Paul Goggins, Home Office Minister for Communities, said, ?The Home Office is delighted to support the Connecting British Hindus Research Programme. It is important to empower communities to undertake such research projects because they are most likely to understand issues within their communities.
?We look forward to the findings to be released by the Hindu Forum of Britain and Runnymede Trust later this year. Projects like these add to the Home Office goal of building safe, just and cohesive communities where people from all faiths can live together as active citizens.?
Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain said: ?Although community organisations have an understanding of the range of issues and problems faced by Hindu, there has been no credible in-depth research conducted with a view to identifying priority areas for Government engagement.
Unless, the Government has credible data and information collected and analysed about the community, giving due importance to regional variations and cultural diversity within the community itself, it will be difficult to allocate resources in the future in a manner that will be effective, productive and beneficial to the grassroots community.?
Dr Robert Berkeley, Deputy Director of the Runnymede Trust added: ?There is very little evidence about the experiences and needs of Hindu community groups and organisations and so alongside the e-survey the project is engaging with members of Hindu communities across the country through Focus groups in London, Leicester, Birmingham and Preston, telephone interviews as well as reviewed of existing research.?
The Hindu Forum of Britain claims a membership of over 270 Hindu organisations from different regions and cultural backgrounds in Britain.
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