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Indian-Americans and officials of the Obama Administration discussed ways to include the Hindu concept of “seva” or service in the American socio-cultural milieu at the Fourth Annual White House Seva Conference on Oct. 2. This year’s conference, “Dharmic Dialogue: Seva and Social Justice”, marked the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
In attendance were Neha Desai Biswal, assistant secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs; Asim Mishra, chief of staff at Corporation for National and Community Service and Anju Bhargava, founder and Board member of Hindu American Seva Communities (HASC), among others.
Biswal shared with participants her personal narrative that exemplified the importance of seva in her life. She shared the story of her grandparents struggle during India’s independence and how seva for your country or community can bring happiness in your life. She also spoke about how Mahatma Gandhi inspired so many people to do seva for others, HASC said in a press release.
Mishra talked about his own personal journey when he had volunteered and joined AmeriCorps after college. He introduced his mentor and guest of honor, Senator Harris Wofford, who served as a special assistant to President John F. Kennedy on civil rights and was instrumental in the formation of Peace Corps.
The Hindu-American community honored Senator Wofford for his life’s work with a shawl and a framed personalized letter from Dr. Rajmohan Gandhi, one of Mahatma Gandhi’s grandsons.
Senator Wofford shared stories about his childhood when he went to India and saw Mahatma Gandhi and how that influenced the rest of his life. He became a lifelong believer in non-violence and shared books and Gandhi’s teaching with Martin Luther King in fighting for civil rights in the 1960s.
Others who spoke included Ken Bedell from the Department of Education, Rohan Patel, a Deputy Director at the White House, and Dr. Sushil Jain, Board member of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA).
A video message from Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, called on communities to positively affect change by remembering the lessons of Mahatma Gandhi who led by example.
The conference began with prayers by the prayers by the Erhard family of Colorado, followed by the singing of the national anthem by Raghava Raja Ram.
In her opening remarks, Bhargava spoke about how HASC was originally conceived as an idea for promoting seva and social justice in the public square providing opportunities for people and Dharmic organizations to become more engaged with the federal government on these issues.
Other highlights of the day-long event included panels on seva and social justice, Energy and Environment, Hindu-American youth empowerment, Homeland Security and Civil Rights as well as a leadership talk by Lt. Colonel Ravi Chaudhary.
