Page 30 - The Indian EYE 082622

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline AUGUST 26, 2022 | The Indian Eye 30

Jenifer Rajkumar brings together citywide & national

leaders at site of vandalized Gandhi statue

OUR BUREAU with a sledgehammer and graffitied it spoken with government leaders
with obscene names. They also graf- across the country. All are commit-
South Queens, NY
fitied the temple grounds and 111th ted to re-doubling our efforts to com-
n August 24, Assemblywom- Street asphalt. bat anti-Hindu hate. We always knew
an Jenifer Rajkumar, the first The event continues Assem- that defeating hate would not be ac-
OHindu-American elected to blywoman Rajkumar’s work to ad- complished in one day, one week, or
New York State Office, brought to- dress hate crimes. She previously even one year. We are committed to
gether citywide and national leaders convened the community on August this fight for the long term, and will
at the Shri Tulsi Mandir, a Hindu 9 to denounce the first vandalism use the Hindu principles of ahimsa
temple located at 103-24 111th Street incident, and educate the public on (non-violence) and satyagraha (soul
in South Richmond Hill. At the event, Hinduism’s Gandhian belief in ac- force) that guided Gandhi himself
they addressed hate crimes against tively loving people from different and later the great American civil
the Hindu community after the backgrounds like they’re from your rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr.”
mandir’s statue of Mahatma Gandhi own. The Assemblywoman also de- She added, “Gandhi said, ‘Ha-
was vandalized twice this month. nounced the assault of a white MTA “Since the targeting of the tred can be overcome only by love.’
The first vandalism was on Au- bus passenger by women professing Gandhi statue and the Hindu Tem- With the support we have received all
gust 3, when a group of people top- a hatred for white people, multiple ple, I have received an outpouring of around Queens, the City, the Coun-
pled the statue. Less than two weeks hate crimes against the Sikh commu- support not just in Queens, but from try, and the world, I am more opti-
later, what appeared to be a different nity, and hate crimes against Mus- people all around the world,” said mistic than ever that we will succeed
group totally destroyed the statue lims in South Queens. Assemblywoman Rajkumar. “I have in defeating these forces of hate.”

Towards Better Living

Wisdom from the life and talks of HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Throughout 2022, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
presents a bi-monthly article series to help us

navigate our existence towards better living.

When: Every second & fourth
Friday of the month

This series is dedicated to Pramukh Swami Maharaj,

whose centennial in 2022 gives an occasion to celebrate
the life of a person who will inspire generations towards
goodness, happiness and harmony.

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