Hindus in Britain do not want to be described as 'Asian', but would rather be called British Indian or British Hindus, a study released in the House of Commons on Tuesday said.
The report 'Connecting British Hindus' launched by Ruth Kelly, secretary of state for communities, identified that some Hindus feel 'excluded' in the race dialogue and urged the government and public service providers to ensure they are included in work taken up to tackle racism in communities.
The survey showed that 80 per cent of the respondents prefer to be called British Indian or British Hindus, rather than be identified under the British Asian tag along with others from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.
The community also voiced concern over a "general assumption" that any brown-skinned Asian person was Muslim and said they feel "neglected, marginalised and misunderstood".
The survey which interviewed about 800 Hindus of different backgrounds and ages, has been funded by the government and carried out by the Runnymede Trust, whose mandate is to promote a successful multi-ethnic Britain and the Hindu Forum of Britain.
"British Hindus have made a positive contribution to the social, cultural and economic prosperity of our rich and diverse society. Many sections of those communities, including women, youth and older people, are often hard to reach," Kelly said.
"All of us, including Central government and public services, have a role to play in helping Britain move towards an inclusive society, based on mutual respect, tolerance and understanding between people of all faiths," she said.