Swami Vigyanananda addressing the first World Hindu Conference at New Delhi
Swami Vigyanananda, a former IITian, who heads the World Hindu Forum, was interacting with a Washington audience on the first anniversary of the Washington DC Chapter of the World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF).
He said that the proposed World Hindu Conference (WHC) slated for September 7-9, 2018 will be a mega event in which some Bollywood and Hollywood superstars would be participating besides politicians, religious and social leaders.
He said that Hindus are 16 per cent of the global population and the purpose of this conference is to make them dominant force in the world economy, the VHP leader explained.
PTI quoted Swami Vigyanananda as saying “The day Hindus –who constitute 16 percent of the world population – become 16 percent of the world economy, people would start listening to them (Hindus)”.
Thirty years ago, no one in the world cared about China but today the world is paying attention to that country simply because of its economic power and military prowess. “Our whole purpose is to regain economic strength”, Swami Vigyanananda said urging the entrepreneurs to consider the whole world as the market.
The World Hindu Conference (WHC) is considered as the biggest ever gathering of top notch leaders of Hindu society across the continents. The conference is being organised to commemorate the 125 years of Swami Vivekananda’s historic address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago on September 11, 1893.
The WHC being planned on September 7-9, 2018 will see participation of heads of several countries having sizeable Hindu population, chief ministers of various states of India, top corporate leaders and religious men in Chicago, the organisers said.
Among the chief ministers who have confirmed their participation included Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, and Devendra Fadanvis of Maharashtra. The revered Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of Art of Living, and Pranav Pandya of Gayatri Parivar are among the top religious leaders to have consented to attend the event.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat will address the mega event in Chicago which the organisers expect to be attended by over 2000 Hindu delegates from nearly 50 countries across the continents. Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in the United States Congress is the chairperson of the Chicago WHC organised by World Hindu Foundation headed by Swami Vigyanananda.
Top corporate leaders from India, the US and other countries of the world are likely to participate in this three-day event, many of whom include those leading the Fortune 500 companies.
The first World Hindu Conference was held in New Delhi in 2015 which saw participation of 1800 delegates from 50 countries. The seven parallel conferences on values, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit of the world Hindu community finding its expression in a variety of spheres including economy, education, media, organisation and political as well as the unique leadership and contribution of Hindu women and youth.
The theme of this second WHC 2018 is “Sumantrite Suvikrante” — think collectively, achieve valiantly.