The Hindu community has its challenges like other communities in the country. However, as a community we need to attempt strategies to overcome these challenges rather than pretending that all are well. But before we attempt solutions, we need to identify the symptoms of these problems and their causes.
The symptoms of our social ills are manifested in the increasing number of Hindus converting to other faiths and cultures, the growing number of mixed co-habitation (not marriages) and drug abuse and alcoholism. These symptoms are blots in the Hindu conscience that must be expunged.
It is not members of the lower middle and middle classes that are converting but those have been living in the social margins of society, that is, struggling with survival. Their problems are manifested in a lack of marketable skills, poor financial literacy, poor time management, low access to credit, poor marketing of their skills and products and a lack of knowledge of our history and dharma.
Solutions to these problems can be achieved by providing training to build on the skills and interests of those individuals. Also, the lack of financial illiteracy is responsible for the demise of many business ventures and conflicts in families. Too many of our skilled individuals fail in their professions because of their inability to manage their finances. Accessing credit is critical to the success of a business which in turn is hinged on a pattern of regular savings. This is the reason why Hindus must view the Hindu Pariwar Credit Union as a solution to their financial woes rather than viewing it with skepticism.
Time appears to be a real challenge to many Hindus. Though all of us have 24 hours at our disposal, few manage efficiently this 24 hour with the majority complaining that ‘I am so busy…I doubt I have the time to be there.’ This critical area of our existence must be addressed if we must march forward successfully.
As a community, Hindus need to make knowledge of our dharma and the history of our diaspora a priority. Today many of our young people are graduating with professional degrees but with limited or no knowledge of their dharma. Many parents never bought a copy of the Ramayan and encouraged their child to read it so that the family can have a literary discussion on the theme and characters of this epic.
The Ramayan is a tool to build a successful and dynamic Hindu community in the Caribbean. Ram, though inundated with problems, never ran away but overcame them. He is the ideal – Maryadha Puroshottam- for all Hindus to follow. The Modi-led BJP government has harnessed its development mission to Sri Ram, hence the emphasis on the reclaiming of the historic site and reconstruction of the Ram Mandir.
The Hindu community must address social and economic development with its feet planted in Hindu dharma as Sri Narendra Modi is doing. If we follow his model, our community in the diaspora can become the ‘talk of the town’ as an example of success and progress. We should all strive to bring this aspiration to reality. Jai Sri Ram!