the diaspora, started local celebrations of Jyeshtha Ashtami, including here in the UK. These celebrations embody the resilience Hindus have shown in the face of persecution. Hindus have survived, resisted and later re-claimed by drawing strength and inspiration from their Devatas. Even with temples destroyed and physical murtis smashed, invaders could not destroy the faith of Hindus. In 1898, Swami Vivekananda spent a week meditating at the temple. Back then the temple was derelict and whilst reflecting on its condition, the Swami had a vision of the Devi who reminded him of her enduring presence.

Jyeshta Ashtami 2024 sadly is marred by the 9th of June terrorist attack on Hindu pilgrims on their way to Vaishno Devi temple (Jammu). The brutal murder of 9 innocent Hindu pilgrims; including a 2-year-old, is a reminder that the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir is motivated by an expansionist and extremist ideology that seeks to eradicate the Indigenous Hindu identity from the region.

Image credit: Shivansh.ganjoo via Wikimedia Commons

Music by

Numerous British Hindu organisations have come together to launch the Hindu Manifesto 2024, before the UK General Election which takes place on 4th July 2024. The Manifesto gives seven assurances that the British Hindu Community seeks from parliamentary candidates and the future government. These assurances aim to ensure the protection, promotion and progress of Hindu values and interests within the broader fabric of British society. The Seven assurances outlined in the Hindu Manifesto UK 2024 are: ⁠

1. Recognising anti-Hindu hate as a religious hate crime, and proscribing organisations and individuals engaged in it
2. Protecting places of Hindu worship
3. Access to fairer education
4. Equal representation and opportunities for Hindus
5. Streamlining immigration
6. Healthcare and social care
7. Acknowledging and protecting Dharmic values

Hindu Community Organisations are encouraging parliamentary candidates to engage with and endorse this manifest. The team behind this manifesto, Hindus For Democracy, stress that the seven assurances are asking for British Hindus to be treated any differently or seeking any provisions that do not exist in existing UK law.

Despite the enormous contribution Hindus have made to the British economy, education, and health system and the success with which they have integrated into wider society, the Hindu voice has largely remained absent or misrepresented in the political sphere.

So far, four candidates have endorsed the manifesto, namely, Bob Blackman (Harrow East), Rajesh Singh (Reading Central), Robert Buckland (Swindon South) & Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet)

Visit hindusfordemocracy.org.uk or for more details.



Will you be asking your local candidates to endorse the Hindu Manifesto?

Do you know about the history of Hindus in Scotland?

Whilst a majority of Hindus in the UK live in regions such as London and Manchester, there are thriving communities in Scotland too.
In this Live, Rhishay Sinha will shed a light on the fascinating history of Hindus in Scotland.

Rhishay is a Civil Engineering student at the University of Glasgow and is the Founding President of Hindu society at the university. He has also Co-authored a small book named ‘Hindus in Scotland Then and Now’, soon to be available in Hindu Sahitya Kendra bookshop in Leicester and on Amazon.

Ten Hindu pilgrims have been murdered and 33 others were injured during a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. Terrorists shot at the bus carrying Hindu pilgrims, who were returning from the Shiv Khori Mandir, a popular Hindu shrine in the region which is dedicated to Shiva. The bus rolled down a gorge following the attack.

Terror attacks on Hindus have occurred in Jammu & Kashmir for decades but heightened in the late 1990s. In 1989/1990, over 350,000 indigenous Kashmiri Hindus were forced to leave their homes after seeing their leaders, colleagues and family members being subjected to murder, r**e or kidnapping. Islamist terrorist groups had become emboldened with numerous Kashmiri Muslims crossing the Line of Actual Control (notional demarcation line) from India into Pakistan to receive weapons training. Although the majority of Kashmiri Hindus left their livelihoods behind at the end of 1989 and the start of 1990, the majority of Hindus who remained were systematically persecuted. This traumatic period in our history left 350,000+ Hindus displaced, 1300+ murdered and now 99% of Kashmiri Hindus live outside of their homeland in Kashmir.

More recently, Hindus in the UK have expressed their objections to links between British MPs and Kashmiri Islamist groups operating in the UK. In April 2024, Rachel Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton South met with members of Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front UK (JKLF UK) to discuss the trial of terrorist Yasin Malik that is taking place in India. In the meeting that was held in Parliament, Rachel expressed her support for the release of Yasin Malik, who in May 2022 was convicted on terrorism charges. Rachel is one of several MPs who has links with groups who are complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus in 1990 and continue to carry out terror attacks on Hindus living in the region today.



Do Western media outlets cover attacks on Hindus adequately?

In the 1980s, the Indian state of Punjab experienced political turmoil, caused by a political conflict between Sikh separatists and the Congress Party running India’s Central Government. The conflict culminated in an attack on the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) by the Indian Army on 6th June 1984, which the Indian Government claimed was provoked by armed Sikh separatists who were living in the Temple complex. Many innocent civilians, mainly Sikhs, lost their lives in the violence that followed.

Despite the insurgency of the 1980s, Pew Research Survey in 2021 showed that a near-universal share of Sikhs say they are very proud to be Indian (95%), and the vast majority (70%) say a person who disrespects India cannot be a Sikh. Like India’s other religious groups, most Sikhs (14%) do not see evidence of widespread discrimination against their community in Hindu-majority India.

Hindus were also hugely affected by this conflict, as some Sikh separatist groups proposed that Punjab should become a Sikh theocracy called Khalistan. In 1981 Lala Jagat Narain, an 82-year-old Hindu newspaper editor was murdered after publicly standing up to anti-Hindu rhetoric by Sikh separatist groups. This was followed by a series of coordinated attacks against Hindus in Punjab, which continued into the early 1990s. Hindus were pulled out of trains and buses and shot dead. Wedding processions, religious events and Hindu-dominated neighbourhoods were targeted. Hostilities led to thousands of Hindu and Sikh families fleeing Punjab as the state became more and more dangerous to live in. Hindus were pulled out of trains and buses to be shot dead, with numerous wedding processions, religious events and Hindu-dominated neighbourhoods being targeted. Many Sikhs who opposed Sikh Separatists were also murdered, such as Giani Partap Singh, an 80-year-old Sikh religious leader who was murdered in the Harmandir Sahib complex itself. Police crackdowns on insurgents in Punjab often resulted in casualties, with many Sikh families reporting that their relatives were picked up by the police never to return.