Coalition of Hindus of North America holds first fundraiser

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The Coalition of Hindus of North America, CoHNA, held its first official fundraiser October 24, 2021, at Albert’s Palace in Fords, N.J. Attendance was heavy according to organizers.

A grassroots advocacy group representing the Hindu community of North America, CoHNA says its mission is to “protect the collective interests of the Hindu community by working on the issues faced by them and educating the public about Hindu heritage and tradition.”

According to an ITV Gold news report, the Oct. 24 event raised more than $25,000, to support the many projects in which CoHNA is involved.

Nikunj Trivedi, president of CoHNA speaking to ITV Gold, said the organization was a grassroots effort to protect Hindu culture. He thanked Padma Shri Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold, who was among the chief guests at the event. (PWM publishes Desi Talk and News India Times among other publications).

“We all are Hindus. Proud practicing Hindus,” Dr. Parikh said in his speech. He was recognized with a plaque and a bouquet to recognize his service to the community.

“Hinduism is about – the whole world is one. So we should be nice to others, and always be inclusive,” Dr. Parikh said. He praised CoHNA for its work “removing misunderstanding of Hinduism, correcting the wrong narrative about Hinduism, and giving the right narrative.”

He offered his support, and also recommended forming a Hindu Parents Network to instill the correct vision of Hinduism among children and the next generation.

Several in the gathering who were interviewed by ITV Gold called it a successful and important event and wished Happy Diwali.

Ankur Bhandari, member of the Steering Committee of CoHNA, said, “Our dharma is being hampered here and there so we would like everybody to step up and support our grassroot level organization.”

Smitha Raj, also a member of CoHNA, said the event was “a very good show of support from our community.”

Madhavan Nair of CoHNA praised the organization’s objectives and programs. “Protecting Hindus and their heritage is of very great importance for the community at large.”
Sohini Sircar, member of CoHNA’s Board of Trustees, told ITV Gold, “This is our first fundraiser officially as an organization. It was a huge success, a huge turnout. We invigorated all the folks at the fundraiser.” She added that children present at the event were inspired and seeing so many youth at the event was great.

“It was also wonderful to see so many people supporting Hindus. We see that many other organizations get a lot of support for their religions. We also need to do that for Hindus,” Sircar emphasized.

On its website CoHNA.org, the organization says “It is building a movement to empower Hindus whereby they can become meaningful contributors and active participants in their local communities on a wide range of issues. In its endeavors, it will partner with various Hindu and non-Hindu organizations towards a vibrant society of today and tomorrow – one that can stand upon the pillars of mutual respect, pluralism and sustainability.”

The organization hopes to “make an impact on how Hinduism and India are discussed in the North American mainstream – among the youth, in the media and within political circles.”

“We will uphold the “unity in diversity” that is a paramount feature of Hindu heritage,” CoHNA says