RSS chief Bhagwat to address World Hindu Cong

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be a keynote speaker at the World Hindu Congress, a gathering of Hindu leaders from across the globe in Chicago later this week, the organisers said.

More than 2,500 delegates from 80 countries are scheduled to participate in the three-day World Hindu Congress (WHC) in Chicago from September 7 to 9. Bhagwat in his keynote address is likely to focus on the theme of the conference Sumantrite Suvikrante or Think Collectively, Achieve Valiantly.

The RSS chief is expected to underscore the need of the Hindu community spread across the globe to unite and think alike for the good of the mankind, former IITan Swami Vigyananand, and the brain behind the mega event, said.

"The idea of the WHC is to unite and gain strengthen the Hindu society and with that look after the interest of the society as well as help other deprived, marginalised communities of the world," Swami Vigyananand told PTI in response to a question. He insisted that this is not a religious conference.

"The conference is neither religious nor philosophical. The conference is focused on community issues. It is focused on issues that are relevant to the progress of any community in the modern time," Vigyananand said.

Over three days, more than 250 speakers along with over 2,5000 delegates from over 80 countries would hold brainstorming sessions over seven parallel conferences: economic, education, media, organisational, political, and women and youth. These parallel conferences would also showcase the values, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit of the global Hindu community, he said.

The WHC is a global platform for Hindus to connect, share ideas, inspire one another, and impact the common good, said Abhaya Asthana, convener for the Congress. He is also the president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America

The congress offers Hindus an opportunity to introspect towards improvement and tap into our collective resources to seek tangible solutions to the most pressing issues of the 21st century, he said.

In addition to Bhagwat, other prominent speakers at the conference are likely to be the Dalai Lama, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Ashwin Adhin (Vice President of Suriname), RSS joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, MIT professor S P Kothari, Mohandas Pai, Anupam Kher, Raju Reddy, Swami Paramatmananda Saraswati, Chandrika Tandon, Prof Subhash Kak, and angel investor Raju Reddy.

Among top speakers at the economic conference are Mukesh Aghi, president of US India Strategic partnership Forum, former vice chair of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya, Mahindra group president Dilip Sundram, Daniel Bryant from Walmart, Rajesh Sundaram from Federal Express, and Ed Monser from Emerson Electric.

Other prominent speakers at the conference are Anupam Kher, Vivek Agnihotri, Madhur Bhandarkar, Amish Tripathi, and Francois Gautier. On the eve of the Congress, renowned classical musician wife-husband duo of Kavita Krishnamurti and Dr L Subramaniam would perform live for the delegates.

Meanwhile, the newly formed Coalition for the Defence of the Constitution and Democracy has announced that it will hold a press conference in New York on September 6 to lodge its protest against the WHC.