Source: newsblaze.com
UNITED STATES, August 16, 2009: “As I don my body armor, grab my weapon, and prepare to lead my platoon of 32 soldiers into Afghanistan, I hesitate. I turn to the portrait of Krishna in my office and demand of him, ‘What is the worth of this fight? Is it worth our limbs, our lives, or the heartbreak of our parents?” Thus begins the moving essay by Rajiv Sriram Srinivasan, one of the winning pieces in the Hindu American Foundation’s (HAF) first “NextGen Essay Contest: The Importance of a Hindu-American Identity.”
This summer, HAF heard from an often silent constituency within its membership – Hindu Americans from 17-28 years of age. The contestants, divided into two categories based on the age groups, 17-22 and 23-28 years, were asked to submit an original essay on the topic, “Beyond Indian American: Why is having a Hindu American identity important? How can you advocate for this identity in public policy and your private life? How can Hindu American advocacy be beneficial to our American society?”
Srinivasan, 23, a lieutenant in the United States Army who’s currently leading a platoon during a year-long deployment in Afghanistan, was the overall winner in the senior category receiving $500. Other winners included Purnita Howlader, Hamsika Chandrasekar and Shivi Chandra.
Winning entries can be read in their entirety at http://www.hafsite.org/node/380