Hindu YUVA at UC Berkeley hosted a highly successful dialogue on March 3, 2024 focusing on the evolution of the Indian (Bharatiya) Civilization and its relevance for Hindu Americans. J Sai Deepak, an eminent lawyer of the Supreme Court of India and a best-selling author, presented the importance of Bharat’s cultural renaissance, bias against native scholars, and the role of Hindu Americans in being ambassadors for a decolonized Hindu Dharma.
Over 200 students from UC Berkeley and members of Hindu YUVA attended the dialogue and engaged in a meaningful and enriching conversation spanning the history of Hindus as a civilization, the role of Hindutva in the current socio-political landscape of India, and the relationship between India – the postcolonial nation-state and Bharat, the birthplace of Hindu civilization that Indian diaspora in the US draws its inspiration from. J Sai Deepak shared, “The survival of the Hindu Dharma in the mothership [Bharat] and outside, will serve as an inspiration to all other indigenous cultures trying to regain and revive themselves.” The open Q&A provided an opportunity for students to question and understand the mentioned topics related to their identity at a deeper level.
We at Hindu YUVA have always welcomed those who have contrasting viewpoints with openness and engaged in a process of constructive dialogue rooted in mutual respect and appreciation to provide a learning opportunity for all those involved. The intention to invite expert speakers who represent varying viewpoints is to create an environment where we learn and become more aware of multiple perspectives by rigorously questioning each other. Although there were student groups blatantly calling for disrupting and denying us an opportunity to organize ourselves and create a safe space for all students at Berkeley, we welcomed members of their student groups to attend and even ask questions during the extended Q&A sessions.
The executive board of Hindu YUVA at UC Berkeley stated, “we want to highlight the support and protection that the University police, fellow student organization allies, and the large vibrant and beautiful UC Berkeley community that we have all come to love and call home.” Although we welcome their right to oppose the speaker’s viewpoint in the spirit of a vibrant, liberal, and just student community at Berkeley, we strongly condemn the hateful and narrow-minded Hinduphobic narrative built in the last few days while refusing to engage in a dialogue. As enshrined in our fundamental values as Hindus, we continue to celebrate plurality of viewpoints through our initiatives at over 75 university campuses, by practicing, promoting, preserving, and protecting Hindu Dharma and Culture. We at Hindu YUVA will continue to be the voice of reason, dialogue, and safety for Hindu students and the entire student community at large.
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Hindu YUVA (Youth for Unity, Virtues, and Action) aims to preserve, protect, promote, and practice Hindu Dharma on university campuses across North America.
Contact:
Viswajith Mallampati
Hindu YUVA USA
3476744638
[email protected]
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.
