Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America
Press Release-For Immediate Release
October 20, 1999
Mr. Jyotish Parekh was elected President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) during the national Governing Council meeting held in Atlanta in October 1999. Mr. Parekh, an aeronautical engineer, holds an MS in mechanical engineering and an MBA in finance. He lives in West Hartford, CT with his wife Ilaxi and has two children. Mr. Parekh has been with VHPA since 1973, holding the position of national treasurer for 17 years and contributing greatly to the financial well being of the organization. He has also participated in the planning and execution of all aspects of VHPA activity including youth camps, youth conferences, national conferences, service (seva) projects, and lecture tours for religious leaders. Mr. Parekh assumes the leadership of VHPA from Dr. Yash Pal Lakra, who has given five years of dedicated service as president.
"VHPA is poised for a rapid growth", said Mr. Parekh addressing the Governing Council. "There is a realization in the Indian community that VHPA workers are dedicated and committed for a good cause" he continued. Much of this has come about due to two programs held in 1999: Dharma Prasar Yatra (DPY) and Dharma Sansad. "The tremendous positive response to the DPY and Dharma Samsad shows that there is a large public demand for the kinds of activities that VHPA has been doing for over twenty-five years," Mr. Parekh commented.
During the DPY twenty thousand Hindus in ten cities across America came together to celebrate their rich culture with a message of unity in diversity and universal peace.
More than 325 Hindu community workers from throughout the USA and about 20 Dharma Gurus attended Dharma Sansad-1999, held in August at Barsana Dham, Austin, Texas. According to Dr. Mahesh Mehta, a VHPA former president, "The ultimate objective of the Dharma Sansad is to enrich the American culture by blending the Hindu spiritual heritage with the scientific and technological culture of USA."
During the Governing Council meeting, Dr. B. K. Modi, made a presentation on the Ekal Vidyalaya program that VHP of America has decided to support. This program will provide basic education to thousands of villages in the remote tribal areas of Bharat through dollar-a-day contributions in the USA. A number of individuals and organizations have already shown an interest in contributing to the Ekal Vidyalaya project, with one organization alone expecting to sponsor over a thousand Ekal Vidalayas.
Besides the election of Mr. Parekh as President, the following were elected or re-elected to the VHPA Governing Council Executive Committee by the 32 members who participated in the three-day meeting: General Secretary-Gaurang Vaishnav, Joint General Secretary-Abhaya Asthana, National Treasurer-Virendra Parikh, Vice President for Public Relations-Nand Kishore Sharma, Vice President for Seva-Ramesh Patel, Vice President for Youth-Kanchan Banerjee. Also working closely with them will be Ajay Shah on Anti-Defamation Issues and Internet and Mahesh Mehta as Representative from the Advisory Board.
VHPA was established in the 1969. Its objectives are to (1) unite Hindus with a view to instill in them devotion to the practices of Hindu way of life, (2) to cultivate in them a spirit of self respect for themselves and their way of life and respect for people of all colors, creeds, races and religions, and (3) to establish contacts with Hindus all over the world. To fulfill those objectives a number of programs are held throughout the USA including summer youth and family camps and many different service (seva) projects benefiting the needy both in the United States and in Bharat.
For more information about the activities of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, contact our national office:
VHP of America
P. O. Box 441505
Houston, TX 77244
Phone: (281) 558-3000 x113
Email: vicharak@hindunet.com
