Hindu YUVA USA recently welcomed Dr. Sachin Nandha, scholar, author, and director of the International Centre for Sustainability (UK), for a multi-campus U.S. tour discussing his new book, Hedgewar: A Definitive Biography. The tour encouraged students to engage with Dr. Nandha’s research on K.B. Hedgewar’s role in laying the groundwork for cultural renewal and the rebuilding of social capital in post-independence India. That period resonates especially with Hindus globally, informing their sense of identity today.
These conversations unfolded against a broader intellectual backdrop: the ongoing examination of how colonial frameworks have shaped the way Hindus speak about themselves and their civilization. This self-inspection is familiar to many post-colonial societies, asking a simple question: how does any community recover clarity after generations of thinking in someone else’s terms? Awakening Hindu consciousness, in this context, means learning to read one’s own tradition without inherited distortions.
Across the U.S., Dr. Nandha’s lectures drew large, diverse audiences, creating a stimulating atmosphere that encouraged disciplined reflection. He argued that Hedgewar founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as an apolitical effort to address the fractures-religious, caste, gender, and class-left by British rule. His account of Hedgewar’s life was nuanced, avoiding both hagiography and reflexive dismissal. Questions from the audience were pointed and, in many cases, demanding, pushing the conversation into history, politics, and the formation of civic institutions.
Hindu YUVA remains committed to the open exchange of ideas and rejects any form of intolerance in its place. Our events aim to foster mutual respect by inviting students from every background to ask difficult questions and engage in thoughtful discussion. Disagreement is not a problem to avoid, but a condition of learning. When a campus is willing to hear from minority perspectives, everyone gains a clearer view of the world they inhabit. We will continue to offer a setting where conversation is respectful, curiosity is encouraged, and inquiry is open.
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Contact:
Viswajith Mallampati
Hindu YUVA
[email protected]
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