The prime minister was anointed Govardhan Brown by a “large” crowd of “cheering” Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, celebrating Diwali, the Hindu Forum said in a press statement.
The statement read: “Brown, wearing marigold garlands around his neck and a bright vermilion teeka on his forehead, received the honour at the Hindu Forum of Britain's annual event to celebrate the faith's festival of light at parliament.”
Ramesh Kallidai, the general secretary for the Hindu Forum of Britain, introduced the prime minister to guests as "Shri Govardhan Brown".
He told Brown, "Govardhan" had a "sacred and auspicious" meaning in Sanskrit as a hill in paradise.
"From today, you are an honorary member of the Hindu community, as Govardhan Brown," he said.
Celebrations aside, Ramesh Kallidai, failed to tell Govardhan Brown about his ties with the fundamentalist VHP (Vishva Hindu Prasad Party), which is accused of murdering thousands of Muslims and Sikhs in India's Gujrat region. [British Indian official linked to VHP, 13 June 2007, Indo-Asian News Service]
According to Human Rights Watch, the VHP was “directly responsible” for anti-Muslim riots in the Indian state of Gujarat in 2002, in which 2,000 Muslims died. During the disturbances, VHP leaflets described Indian Muslims as “saboteurs” and “anti-nationals” who must be cleansed from Indian soil. The report goes even further and charges that members of the VHP sexually assaulted children.
Kallidai’s Hindu Council of Britain has on numerous occasions held joint functions with the VHP. When questioned by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Home Affairs regarding his association with the two groups, Kallidai said: “We would deny it is an association of Hindu extremists … It is a peaceful organisation.”
On 12 of April 2007, Kallidai praised M. S. Golwalkar (1906-1973), the second “supreme leader” of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an Indian organisation described by many as being neo-fascist.
Great article,
Good to see the centre is exposing all fundamentalists...