Businessman B K Modi, the newly elected working
president (external) of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, will
represent the organisation in the United Nations. He has
been authorised by the VHP to represent the organisation
and provide direction, guidance and assistance on all
matters outside the country to help fulfill its overall
objectives.
The organisation will urge the UN to intervene in
stopping conversions all over the world. Like the UN
Peace Keeping Force, Modi suggested the setting up of a
force of religious leaders to prevent conversions. He
further stated that no nation should send volunteers to
other countries.
''We will be propagating with the UN -- why cannot we
have a forum to create a force of religious leaders to
stop conversions? There should be an agreement
throughout the UN, like we have an agreement on banning
drugs and arms trade. Once the action is stopped, the
reaction will stop. We believe the UN should think on
these lines,'' clarified Modi. He however, said, ''What
we do inside our country, is different.''
Meanwhile, the VHP is planning a massive programme to
educate Indians in various foreign countries about
Hinduism. Modi said the organisation hoped to achieve
this by connecting ''every Indian home through
computers.''
Modi told reporters that the VHP had urged Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to display faith in god
whichever way he liked. ''In the United States, every
dollar bill has written on it In god do we trust,'' he
said. However, he did not comment if rupee notes should
follow the same model. "I was only giving an example,''
he clarified.
Modi felt the need for educating people in foreign
countries arose because they had a very confused notion
of Hinduism. ''People in the US are highly confused
about the Hindu religion. "Spiritualism takes a back
seat while ritualism takes the front seat. We have to
explain the spiritual side of Hinduism,'' stressed Modi.
He is of the view that unlike India, literacy among
overseas Indians was no problem but they needed teaching
in Hinduism and their own heritage.
Expressing happiness at the government's approval of the
People of Indian Origin Scheme for overseas Indians,
Modi wants the government to implement the scheme as
soon as possible. ''At least it is short of dual
citizenship and will meet the long standing demands of
overseas Indians.''
On whether the VHP also planned to form lobbies to
influence opinion in the US and other countries, Modi
said: ''Every Indian is a lobbyist for India. We will
ask every Indian to apply for PIO.''
The president said that time had come when the feeling
of vasudev kutukbakam had to be explained to the entire
world. A concept that was already becoming a reality
with the shrinking of boundaries due to expanding
communication. ''India has to offer the best to the
world,'' he added.
Modi pointed out the cause for this misunderstanding to
India's past links with the Soviet Union. He felt that
though it was purely for economic reasons, it was
believed Indians did not believe in god. Moreover, the
programme was also initiated because Indian abroad were
demanding some links with their heritage for a long
time.
He said interactive software system would contain
lectures by religious leaders and swamis on various
aspects of Hinduism. A religious teacher will be
employed to educate at least 5,,000 people. People could
participate in discussions and ask questions on a one to
one basis. ''With the help of religious leaders we will
explain to Hindus what Hinduism is. It has to be
explained in very simple terms,'' explained Modi.
The organisation also stated that its announcement about
the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya by 2001
was a way of saying that the people's religious feelings
could not ignored.
''The VHP had very clearly given a time frame. It is a
way of telling the court that you cannot play with
religious feelings of the people. Things cannot go on
for ever,'' emphasised Modi.
He said no country would believe that the matter could
not be solved by then. Modi also stated that political
agenda should be separated from the religious agenda.