SA Hindu Maha Sabha calls for prayers

THE South African Hindu Maha Sabha (SAHMS) is calling on all its affiliated religious bodies to hold prayers for peace and harmony in South Africa, ahead of next month’s general elections.

The SAHMS has called upon all its affiliates, temples, satsangs and bhajan groups, and all priests to spend a few minutes in all religious ceremonies to pray for peace and harmony in the country as the momentum builds up for the elections on May 29.

Ashwin Trikamjee, president of the SAHMS, said at a council meeting that the organisation felt that as a Hindu community, it should do something about the elections in a constructive way without getting involved in politics.

“The general feeling was to have a special day of prayer, but we thought we should rather call on all our affiliates to set aside time for prayer towards peaceful elections.

“The intention is purely to seek the blessings of the Almighty. As religious leaders, we have the ability to make that call because we are not seen as favouring one party.

“As South Africans head to the polls, there is a great deal of anxiety and concern about the potential for political conflict, violence, intimidation, and, worse, assassinations. This is also evident in the heated debates in the public domain between political opponents, and especially the threat of a repeat of the unfortunate events of July 2021,” said Trikamjee.

He said the call had been well received.

“Hindu scriptures stress the quest for peace through spiritual invocations, ethical and righteous conduct, self-discipline and devotion. Mahatma Gandhi emphasised that ‘Ahimsa, non-violence, comes from strength, and the strength is from God, not man’,” he added.