Hindutva’s Biggest Challenge is Internal: Swami Vidnyananand Who Organised World Hindu Congress | Exclusive

Swami Vidnyananand, the key organiser of the World Hindu Congress, in an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, said that “the biggest challenge to Hindutva is from within”.

“The threat is that Hindus are not united and organised,” he said.

In a three-day congregation, 2,200 delegates from 61 countries attended the World Hindu Congress in Bangkok in Thailand. It was inaugurated by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sarsaghachalak Mohan Bhagwat.

“Hindus should be visible, acceptable and respectable in the world. That is our goal. And for that, the focus is on the youth and education. The purpose of organising this Congress is to mobilise Hindus to develop the society’s core strength,” he said.

When asked if such congregations achieve any goals, he said the efforts had led to mobilisation within the community. The last such Congress was held in Chicago over four years ago. “All Hindu organisations have to come together. In 2020, it was cancelled. But before that, we held several regional conferences — in Chicago, Mumbai, Delhi, Durban, Kenya and Australia,” he said.

Underlining the focus areas, he said that politics, media and education are some of the key areas.

“In Chicago, we had discussed that Hindu studies have to start in different educational institutions. Today, it has started. Another marked difference is among politicians. Everyone is proudly calling themselves Hindus, not just in India, but also abroad. When a Rishi Sunak is asked why he took up the job of the PM at such a time in UK, he says he is a Hindu and that his religion teaches him to take responsibility (during a crisis),” he said.

Adding that the media helped build and set narratives, he said it was important to reach out to the media. “Words are the new weapons and satellites are the new artillery,” he said.