- Saturday, July 27, 2024
Hindu advocacy group Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) welcomed Georgia’s decision and lauded Kemp for recognising the Hindu community’s contributions across various sectors.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE southeastern American state of Georgia last month formally announced the month of October as ‘Hindu Heritage Month’ in a move to acknowledge and honour valuable contributions made by the vibrant Hindu-American community that resides there.
According to a report by the Press Trust of India, Georgia’s governor Brian Kemp has issued a proclamation designating October as a period to commemorate ‘Hindu heritage’. As per the proclamation, the celebration will revolve around the cultural and spiritual traditions that are deeply rooted in India that constitute Hindu heritage.
#BREAKING: Georgia proclaims October as Hindu Heritage month. Our thanks to Governor @BrianKempGA for this recognition. This was made possible by the untiring dedication of our friends at the Hindus of Georgia PAC. Hinduism has contributed greatly to the cultural milieu of… pic.twitter.com/Rh18yYqGII
— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) August 30, 2023
In the proclamation dated August 23, it was stated that “The vibrant Hindu American community has contributed tremendously to the vitality of the State of Georgia by enriching the lives of its citizens”.
Earlier this year, the Peach State’s assembly took a historic move by passing a resolution condemning Hinduphobia. It also made Georgia the first American state to take legislative action against anti-Hindu sentiments.
The resolution acknowledged several contributions made by the Hindu community, such as yoga, ayurveda, culinary traditions, music and arts that have played a pivotal role in American life.
Hindu advocacy group Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) welcomed Georgia’s decision and lauded Kemp for recognising the Hindu community’s contributions across various sectors.
On X, formerly Twitter, the group said, “This was made possible by the untiring dedication of our friends at the Hindus of Georgia PAC. Hinduism has contributed greatly to the cultural milieu of America.”
However, PTI also reported that the group voiced concerns over the recent anti-caste discrimination bill passed by the state assembly of the state of California.
This development has underscored a notable contrast between Georgia’s acknowledgement and the recent passage of #SB403, a bill aimed at addressing caste discrimination and bolstering protections for marginalised communities throughout the state, as reported by the news agency.
“It is gratifying to see Georgia recognise the contribution of Hindu-Americans and Hinduism at the same time that California is targeting us with #SB403,” CoHNA said on X.
SB 403 is a bill that aims at addressing caste discrimination and boosting protections for marginalised communities throughout California.
As outlined by the Hindu American Foundation, Hindu Heritage Month is celebrated globally to spotlight Hinduism as a tradition and its substantial contributions to human society. Hinduism stands as the third-largest religion globally, with an estimated three million Hindus currently residing in the US.
