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USA December 31, 1998 VNN2765 9th Annual Hindu Students Council Meet BY SANATANA DHARMA NETWORK FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, Dec 31 (VNN) — 9th Annual Hindu Students Council North American Coordination Council Meet Hindu Students Council (HSC), the largest Hindu student and youth organization in North America, held its 9th Annual North American Coordination Council Meet in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, from December 24-26, 1998. The Coordination Council (CC) is the main decision-making body of Hindu Students Council. Chandan Bandopadhyay, Coordinator for HSC's Chapter and Regional Activities (CRA) Team, exclaimed, "This was by far our most successful CC meeting and follows a year of consolidation. We have made major progress in the mid-Atlantic and Southern regions of the US. Additionally, we have fulfilled part of our goal of serving the needs of young Hindu professionals who have finished their studies." Sheetal Shah, a CRA member from Florida, and the main organizer of the event, said, "I felt that the CC members did a great job in preparing for the meet, and have set the stage for a successful 1999." Vinay Vallabh, an engineer and CRA member from Chicago, summed-up his thoughts on the meet. "I expected the CC meet to be very rewarding in terms of getting national exposure and obtaining ideas on how to accomplish the goals I had in mind at the chapter level, and my expectations were fulfilled." At the meet, HSC formally accepted the merger of the Sanatana Dharma Student Association (SDSA) of the University of Madison-Wisconsin into HSC. Frank Morales, Founder and Advisor to the SDSA commented on the decision. "A few weeks ago, our organization overwhelmingly voted to be a part of HSC. Our visions are the same, and we are honored to now formally be part of this dedicated group." In addition, Mr. Morales' resolution on non-Indian Hindus was also approved. It reads, "Let it be resolved that the Hindu Students Council will do its utmost to openly and enthusiastically welcome the non-Indian Hindus and Hindus of Indian descent who have been removed from India for generations into the fold of Sanatana Dharma by developing programs, literature, and mechanisms for reaching out to this specific community through our many branches. Moreover, let us, the members of the Hindu Students Council, affirm that the religion of Sanatana Dharma is not an ethnicity, but a world religion, open to all." A major portion of the meet was devoted to reporting and planning of activities. Dr. Rashmi Gupta, a resident physician in New York, explained that one of the major successes of the Hindu Women Project (HWP) of HSC was the creation of the Hindu Women Talk Net (hwp@hindunet.org), an online discussion list whose purpose is to distribute articles and literature and discuss issues and topics relevant to Hindu women. Dr. Gupta explained, "Since its inception, the Hindu Women Talk Net has grown to almost a hundred subscribers. Next year, our goals include developing a Hindu Universe for Women web site, administering a survey on the status of Hindu women, celebrating Women's History Month in March, and having monthly theme discussions on Hindu Women Talk Net." Additionally, HSC's Community Action Network (CAN) announced a law scholarship for Hindu students that will provide summer fellowships in various legal organizations. In announcing this new activity, Dr. Rajiv Pandit, CAN Coordinator and resident physician in Chicago, stated, "The purpose of the law scholarship is to cultivate leadership that will work for the Hindu-American community and combat discrimination against Hindus. In the long run, we hope that law students will continue to serve the community." He also announced that HSC would take up a Kashmir awareness day next year to remember the millions of people who have suffered at the hands of Islamic militants. The Global Hindu Electronics Network (GHEN) team was pleased to announce many new additions to the site this year including a collaboration with Amazon.com to publicize Hindu books and music, Digicards for various Indian and Hindu festivals, and the addition of close to 100 Amar Chitra Kathas. Plans for 1999 include adding a Hindu Universe for Kids and Hindu Universe for Women. In close association with HSC's Global Hindu Youth Activities Network, GHEN (www.hindunet.org) will also help Hindu organizations worldwide develop their Internet infrastructure. Murali Kothandaraman, a computer engineer from Boston, announced that Samskar, HSC's quarterly newsletter, was now available online (http://www.hindunet.org/hsc/samskar). Haimanti Banerjee, a software engineer in Boston, announced that HSC would hold an annual Seva, or service month, in early spring, as part of HSC's mission of performing social service activities. HSC also announced that Michigan would be the site for HSC's Annual Summer Camp, which will be held from May 27-31, 1999. The event is a unique opportunity to learn about Hindu religion, culture, and heritage, and to meet like-minded youth from around the world. Kanchan Banerjee, HSC's Overall Coordinator, closed the national event with his thoughts. "We are here for our individual growth, and to serve society. The future of Hindus in America depends on the quality of work we do now. Moreover, Hindu Dharma has much to offer the world, and it is out duty to promote those positive parts. Let us rededicate ourselves to the HSC vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - The Whole Universe if One Family, and Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti - Truth is One, Sages Call It by Various Names." Hindu Students Council (HSC) is an international forum promoting understanding of Hindu culture and heritage. Started in May 1990, it has grown to include over 50 chapters at college campuses and high schools across the U.S. and Canada. HSC also runs the Global Hindu Electronics Network (GHEN) -- the largest and most frequently visited site on Hinduism available on the web (www.hindunet.org). For more information about HSC activities including future events, please e-mail HSC (hsc@hindunet.org), or write to HSC, PO Box 9185, Boston, MA 02114-0041 USA, call 617-698-1106, or fax 781-444-8725. The Sanatana Dharma Network (SDN) is a free electronic information service linking together over five-hundred organizations dedicated to Hinduism, Yoga and Vedic spirituality. If you have news, articles or information that you would like forwarded to the Hindu organizations and web sites on the rapidly growing Sanatana Dharma Network e-mail list, please send it to: fmorale1@students.wisc.edu Frank Morales Editor - Dharma Journal http://www.sit.wisc.edu/~fmorale1/index.htm SDN Comment on this Story This story URL: http://vaishnava-news-network.org/usa/US9812/US31-2765.html
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