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WASHINGTON D. C., UNITED STATES, March 6, 2008: The Hindu American Foundation was invited by the Department of Justice to join the Faith Leaders’ Roundtable Conference. Attended by Attorney General Mukasey, the invitation-only meeting gathered eleven organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregation of America, the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and the Sikh Coalition.

HAF Director of Public Policy, Ishani Chowdhury, expressed concerns with the R1 Religious Worker Visa whose category definitions exclude those of the Eastern Faith traditions. She pointed out that such a definition results in denial of new visas and/or renewal of existing visas. This has caused some Hindu temples to abruptly halt ongoing construction work; many are also facing difficulty in obtaining visas for pujaris (priests). “Unlike other faith traditions in the US, the Hindu community does not have seminaries or similar institutions to train native-born Hindus in intricate Vedic practices, and thus rely on the R1 visa to fulfill these requirements,” said Chowdhury. “With nearly 1,000 temples nationwide, and assets worth several billion dollars, Hindu temples serve not only as centers for prayer and worship, but as community centers for those who live in cities and towns that may not otherwise have any local Hindu organization nearby. The future of our faith in the US is at stake. “

HAF has been working for several months with members of Congress to resolve this issue.

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, March 8, 2008: Samy Vellu, the lone ethnic Indian minister in the Malaysian government on Saturday suffered a shocking defeat on his birthday, losing his parliamentary seat after winning it for eight terms.

Malaysians are surveying the new political landscape a day after voters delivered a blow to the country’s half-century-old ruling coalition.

Vellu, chief of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), turned 72 on Saturday and was the Works Minister in Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s Cabinet. Vellu lost to opposition Partiso Sialis Malaysia (PSM) candidate Dr D. Jeyakumar, whom the ethnic Indian had defeated in the 2004 polls.

Vellu had earned the opposition of part of the Indian community for deriding the protests led by NGO Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) against alleged racial discrimination since November last year. Ethnic minorities make up more than a third of the population.

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NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 6, 2008: The Shruti Foundation recently organized a workshop to teach the assembling of a “Ghatam” - a unique water filter based on knowledge derived from Indian traditional wisdom and ways of purification. The event was attended by NGO’s, social workers, academicians and residents of an area of Delhi who live without the benefit of potable water. Mr. Anil Laul, the inspiration and knowledge behind the filter said, “All the gadgets that we use in India should be devised locally keeping the local population and their own traditions in mind. The cost of the Ghatam would vary from US$15.00 to $62 and can be used by a common man without electricity or processed chemicals.”

Mr. Laul continued, “To purify the water through this filter we have used coconut charcoal, marble chips, white sand and silver coins which are put in four different copper vessels and water is made to pass through them. Marble chips, white sand and silver coins respectively tackle coli form, water hardness and unwanted bacteria.”

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When you react to a situation, do not re-enact it. Wait until the emotional nature has completely composed itself, then study your reaction.
   Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001)