Bringing Communities Together: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh New Zealand

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Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh of New Zealand (popularly known as HSSNZ) may be among the youngest of Hindu organisations globally, Cpired by RSS. Like many other Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh in different Nawn way of organising the Hindu society there, and also work with local countries outside Bharat that I have studied, HSSNZ too had to find its communities. It is low population, low density and well spread out country with Bharatiya people residing majorly in Auckland, but also distributed in smaller cities which are remotely located with very low Hindu population. The organisation stood up on its own trial and run model with some innovative ways to bring new members into the organisation. It even devised its own ways of celebrating Hindu festivals. It is fascinating to understand how they have been able to get positive recognition by the nation and its people. Before we get to understand the story of HSSNZ, I would like to give a better idea about "Pravasi Bharatiya' or Indian diaspora spread around the world. Hindus have been seafarers since thousands of years and traded with a large number of countries thus having a lion's share of world trade. The presence of murtis of Hindu Gods around the world from China and Japan to Iraq to Europe, and of course entire South East Asia. There are thousands of years old Hindu and Buddhist temples in China and Japan. Similarities of customs and rituals among many communities of the Americas and Bharatiya people are amazing, so are the similarities between Sanskrit and various European languages. International Centre for Cultural Studies ICCS) organises International Conference of Elders of Ancient Cultures and Traditions since 2003 every three years. I have attended many of these conferences. Scholars of these traditions share their cultural and religious practices, and their world views in these conferences. It is astoundin, how close they are to each other. The earliest accounts of the Indian presence on the eastern coast of Africa are found in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, written in the first century AD by an anonymous author. Through this and other writings, it is evident that Indian merchants had been plying their trade through the Indian Ocean since the days of ancient Babylon, and had even established trading posts along the coast of East Africa. Grand Hindu and Boudhha temples in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos tell their own stories. Earliest documented migrations took place during southern Bharat kings' times to south east Asia. Marriages between royals of the southern Bharat and south east Asman kingdoms are recorded in history. Sanjeev Sanyal in his book, The Ocean Of Churn, notes evidence of busy sea routes from south of Bharat to as far as China via erstwhile Kalinga on one side, and from South of Bharat to African continent and Arabian countries like Oman. However, Bharatiyas went into a shell after brutal invasions from North West region of Bharat for nearly 800 years followed by colonisation of nearly two hundred years by the British that weakened and nearly destroyed the spirit of Bharatiyata (sense of nationhood as an Indian /Bharatiya). So much so, that a dubious command of unknown origin told Hindus not to cross the seas. It showed how the adventurous spirit of Bharatiyas had been snuffed out to somehow survive as a society. Hindu society broke out of this shell when Chhatrapati Shivaji rose and formed his own Navy. The migrations out of Bharat in the current history were forced upon Bharatiyas by the British in 1830s as they needed cheap bonded labour in the farms of colonised countries in the Indian Ocean rim and as far as the Caribbeans.

Dr Ratan Sharda has been awarded PhD for his research on RSS-Understanding RSS through its Resolutions, with Focus on North East, Punjab & Jammu Kashmir. Born in Mumbai in December 1954, he graduated from St. Xavier's College Mumbai and completed his post- graduation from Mumbai University. He also holds a Diploma in Textile Chemistry, and has had varied business experience as an ERP consultant for 34 years. He is a well-known face on Bharat's major TV channels as a political analyst and is a popular podcaster. He has written 11 books in English and Hindi, of which 7 are on RSS, and edited/designed 17 books. He has translated 2 books on second Sarsanghchaalak of RSS, Param Poojaniya Guruji, written by veteran RSS thinker Ranga Hari ji. His trilogy RSS360- Demystifying Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, RSS - Evolution from an Organisation to a Movement & Conflict Resolution - The RSS Way, is considered as the best introduction to RSS. His 'Sangh & Swaraj' is a well-researched concise document about RSS role during freedom struggle. His books have been translated in 7 Bharatiya languages. Ratan Sharda has been an RSS member since his childhood, having worked in the organisation from local to national level. He also worked as an ABVP member during the Emergency of 1975-77 and was jailed as Gen Sec of the College Students' Union. Sharda was a founder secretary of the Vishwa Adhyayan Kendra (Centre for International Studies), Mumbai for eight years. He advises many educational and social service organisations. He has travelled widely in Bharat and in 26 countries overseas. He had a ring side view of HSS as his paternal uncle, JC Sharda Shastri ji was instrumental in starting the first shakha outside Bharat, and Sharda has been involved in many programmes of HSS. He is currently busy writing a series on history of HSS in various countries.

Hindus have been seafarers since thousands of years and traded with large number of countries thus having a lion's share of world trade. The presence of murtis of Hindu Gods around the world from China and Japan to Iraq to Europe, and of course entire South East Asia. There are thousands of years old Hindu and Buddhist temples in China and Japan. Similarities of customs and rituals among many communities of the Americas and Bharatiya people are amazing, so are the similarities between Sanskrit and various European languages. International Centre for Cultural Studies ICCS) organises International Conference of Elders of Ancient Cultures and Traditions since 2003 every three years. I have attended many of these conferences. Scholars of these traditions share their cultural and religious practices, and their world views in these conferences. It is astounding how close they are to each other. The earliest accounts of the Indian presence on the eastern coast of Africa are found in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, written in the first century AD by an anonymous author. Through this and other writings, it is evident that Indian merchants had been plying their trade through the Indian Ocean since the days of ancient Babylon, and had even established trading posts along the coast of East Africa. Grand Hindu and Boudhha temples in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos tell their own stories. Earliest documented migrations took place during southern Bharat kings' times to South East Asia. Marriages between royals of the southern Bharat and South East Asian kingdoms are recorded in history. Sanjeev Sanyal in his book, The Ocean Of Churn, notes evidence of busy sea routes from south of Bharat to as far as China via erstwhile Kalinga on one side, and from South of Bharat to African continent and Arabian countries like Oman. However, Bharatiyas went into a shell after brutal invasions from North West region of Bharat for nearly 800 years followed by colonisation of nearly two hundred years by the British that weakened and nearly destroyed the spirit of Bharatiyata. So much so, that a dubious command of unknown origin told Hindus not to cross the seas. It showed how the adventurous spirit of Bharatiyas had been snuffed out to somehow survive as a society. Hindu society broke out of this shell when Chhatrapati Shivaji rose and formed his own Navy. The migrations out of Bharat in the current history were forced upon Bharatiyas by the British in 1830s as they needed cheap bonded labour in the farms of colonised countries in the Indian Ocean rim and as far as the Caribbean region. These migrations were not a trickle, but a massive stream when thousands of Bharatiyas were sent to their colonies like Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Guyana etc. It continued till 1917. They were sent out after signing a contract that forced them to surrender all their civil rights. To this, add migrations happening quietly mostly from southern part of Bharat to Malaysia and Indonesia over a longer period, some having become part of the soil since the landing of Chola kings, while some migrated later. The next wave was voluntary migration to many African countries in East Africa with prospects of better salaries in the infrastructure projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and also South Africa. Many Bharatiyas went as teachers and clerks in government jobs. These migrations are around 150+ year old. Surprisingly, many Bharatiyas, notably Sikhs, landed up in USA as farmers owning huge tracts of farm lands there. Some reached Canada. The infamous Komatagaru incidence is from that period; such was the urge to move out of wretched conditions in Bharat imposed by the colonialists.