The Vishva Hindu Parishad of South Africa (VHPSA) hosted the South African National Hindu Conference under the theme “United Communities; Stronger South Africa.” Held on November 9-10, 2024, at Durban’s Samskruti Kendra, the conference saw 300 delegates from 42 organisations and honored sannyasis from the Sannyasa Council come together to discuss Hindu unity and its role in building a stronger, inclusive South Africa.
Marking nearly three decades since the World Hindu Conference in Durban in 1995, the event focused on empowering the Hindu community to contribute more actively to South Africa’s political, economic, and cultural spheres. A key moment came with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s message of support, recognizing the significance of the conference for South Africa’s multicultural society.
Resolutions to Empower the Hindu Community
Two pivotal resolutions emerged from the conference:
1. Strengthening Representation and Advocacy
Delegates advocated for increased Hindu representation across government, administration, judiciary, diplomacy, police, armed forces, and other leadership domains. Proposed initiatives included:
- Establishing Hindu chaplaincies for government employees.
- Combating stereotypes in society and media.
- Enhancing educational support in the humanities and social sciences.
- Protecting South Africa’s indigenous religious and cultural heritage.
2. Formation of HOTA and Creation of a Hindu Fund
To unify Hindu organisations, the conference established the Hindu Organisations, Temples & Associations Forum (HOTA). Key objectives included:
- Setting up a Hindu Fund for political and social engagement.
- Creating media teams to counteract stereotypes.
- Combating religious conversions while promoting scholarships for Hindu students.
- Forming alliances with African Indigenous groups to preserve cultural heritage.
The conference featured an array of discussions on politics, economy, media, education, women, youth, and religious conversions. Highlights included:
- Deputy Minister of Environment Narend Singh stressed the necessity of Hindu unity to address societal challenges.
- Deputy Minister of Finance Ashor Nick Sarupen celebrated Hindu contributions to South African society, urging further integration of Hindu values.
- Smt. Shameen Thakur Rajbansi, former Member of Parliament, emphasised South Africa’s constitutional values, advocating for freedom of religion, non-racialism, and non-sexism as guiding principles for societal progress.
The opening ceremony featured the Ekatmata Mantra led by Sri Bongani Vrindavan, symbolising unity, and an African prayer by healer Larato Scherpenhuizen, fostering harmony across cultural and spiritual traditions.
Strategic Focus Areas
Media Reform: Delegates called for correcting widespread misrepresentation of Hindu Dharma, emphasising the role of media in shaping societal narratives.
Economic Engagement: The Lotus Economic Forum, led by Satish Komal, charted strategies for Hindu business contributions to South Africa’s economic growth.
Education and Leadership: Encouraging Hindu youth to pursue fields like political science, public administration, and media was a recurring theme, with a focus on building leaders who reflect Hindu values.
The conference’s recurring theme was the mainstreaming of Hindu values across all sectors of South African life. Discussions highlighted the importance of preserving and advancing Hindu Dharma politically, culturally, and spiritually while addressing challenges like religious conversions and media bias.
