NOTE: It was quite conspicuous that the new generation Hindus of these countries showed studied and enthusiastic receptivity for Hindu organisational activities. In general Hindu ethos in these countries is being appreciated.

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B. Major programmes:

7-20 1August, 2000
Seven-hundred delegates from 21 countries participated. More than 60 Hindu organizations and associations of Trinidad & Tobago took active part in organising the conference. His Excellency Vasdeo Pandey, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago during his inaugural address spontaneously burst into leading a mass chanting of "Hanuman Chalisa". Parampujya Sarasanghachalak Maananiya K.S. Sudarshanji inaugurated the conference. The theme of the Conference was "Aatmano Mokshaartham Jagaddhitaaya Cha" (Self-emancipation and welfare of the world).

His Holiness Jagadguru Sankaracharya Swami Divyanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj of Bhanpura Peeth toured Trinidad & Tobago from 14th to 25th August, 2000.

New York : 28 - 31st August, 2000 :
Three-hundred & forty delegates including 108 Sants from Bharat attended the conference. A good rapport evolved amongst Bharatiya Sants, Bauddha Sants from South-East Asian and Far East countries and also religious leaders of non-aggressive traditions of American and African continents. The key interpretation of the UN Resolution #18 on Human Rights was developed by the Bharatiya and Japanese delegates.

C. Coordination with Bouddha Traditions:-

C.1 Dr. Pravin Bhai Togadiya and other VHP workers participated in the celebration in honour of His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh) on 30-4-2000.

C.2 Participation in the negotiation with the Government of Bharat in planning the proposed Bouddha Mahotsavs in Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh during 2001, and the Brahmaputra Utsav on 23 - 24th February, 2001.

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D. Promotion of Hindu Heritage:-

D.1 Ten-day Hindu Heritage Seminar for Foreign Diplomats - February 2000 at India International Centre, New Delhi.
We supported Hindu Heritage Pratishthan’s Heritage Seminar programme in which 21 diplomats and students (stationed in Bharat) from 10 countries participated.

D.2 Hindu Heritage Seminar for foreign students studying in Bharat at Paramarth Niketan, Rishikesh during 17-19 November, 2000. 101 Students (18 Hindus, 33 Buddhists, 17 Christians, 12 Muslims, 2 Jews, 1 Roma Gypsy, 18 n
ot belonging to any denomination) from 32 countries participated in the said Seminar held under the auspices of Hindu Heritage Pratishthan and sponsored by Central VHP and Paramarth Niketan.

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E. Purohit Training :-

Nine-month training of 33 Purohits ended on 15th January, 2000. Till now 3 of them have started working in Mauritius, USA and Singapore.

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F. Nepal :-

In Nepal 162 Ekal Vidyalayas (One-Teacher Schools) are being run with help from VHP-Europe. 8,200 students are benefited. 130 Satsangs are being organised.

Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran Katha Evam Maha Yagya was held in Nepal from 21st October to 5th November to mark the 75th birthday of Maananiya Ashok Ji Singhal. More than 25,000 families participated.

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Dignatories named below visited our Central Office. They had positive interface with our Adhikaris and Karyakartas:

Rev. Dr. D.S. Uchida, 17th Chief Priest of Daikoji Temple, Japan
H.E. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Bhutan
H.H. Mahamandaleshwar Priyabrata Brahmachari of Bangladesh
H.E. Indian High Commissioner to Trinidad & Tobago Shri Parimal Das
Mrs. Ellinor Biswas of England
Dr. Koenraad Elst of Belgium, Writer and Indologist
Dr. Girdharilal Bhan, President, VHP, U.K.
Bulgarian Gypsy Scholar Dr. (Miss) Lilyana Kovacheva, 46 Indonesian Hindus
Dr. Gyanwan, Director, Hindu-Buddhist Affairs, Indonesia

We had interface in Delhi with the Dy. Prime Minister of Thailand H.E. Korn Dabbaransi

Dr. Preedee, President, Thai-Bharat Cultural Lodge and Trustee of Gita Ashram, Bangkok. He also met the Home Minister of India to promise Thai-Bharat friendship.

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H. International Coordinaion Meet on 23-24 December, 2000: -

Ninety delegates from 21 countries participated. It was decided that during the coming year the organisational set up will be strengthened and Dharma Prasar Yatra covering different countries of all the five Zones will be held. H.H. Jagadguru Sankaracharya Srimat Swami Jayendra Saraswatiji Maharaj and His Holiness the Dalai Lama are likely to visit a few countries.