A Hindu Manifesto UK 2024, framed by major Hindu organisations across the UK including INSIGHT UK, NHSF UK, HSS, Hindu Council UK and many more, was released by the umbrella group Hindus for Democracy in the lead up to the UK General Election on July 4.
Now, the organisation aims to build on that successful community engagement and here it spells out its vision as it congratulates the newly elected representatives in the House of Commons.
The General Election for the 59th House of Commons in the UK Parliament have recently concluded. It is inspiring to see that approximately 29 Indian-origin MPs have been elected to this parliament from various parties, with many of them being British Hindus. This is a testament to the high degree of political engagement and commitment of the Indian and Hindu communities in the UK towards nation-building. The Hindus for Democracy (HfD), a coalition of many Hindu organisations in the United Kingdom aims to increase this community engagement at the grassroot level with the polity of the nation so that it is fairly represented in the policy making arena and its concerns fairly addressed in a timely manner.
The HfD coalition presented the Hindu Manifesto 2024 to the candidates, as a unified voice of the Hindu community. We extend heartfelt gratitude to all its member organisations of the HfD coalition for drafting the UK's first collective Hindu Manifesto. We deeply appreciate the efforts of all Hindu mandirs, organisations, and volunteers who worked tirelessly to disseminate the manifesto across every constituency and engage with candidates. We are grateful to all the candidates, across parties as well as the Independents, who have endorsed the Hindu Manifesto 2024 and assured their unwavering support to address issues documented in the Manifesto.
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For the first time in the UK's history, the HfD and its members hosted multiple Hindu hustings across the country, including in Warrington, Leeds, Carlisle, Sheffield Hallam, Leicester, Warwick and Leamington Spa, Sutton and Cheam, Reading, Southall, and Basingstoke. In these events, parliamentary candidates of various parties addressed and answered questions from their Hindu constituents. We express profound appreciation and gratitude to all the volunteers and organisations who made these hustings possible and the candidates who engaged with us.
We also campaigned actively to increase Hindu participation in the election by encouraging voter registration and turnout for voting. The Manifesto and hustings played a significant role in raising awareness within the Hindu community, as evidenced by its active participation throughout the electoral process. We thank all Hindus who voted and helped increase voter turnout from the Hindu community.
We also extend sincere appreciation to our critics who gave constructive feedback to refine our efforts, and to the media channels that covered our campaign, thereby bringing Hindu concerns to a wider audience. Through our efforts, we aim to contribute to the vibrant UK democracy by engaging with policymakers, politicians and media.
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We heartily congratulate the Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer becoming the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom with a historic mandate. We look forward to working with the new UK government, ensuring that the voices and concerns of the Hindu community are heard and addressed. We are confident that Sir Starmer’s leadership will strengthen our democracy and foster a more inclusive and harmonious society. The Hindu community has long been one of the pillars of the UK's success, contributing significantly to both its economy and democratic fabric. It will continue to do so with pride, confidence and dedication.
*Info: Hindus for Democracy