Hindu groups unite in aid effort

By Lucy Wilkins
BBC News

UK Hindus are hoping to get aid quickly to those who need it most

Inside a Watford manor house, the golden statues of the Hindu faith are brightly lit as about 100 worshippers and community leaders pray for the victims of the Asian quake.

They have gathered at the Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple, north of London, to co-ordinate aid efforts that will benefit not just Hindus but others affected in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other countries as the death toll mounts past 55,000.

Seated on the floor with hands held in prayer, the congregation were urged on Tuesday night to pray by leaders from Hindu, Sikh, Jain and other faiths.

"One cannot imagine the scale of the disaster. It is very potent that so many spiritual leaders are coming together to guide us," said the secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, Ramesh Kallidai.

Hindu spiritual leader Srutidharma Das said he had been in contact with an associated temple in India, which had already sent ambulances and a full medical team to the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Mother nature has again struck a slap on our face Jyotsna Thanki Hindu Forum of Britain

"As Hindus we pray today that we remain as one family without tragedy.

"We must respect mother nature for her gifts, sharing them fairly and using them for good."

The community had learnt from the Gujarat earthquake in 2001 of the need for co-ordination.

Pessimistic

That 7.9 magnitude earthquake devastated much of the Indian north-west state and killed nearly 20,000 people, making more than a million homeless.

"Mother nature has again struck a slap on our face," said forum vice-president Jyotsna Thanki.

"Three years ago in Gujarat she slapped. Then there was no co-ordination - people were sending jeans to communities who were not used to wearing jeans."

We need a unified strategy... so that work is not duplicated and the help will reach the needy people the quickest Ramesh Kallidai Hindu Forum of Britain secretary general

He said he was pessimistic the death toll from the Asian tsunami disaster would reach 200,000.

"Prayers are some consolation, but the time has come to provide water, plastic sheeting, plastic housing, funds for people to feed themselves.

"Even if we save 10, 20, 30 people we have done something, not just for Hindu people but for human kind."

Mr Kallidai said it was the first time such a UK Hindu disaster relief taskforce had been set up - "and hopefully we won't need to use it again in the future".

The taskforce would focus on three aspects: fundraising in the UK; sending clothes and medicines; and possibly sending people to the devastated areas.

"We realised that Hindu organisations were already helping, but we learnt from the Gujarat earthquake that there was a risk that groups were doing work that others weren't aware of," Mr Kallidai, told the BBC News website.

Spiritual leaders united to pray for the victims of every faith

"We need a unified strategy to share expertise and resources, so that work is not duplicated and the help will reach the needy people the quickest."

In a condolence book outside the meeting, Mayur Kotecha of Watford wrote: "It may be god's way for us to make the world a better place."

Subhash Sampat, president of the Hindu Council (Harrow) wrote: "Great tragedy. We must unite and help where possible."

A Sikh leader said: "This tragedy has left not only the nations but the whole world in disarray.

"Our deepest sympathy goes out to all those affected. It's times like these we know how lucky we are to have a bed to sleep in and a home to go to."