Yuva Sangathan: Bringing Hindu Youth Together, by Shreyas Limaye
Hinduism is a unique religion and culture in more than one way. Its most remarkable characteristic is the tenacity with which this oldest surviving tradition has kept itself alive, vibrant and relevant through the passage of time, barbaric invasions and advent of newer ideas. The wisdom left upon by ]the ancient rishis (saints) and sadhus (sages) is still available in the form of countless scriptures: Vedas, Upanishads, Shrutis to name a few. The timeless tales of Ramayana and Mahabharata are told with the same enthusiasm through centuries.
As a practicing Hindu, the mere thought of being a part of this rich tradition, philosophy and way of life makes me proud and humble at the same time. I feel that a timeless treasure has been passed on to me and the least I can do is to understand it and pass it on to the coming generations. Living in the USA poses a varied set of hurdles in achieving this objective. It is time for Hindus to come together, understand our religion, make others aware about it and make a positive impact on the society. Interestingly, a lot of Hindus living in the USA feel this urge, and in the recent times, conscious efforts are being made to bring practicing Hindus together.
Today, numerous Hindu organizations are active allover America and they are doing commendable work in a variety of fields – culture, art, spirituality, humanitarian relief efforts – to name a few. Some organizations are established by and for the youth, with others have exclusive tracks for youth. Indeed, for any cause or movement, youth bring tremendous energy and new hope! They bring new ideas and newer initiatives on which the movement thrives. The cause of Hindu Sangathan is no exception! In this article, I would like to introduce some of the commendable efforts to bring Hindu youth together in the USA.
Undoubtedly, it is a task filled with challenges. The biggest challenge is that, ‘Hindu youth’ in America do not form a homogeneous group. Some of them have come from India for higher education or for jobs. Others are born and brought up in America. Some others, widely referred to as the one and a half generation Hindus are born in India, spent a few years of childhood there, and moved to the USA with their parents. Moreover, some youth, born to non-Hindu parents originally, got attracted to Hindu religion, culture and traditions. Apart from these differences in upbringing, other main differences include language, food habits, etc. It is a huge challenge for any organization to convince the youth to look beyond these superficial differences and to recognize the Dharma that unites us.
Sewa USA (www.sewausa.org) and Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (www.ekalvidya.org) are some of the organizations which have imbibed the Hindu principle of Nar Sewa Narayan Sewa (Serving Humanity is Serving God). Even more remarkably, they are prime examples of how the latent energy of Hindu Youth can be organized and channeled to achieve positive and in some instances – stunning results! Sewa USA is a branch of Sewa International – a worldwide service organization involved in numerous development and disaster-relief activities all over the world. Sewa USA has launched ‘Yuva for Sewa’ program for the youth. Participants in this program would get an opportunity to work in any of the healthcare or education related projects of Sewa International in India, US or Caribbean islands for up to 6 months depending upon availability. It is in fact a matter of pride for Hindus in Seattle that Shobhit Mathur – a Hindu Yuva (Sanskrit for youth) is the first volunteer for ‘Yuva for Sewa’! Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation runs one-teacher schools in villages of India with the noble aim of eradicating illiteracy in over 100,000 tribal and remote villages. They offer a program - ‘Ekal Adventure’ for youth. Youth interested in this program go to the remote villages in India and participate in the functioning of a school for a specific period of time.
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) (www.hssus.org) has a dedicated Yuva track to promote spiritual, social and cultural awareness among Hindu Youth. Hindu YUVA (www.hinduyuva.org) is a nationwide effort to bring Hindu Youth together. It is an excellent forum that provides opportunities to learn about Hindu heritage through various activities, events and projects. Hindu YUVA presents ample opportunities for self-development at the spiritual and professional level. University of Washington too has an Hindu YUVA chapter since past three years (http://students.washongton.edu/uwhsc).
The immediate missions of all these organizations differ from one another. However, essentially they all work for one central goal – ‘Yuva Sangathan’ - bringing Hindu youth together and making a positive impact on the society. Indeed, when today’s world is ridden with violence and intolerance along with many other problems, Hindu philosophy can provide a different alternative. Swami Vivekananda used to tell the youth, “Stand up and express the divinity with you. Arise, awake, sleep no more. With each of you there is the power to remove all wants and all miseries. Believe in this, that power will be manifested.” It is time for the Hindu youth to act on this message and realize his dream.
Shreyas Limaye is a PhD student at the Industrial Engineering department at University of Washington. You can reach him at shreyas@u.washington.edu
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