Namaste Pushpita-ji

A Diwali for Dharma

The festive season leading up to and beyond Diwali is an important occasion for connecting with Dharma, celebrating knowledge, and expressing gratitude. It’s a time for Hindus to reflect, be thankful for what we have been given and also to give back in support of Dharma. 

This Diwali, through the auspicious weeks of Karthik Poornima, we invite you to donate to CoHNA. Afterall, Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah!

CoHNA is committed to representing and amplifying Hindu voices. To this end, we’ve organized several successful campaigns over the past year, including highlighting the suffering of Bangladeshi Hindus and raising awareness about Hinduphobia in North America.  We’ve hosted several advocacy days, engaging with lawmakers at both state and federal levels to advance Hindu concerns. We’ve built alliances with other communities, worked together with them on key issues, and heightened the impact of several public protests by turning out in support of Hindu interests.

But all this advocacy is work and needs funds. So we need your support to continue working on Hindu causes next year. Unlike some groups claiming to be 'Hindus' standing for human rights, who run on grants from dubious anti-Hindu sources, CoHNA is a grassroots-level organization – we depend on individual donors like you. Your generous contributions will help fuel important programs that uphold cultural preservation, education, and social justice for all who share our priceless heritage.

Amplify Your Giving

Many companies offer a 1:1 donation matching program through platforms like Benevity, Bright Funds, and YourCause. CoHNA is listed in all them. Please check if your employer has a similar program and submit your CoHNA donation receipt to them for a match. This effectively doubles your contribution to COHNA and empowers us to work twice as hard.

Watch this video to see how it works for Benevity.

Check your company’s giving platform to get started!

Celebrating Diwali in America

It's been a month of festivity. Atlanta City Hall came alive for a festive evening filled with lights, music, artistic performances, delicious food, and community engagement during CoHNA’s Diwali celebration hosted by the Mayor. Participants included an eclectic mix of congresspeople and local lawmakers, community leaders, youth, entrepreneurs and artists. A proclamation honoring Diwali was read out by Doug Shipman, President of the Atlanta City Council. The event also included remarks from the Hon. Andre Dickens, Mayor of Atlanta, the Indian Consul General Ramesh Babu, and CoHNA’s leadership team.

The event was covered by Fox 5, local media, IndiaWest and New India Abroad.

Hindu Heritage Month Across the USA

Our Diwali celebrations also mark the culmination of Hindu Heritage Month celebrations across Georgia following a proclamation from Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia state legislature. However, Georgia wasn't the only state with cause to celebrate.

Pennsylvania has recognized Deepavali as a state Holiday. This is an exciting development for Hindus in the state. They will have an opportunity to celebrate the festival with their families.

Several states followed, declaring October as Hindu History Month, including New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, and Mississippi. Our efforts to amplify awareness about our heritage continue. The City of Las Vegas recently proclaimed October as Hindu Heritage Month, which was followed by the State of Nevada adopting a similar resolution. And 17 cities in Ohio have signed Hindu Heritage Month legislation. These initiatives play an important part in increasing awareness about Hindu Dharma in North America.

Swastika Education Gathers Steam

The Swastika– a symbol of sacred significance for Hindus–  is commonly confused with the HakenKreuz, a Nazi emblem, thanks to a decades-long misinformation campaign. This has led to Hindus becoming the target of verbal and physical hate attacks, simply for exercising their fundamental right to display a time-honored religious symbol. 

After years of effort by CoHNA to educate people about the significance of our Swastika and how it differs from the HakenKreuz, we are beginning to see the first fruits of our activism, with  signs of increasing awareness and public acknowledgment of the issue. Advocacy works! 

The Police Department of Montville, NJ recently published a post on Facebook about this difference. "With Diwali coming up this October, I want the residents and citizens to be aware that a common symbol of this holiday is a Diwali swastika. This post is in light of our police department already fielding calls regarding people seeing this symbol on cars and houses. We are trying to eliminate any unwarranted hostility toward any person displaying this for their religious purposes."  In an interview with the local New Jersey media, CoHNAs Pushpita Prasad spoke about the importance of reclaiming Swastika.

Placer County CA Supervisor Shanti Landon also posted a similar message on Instagram.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg– much more remains to be done. Your support and donations go a long way in dispelling such misconceptions and reducing hate.  

GeoPolitics Target Canadian Hindus

Can geopolitical events be used to justify hate against a minority group?  The beleaguered Hindu minority in Canada certainly grapples with this question as the ongoing diplomatic spat between Canada and India impacts their security and freedom of religion.

At CoHNA, we’ve been keeping a close eye on issues that affect Canadian Hindus. Over the past few years, numerous Hindu temples have been defiled, and open threats of targeted violence have been made against the Canadian Hindu community. CoHNA maintains a list of attacked temples.

The safety and well-being of Canadian Hindus must be a priority for all those who value Canada’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. It is unacceptable for hate groups to use international disputes as a pretext to target a minority community within a supposedly free and democratic country. The onus to ensure the safety and religious freedom of Canadian Hindus lies squarely on Canadian lawmakers.

Upcoming Events

HPN Information Session

Join us for an engaging and interactive information session about the Hindu Parents Network (HPN), an initiative designed to bring together parents in fostering a strong community and supporting Hindu kids and youth.

Conscious Hindu Parenting

As practitioners of an ancient, but very complex and diverse faith, we face unique challenges in equipping our children to be confident in their faith, as they grow up and navigate their way in a world guided by very different paradigms. Join us for an in-depth two-session workshop.

Crafting Your Dharma in the Age of Hyper Speed

Led by Palak Shah, these sessions offer an engaging opportunity to explore how the timeless teachings of the Bhagavad Gita can provide practical guidance for navigating life’s complexities. Through relatable discussions, personal insights, and actionable lessons, Palak will empower young adults and parents to overcome challenges, avoid common pitfalls, and foster deeper connections.

Events Last Month

CYAN Dialogue with Hindu and Jewish Students

We’ve all seen the headlines, images, and videos. University campuses across the US and Canada have become a hotbed of Antisemitism and Hinduphobia, prompting grave concerns for the safety of Jews and Hindus who study or work there. 

Last month, we hosted a webinar with the AMCHAInitiative to address the situation and platform  voices of Hindu and Jewish students directly impacted by it. 

We must hold universities accountable for ensuring the safety and equal treatment of all students regardless of politics, religion or any other differences. Watch and share this powerful video to understand what it's like to be a student who publicly and proudly embraces their Jewish or Hindu faith.

Educating Canadian Hindus on their Political Rights

This month, CoHNA Canada organized public meetings in two Alberta cities to highlight key issues confronting the Hindu community and drive education on their political rights and scope of action. Our sold-out events in Calgary and Edmonton were packed with highly engaged attendees, who expressed overwhelming approval for our efforts to address a longstanding leadership deficit for collective action. 

Unfortunately, we also encountered significant hostility as Khalistani hate groups, determined to silence Canadian Hindus, attempted to disrupt the proceedings with aggressive and threatening behavior. In both cities, CoHNA had to deal with  on-site demonstrations trying to scare attendees. In Edmonton, disruptors entered the premises under false pretenses and then openly threatened the sanctity and security of a nearby temple. Such displays of blatant thuggery prompted safety concerns, forcing some key speakers to cancel their participation.

Despite every effort being made to suppress them, the success of these events provides a compelling example of how CoHNA Canada educates and bolsters courage among Hindus in these stressful times.

No Time to Sit on the Sidelines- Get Active! Get Involved

As events this year have shown, the Hindu American community needs to up its game.The time for complacency is over. At CoHNA, we’re redoubling our efforts across North America, and our commitment to advocating for Hindu Dharma remains stronger than ever. 

Remember– it’s only with your support that everything we do is made possible. We’re counting on you.

How can you support CoHNA