As the UK votes on July 4 and the Labour Party leads opinion polls to form the government, the British-Hindu community, the third-largest religious group, is asserting its political voice more strongly than ever. The million-strong community has released a ‘Hindu manifesto’ and its candidates are part of the electoral fray.
As the UK is set to vote on July 4, the Labour Party is slated to form the government with its slogan, ‘It’s time for change’. The influence of Hindus in the UK is also seeing a change. British Hindus, the third-largest religious group in England, are already an influential community in the UK. Now, the community is asserting its political voice more than ever before, and politicians from both sides of the divide are wooing its members.
Ahead of the election in the UK, 29 Hindu organisations released ‘The Hindu Manifesto UK 2024’. Among the seven key demands of the manifesto, released on June 8, was the demand to recognise anti-Hindu hate as a religious hate crime.
This was the first time that British Hindus had come together to put forward demands for the community, which is well aware of its strength.
There are around 1 million people in Britain who identify themselves as Hindus, according to the 2021 Census. This makes the community quite a sizeable electorate in the July 4 general election.
Both Labour and Conservatives are trying to corner the community’s votes. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Conservative Party’s leader, and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer visited temples to woo British Hindu voters. The Labour Party, which had a fallout with Indians, is trying to attract Desi votes.
THE HINDU COMMUNITY’S MANIFESTO IN THE UK
The Hindu Manifesto shows the importance of the number of Hindu voters and the prominence they hold within the UK.
“[Anti-Hindu hate] Hinduphobia is a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviours towards s Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as prejudice, fear, or hatred,” reads the Manifesto.
They have also given the example of Hinduphobic hate prevalent in the UK, from blaming the Hindu religion for all the vices in Indian society to abetting or normalising the killing of Hindus.
The document also discussed the organisations in the UK responsible for hate crimes against Hindus.
“Organisations such as the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and International Sikh Youth Federation have been involved in various acts of violence against UK Hindus and Indians or have committed acts of terrorism aimed at de-establishing India and promoting separatist agendas,” reads the Manifesto.
It also discusses candidate expectations, such as recognising anti-Hindu hate crimes, taking actions against all forms of racism and monitoring organisations responsible for hate crime.