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B K Modi to represent VHP at UN

Businessman B K Modi, the newly elected working president (external) of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, will represent the organisation in the United Nations. He has been authorised by the VHP to represent the organisation and provide direction, guidance and assistance on all matters outside the country to help fulfill its overall objectives.

The organisation will urge the UN to intervene in stopping conversions all over the world. Like the UN Peace Keeping Force, Modi suggested the setting up of a force of religious leaders to prevent conversions. He further stated that no nation should send volunteers to other countries.

''We will be propagating with the UN -- why cannot we have a forum to create a force of religious leaders to stop conversions? There should be an agreement throughout the UN, like we have an agreement on banning drugs and arms trade. Once the action is stopped, the reaction will stop. We believe the UN should think on these lines,'' clarified Modi. He however, said, ''What we do inside our country, is different.''

Meanwhile, the VHP is planning a massive programme to educate Indians in various foreign countries about Hinduism. Modi said the organisation hoped to achieve this by connecting ''every Indian home through computers.''

Modi told reporters that the VHP had urged Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to display faith in god whichever way he liked. ''In the United States, every dollar bill has written on it In god do we trust,'' he said. However, he did not comment if rupee notes should follow the same model. "I was only giving an example,'' he clarified.

Modi felt the need for educating people in foreign countries arose because they had a very confused notion of Hinduism. ''People in the US are highly confused about the Hindu religion. "Spiritualism takes a back seat while ritualism takes the front seat. We have to explain the spiritual side of Hinduism,'' stressed Modi.

He is of the view that unlike India, literacy among overseas Indians was no problem but they needed teaching in Hinduism and their own heritage.

Expressing happiness at the government's approval of the People of Indian Origin Scheme for overseas Indians, Modi wants the government to implement the scheme as soon as possible. ''At least it is short of dual citizenship and will meet the long standing demands of overseas Indians.''

On whether the VHP also planned to form lobbies to influence opinion in the US and other countries, Modi said: ''Every Indian is a lobbyist for India. We will ask every Indian to apply for PIO.''

The president said that time had come when the feeling of vasudev kutukbakam had to be explained to the entire world. A concept that was already becoming a reality with the shrinking of boundaries due to expanding communication. ''India has to offer the best to the world,'' he added.

Modi pointed out the cause for this misunderstanding to India's past links with the Soviet Union. He felt that though it was purely for economic reasons, it was believed Indians did not believe in god. Moreover, the programme was also initiated because Indian abroad were demanding some links with their heritage for a long time.

He said interactive software system would contain lectures by religious leaders and swamis on various aspects of Hinduism. A religious teacher will be employed to educate at least 5,,000 people. People could participate in discussions and ask questions on a one to one basis. ''With the help of religious leaders we will explain to Hindus what Hinduism is. It has to be explained in very simple terms,'' explained Modi.

The organisation also stated that its announcement about the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya by 2001 was a way of saying that the people's religious feelings could not ignored.

''The VHP had very clearly given a time frame. It is a way of telling the court that you cannot play with religious feelings of the people. Things cannot go on for ever,'' emphasised Modi.

He said no country would believe that the matter could not be solved by then. Modi also stated that political agenda should be separated from the religious agenda.

UNI

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