A SINGLE umbrella organization is needed to represent the interest of the Hindu community here, Pandit Deonarine Liliah said Wednesday, as he made his contribution during a forum held by the Ministry of Social Cohesion with the Hindu Community.Liliah said it has always been his dream to see the unification of the Hindu Community. The division among the Hindu Community here became even more visible in 2015 when the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Viraat Sabha and the Guyana Pandits Council differed on the date to observe Diwali.

Viraat Sabha had agreed with the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Pandits Council that November 10, 2015 was the date to observe Diwali, but the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha had insisted that Diwali should have been celebrated on November 11, 2016.

Notably, there was no representative from the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha during the interactive session at NCERD. Minister of Social Cohesion Amna Ally, in responding to Pandit Liliah, endorsed his call for the further unification of all Hindu organisations.

The establishment of an umbrella organization is very important, she said, while noting that Viraat Sabha has been doing an outstanding job. “We have to come together or we will get nowhere,” Minister Ally posited. The Social Cohesion Minister said under her stewardship she will make every effort to unify Guyanese, despite their differences.

In addition to the establishment of an umbrella organization to represent all Hindu organizations, there was a call for the provision of a building to accommodate an Indian Museum.

Education Coordinator of Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organisation, Nirvanie Dadoat, emphasized the need for the Human Value System to be incorporated within the education system. She said for the past 10 years the spiritual organization has been trying to implement into the school system the human value of peace, love, truth, righteousness and non-violence.

Meanwhile, during the initial stage of the programme, the Ministry of Social Cohesion Programme Coordinator Sharon Patterson explained that the forum was being held in keeping with the Ministry’s mission to accomplish a society that works towards the well-being of all its members – thereby creating a sense of belonging and mutual trust, where everyone has the opportunity to achieve the good life.

President of the Viraat Sabha Pandit Ravindranath Persaud had also presented on “Hinduism and Nation Building.”

This is the third such meeting the Social Cohesion Ministry has had. In February, the Ministry met with representatives from the Islamic Community and subsequently with the Christian Community in March.

Since the establishment of the Social Cohesion Department, the Government has been placing attention on reducing extreme poverty; eliminating gender and geographic inequalities; fostering greater participation of political parties in national development; creating opportunities for fair employment and safety in the hinterland; and ensuring equal access to education.

(Svetlana Marshall)