30/04/12

Namaste Pran

Friends,

Please find below an email that has been sent to Cllr. Navin Shah & the Labour Party. We strongly recommend every voter to ask their local Labour candidate & of the Labour Party where they stand with this. Share this with all your family & friends. Then make sure you ALL vote. Please take time to study the full content of this email. It will be time well spent because that will decide what happens to you and London over the next 4/5 years.

Regards

Mukesh

Questions to Navin Shah

Subject:BHV Ken Livingstone - Questions to Navin Shah

Date:Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:07:00 +0100

Linked to:Navin Shah

From:Mukesh Naker <mukesh.naker@evolutiondc.co.uk>

To:Navin Shah <navin.shah@harrow.gov.uk>

Cc:Mukesh Naker <info@BritishHinduVoice.org.uk>

30/04/12

Namaste Navinbhai

The British Hindu Voice read the front page article and the full page advert in Asian Voice with some interest, particularly in your support of the Labour Party and Ken Livingstone for this forthcoming election.

In the event you have not been made aware of the divisive nature of the electioneering that seems to have become a habit of the Labour party I set out the links below for you to study.

As a Councillor of the Hindu Faith, the Hindu community would be interested to know your views on the following:

1.   What steps have you taken to discuss with the Labour Party the comments made by Ken Livingston in a Mosque that if elected he will make 'London a beacon of Islam'.

This is not about being anti anything. This is about ensuring that Hindus, Jains and Sikhs get the respect and acknowledgement from Mayoral candidates for living peacefully and harmoniously with all the communities in Britain and also for their vast contributions to the wellbeing of this country. Sadly it appears that the Labour Party and Ken Livingston are not interested in Hindus, Jains and Sikhs.

If you disagree with me then:

First of all it would be helpful to know whether or not you support Ken Livingston's above statement.

Second, If you know his views on what he will do for the Hindu, Jain and Sikh faith communities, then please feel free to enlighten us.

Third send me a copy of any e mail correspondence you might have had with the Labour party expressing your opposition to Ken's statement.

2. The vote bank faith divisive politics are ruining the community cohesion fabric of Britain.

BHV wrote on the 20th of April to the Leader of the Labour Party, Ed Milliband & the Deputy Leader Harriet Harman & The Labour Party's Chief Whip in the House of Lords, Lord Bassam of Brighton asking what is the Labour Policy following the Bradford West loss at the hands of George Galloway.

To date none of them have even had the courtesy to reply.

The Hindus, Jains & Sikhs take this to mean, they want our votes but have no other value in us.

You may have served the Hindu, Jain & Sikh communities well in the past but your support for a political party which does not value us and the Labour  Mayoral candidate who, if elected, is set to make London a beacon for Islam may well bring into question your interests and commitments  in terms of these Faith communities.  

3. It would be very helpful if you explain clearly on what bases you can stand & support Ken on the issue of giving one community preference over another and what steps have you taken to register your disquiet, if any, on the issues raised in this e mail to you.

British Hindu Voice will make your reply public so any positive action you may have taken will work in your favour as many people will read it and will make their own judgement on your views and actions.

I await your reply.

Pranaam

Mukesh Naker

Thank You To all Individual & Organisations

British Hindu Voice would like to thank all individuals and organisations that have followed up our email of the 16th of April. See copy below for those who missed it.  The response has been excellent.

No reply from the Labour Party

British Hindu Voice did write to Ed Milliband & Harriet Harman on 20th of April for an explanation of Labour Party Policy on Ken's campaign and so far we have had no response.(copy of our email at the end of this email). Ed's email is ed.miliband.mp@parliament.uk. Feel free to voice your concerns.

Our purpose in doing this is to stop the politicians and political parties from dividing communities by giving preferences to narrow religious and community interests. BHV is non political in this and will promote and champion political engagement and policies in the interests of Hindus, Jains & Sikhs but not at the expanse of other communities. 

British Hindu Voice has heard in the past & in the current debate from a number of our organisations and leaders "We are not political and cannot do anything". This needs to change. They have a fundamental duty to their members and community to take leadership in these matters to inform and articulate important political issues.

The reality of our situation is a simple one. We either engage in the political sphere in an effective way and acquire a voice for our values and well being or stay voiceless and become more and more marginalised.

So how do we do this?

Individuals & organisations will have to take leadership, responsibility and take action for this campaign. Hindus, Jains & Sikhs just do not have a structure or process to effectively do this. In the time we have, there is nothing formal that can be done. So for now individuals & organisations will have to improvise and utilise the best people and skills they have. As a guide the following could be done and applied.

1. Create a database of the organisation members or your personal one.

2. Send out the information of the issues by email, telephone, text, FACEBOOK, Twitter and any other social media & where required visit people and give them the information.

3. Get feedback as to if they will vote on the day and who for.

3. How many people will they follow up and secure to vote.

4. Email BHV the data and BHV will feedback this information back to the community. Attached is a guide data collection sheet you could use. Please note this data will not be shared or distributed to anyone.

5. Those with political experience in campaigning and electioneering, please email us your contact details. We will match you up with any individuals or organisations that request help.

After the elections British Hindu Voice will with support from the community hold workshops and feedback to understand what happened and how our community could improve upon it.

Pranaam

Mukesh Naker

Communications Officer

British Hindu Voice

Unit 12, 37 Lewisher Rd.

Leicester, LE4 9LR

Skype - mukesh.naker

Office - +44 116 274 7700Mobile - +44 77 1313 7425

info@BritishHinduVoice.org.uk

http://www.BritishHinduVoice.org.uk

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20/04/12

Namaste Pran