Ramesh Kallidai
Encyclopedia
Ramesh Kallidai is the Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain
which is the largest umbrella body representing British Hindus. Ramesh Kallidai was the first Secretary General of the organisation and has continued in this role while introducing different projects and raising the profile of the community in Great Britain
. His initiative in partnership with the Runnymede Trust
called Connecting British Hindus highlighted the question of the identity of British Hindus. The report claimed that over 80% of Hindus in Britain did not want to be called Asians but Hindus or Indian.
Ramesh Kallidai was recently appointed as a Commissioner of Integration and Cohesion by Ruth Kelly
the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to report on issues surrounding segregation and community cohesion. He advises many Government bodies including the London Criminal Justice Board, the Race Hate Crime Forum, the Metropolitan Police Diversity Forum, the Faith Communities Consultative Council, the London 2012 Forum and other bodies.
His comments are carried by British media and Indian broadsheets regularly and he has been quoted on issues ranging from the 7/7 bombings and hate crime to the death of the Pope and the marriage of the Prince of Wales
.
He has submitted written and oral evidence to the House of Commons
and the House of Lords
Select Committees on various matters including the Religious Hatred bills and Terrorism and Community Relations.
Many British Hindus believe that Ramesh Kallidai has created a platform that has given shape to the political voice of Hindus in the UK for the first time. Recently, Gordon Brown
, the Prime Minister and David Cameron
, Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition paid glowing tributes to him and his organisation at the Diwali reception he had organised at the House of Commons. A week later Cameron was attending a dinner as his guest at a Hindu temple to meet 300 stakeholders from the Hindu community. Ramesh's conferring of a Hindu name - Govardhan Brown - on the British Prime Minister made world headlines in November 2007.
in India
, where he grew up in an orthodox Brahmin family, learning the rituals and philosophy of Vedantic Hinduism
.
From an early age he was trained to chant Sanskrit
mantras and scriptural verses in traditional metres. His first teacher, Sri Rajan Iyengar, a Sri Vaishnava taught him the inner meanings and chanting procedures for various Hindu scriptures like the Vishu Sahasranamam, the Narayaniyam
and other Vaishnava books. He also attended many Bala Vihar classes run by the Chinmaya Mission
as a child and spent his teen years studying the books of Swami Chinmayananda, notably his version of the Bhagavad-gita.
At the age of 16, he chanced upon a summary edition of the Bhagavata Purana
by Kamala Subramaniam, published by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
. It was a book that changed his life, and he started searching for a traditional master who could impart the inner doctrines of the Bhagavata Purana to him.
The search ended at the age of 18 when he met His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami
, whom he formally accepted as his Spiritual Master in 1989. Under his guidance, he studied various philosophical treatises and scriptures in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition as taught by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In Mumbai he became the editor of Hare Krishna
Today, a newsletter with a circulation of 25,000 people.
In 1993, Ramesh left a job in Air India
and migrated to the UK.
for public worship. The temple had been threatened with closure by Hertesmere Borrough Council and had led to a campaign of unprecedented scale, uniting Hindus of all denominations in the UK. Ramesh was instrumental in 1994 to set up a youth group called Pandava Sena
that had a major role to play in the Bhaktivedanta Manor Campaign. Since then he has been actively involved in serving the Hindu community in the UK. He served on the Executive Committees of various Hindu bodies in the UK including the National Council of Hindu Temples, the Hindu Council UK, Hindu Aid and the Hindu Forum of Britain.
, the Catholic Bishops Conference, Churches Together in England and Wales, the Church of England
, Board of Deputies of British Jews
, the Office of the Chief Rabbi
, the Network of Sikh
Organisations, Sikhs in England, National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'is in UK, Network of Buddhist Organisations, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe and the Jain Samaj Europe. He has organised many interfaith events, consultations and events and is an active contributor to the activities of the Interfaith Network of UK, where he had served formerly as an Executive Committee member.
Lama, a Buddhist leader; Hindu memorial service for the London Bombings at the Victoria Embankment Gardens; the Inter-faith Memorial Service for the Mumbai Bomb Blasts and many others.
Hindu Forum of Britain
The Hindu Forum of Britain is an organization that represents over 275 Hindu groups throughout Great Britain with joint annual income of at least £34 million...
which is the largest umbrella body representing British Hindus. Ramesh Kallidai was the first Secretary General of the organisation and has continued in this role while introducing different projects and raising the profile of the community in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. His initiative in partnership with the Runnymede Trust
Runnymede Trust
The Runnymede Trust is a leading pro-multiculturalism think tank., Its aim is to generate intelligence for a "multi-ethnic" Britain through research, network building and policy engagement...
called Connecting British Hindus highlighted the question of the identity of British Hindus. The report claimed that over 80% of Hindus in Britain did not want to be called Asians but Hindus or Indian.
Ramesh Kallidai was recently appointed as a Commissioner of Integration and Cohesion by Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to report on issues surrounding segregation and community cohesion. He advises many Government bodies including the London Criminal Justice Board, the Race Hate Crime Forum, the Metropolitan Police Diversity Forum, the Faith Communities Consultative Council, the London 2012 Forum and other bodies.
His comments are carried by British media and Indian broadsheets regularly and he has been quoted on issues ranging from the 7/7 bombings and hate crime to the death of the Pope and the marriage of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
.
He has submitted written and oral evidence to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
and the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
Select Committees on various matters including the Religious Hatred bills and Terrorism and Community Relations.
Many British Hindus believe that Ramesh Kallidai has created a platform that has given shape to the political voice of Hindus in the UK for the first time. Recently, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, the Prime Minister and David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition paid glowing tributes to him and his organisation at the Diwali reception he had organised at the House of Commons. A week later Cameron was attending a dinner as his guest at a Hindu temple to meet 300 stakeholders from the Hindu community. Ramesh's conferring of a Hindu name - Govardhan Brown - on the British Prime Minister made world headlines in November 2007.
Personal life
Ramesh was born in Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where he grew up in an orthodox Brahmin family, learning the rituals and philosophy of Vedantic Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
.
From an early age he was trained to chant Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
mantras and scriptural verses in traditional metres. His first teacher, Sri Rajan Iyengar, a Sri Vaishnava taught him the inner meanings and chanting procedures for various Hindu scriptures like the Vishu Sahasranamam, the Narayaniyam
Narayaniyam
Narayaniyam is a medieval Sanskrit text, comprising a summary study in poetic form of the Bhagavata Purana. It was composed by Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, a devotee-poet who lived in the Indian state of Kerala, in the sixteenth century AD...
and other Vaishnava books. He also attended many Bala Vihar classes run by the Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission was founded in 1953 by the devotees of Swami Chinmayananda to 'give organizational structure and cohesiveness to the work and activities initiated by Swami Chinmayananda' . It is administered from Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai...
as a child and spent his teen years studying the books of Swami Chinmayananda, notably his version of the Bhagavad-gita.
At the age of 16, he chanced upon a summary edition of the Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
by Kamala Subramaniam, published by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is an Indian educational trust. It was founded on November 7, 1938 by Dr. K. M. Munshi, with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi...
. It was a book that changed his life, and he started searching for a traditional master who could impart the inner doctrines of the Bhagavata Purana to him.
The search ended at the age of 18 when he met His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami
Gopal Krishna Goswami
Gopal Krishna Goswami is a religious leader within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . He was the first Indian disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to be initiated after the establishment of ISKCON...
, whom he formally accepted as his Spiritual Master in 1989. Under his guidance, he studied various philosophical treatises and scriptures in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition as taught by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In Mumbai he became the editor of Hare Krishna
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
Today, a newsletter with a circulation of 25,000 people.
In 1993, Ramesh left a job in Air India
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
and migrated to the UK.
Serving British Hindus
After migrating to the UK, Ramesh immediately played an active role in the campaign to save Bhaktivedanta ManorBhaktivedanta Manor
Bhaktivedanta Manor is a Gaudiya Vaishnava temple set in the Hertfordshire countryside of England in the village of Aldenham near Watford. The Manor, as it is called by those familiar with it, is owned and run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as ISKCON or the...
for public worship. The temple had been threatened with closure by Hertesmere Borrough Council and had led to a campaign of unprecedented scale, uniting Hindus of all denominations in the UK. Ramesh was instrumental in 1994 to set up a youth group called Pandava Sena
Pandava Sena
Pandava Sena is a UK youth group for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . Pandava Sena organises and runs festivals, retreats, music, dramas, discussions, presentations, debates, and more, to spread the message of Krishna Consciousness to youth.- History :Pandava Sena started in...
that had a major role to play in the Bhaktivedanta Manor Campaign. Since then he has been actively involved in serving the Hindu community in the UK. He served on the Executive Committees of various Hindu bodies in the UK including the National Council of Hindu Temples, the Hindu Council UK, Hindu Aid and the Hindu Forum of Britain.
Leading the community agenda
In his multiple roles as Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain, a Commissioner of Integration and Cohesion appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Independent Advisor to a variety of policy making bodies, Ramesh has successfully led and commissioned the following initiatives in public policy and community engagement on behalf of the Hindu Forum of Britain:Community Consultations on public policy
Ramesh conducted various consultation exercises, stakeholder workshops, surveys and other activities with the Hindu community, and some with the all the major faith communities in the UK. These include:- Commissioner leading on Education on the Commission for Integration and Cohesion
- Multi-faith response to the introduction of ID Cards - with four workshops across UK
- Fairness for All - Commission of Equality and Human Rights
- Strength in Diversity – Home Office Policy on Diversity and Equality
- Home Office Consultation on Ministers of Religion from Abroad
- Home Affairs Select Committee on Terrorism and Community Relations
- House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Discrimination
Capacity Building and Project Development
He commissioned the following projects on behalf of the Hindu Forum of Britain after identifying capacity gaps in the Hindu community in the UK:- Launched the Parliamentary Experience Programme where ten Hindu youth shadowed ten MPs to increase democratic participation amongst young British Hindus
- Launched a pilot RE Toolkit in the 72 schools of Harrow to encourage standardised resources for teaching Hinduism in schools
- Started a security training programme for places of worship to meet a demand-led response
- HFB Disaster Task Force that brought together 50 aid organisations for the TsunamiTsunamiA tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
disaster
Research
The Connecting British Hindus Research Project that was visualised, conceived and managed by Ramesh on behalf of the Hindu Forum of Britain in partnership with the Runnymede Trust. It involved 10 focus group meetings and 1000 responses to an online survey, resulting in 20 recommendations on Hindu identity and access to public services that are transforming the manner by which local government engages with British Hindus. It received unprecedented media attentionInterfaith Activity
Ramesh has excellent relationships and worked on various community projects with the Muslim Council of BritainMuslim Council of Britain
The Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...
, the Catholic Bishops Conference, Churches Together in England and Wales, the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, Board of Deputies of British Jews
Board of Deputies of British Jews
The Board of Deputies of British Jews is the main representative body of British Jews. Founded in 1760 as a joint committee of the Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jewish communities in London, it has since become a widely recognised forum for the views of the different sectors of the UK Jewish...
, the Office of the Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
, the Network of Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
Organisations, Sikhs in England, National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'is in UK, Network of Buddhist Organisations, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe and the Jain Samaj Europe. He has organised many interfaith events, consultations and events and is an active contributor to the activities of the Interfaith Network of UK, where he had served formerly as an Executive Committee member.
Events and conferences
These include the Annual Diwali reception at the House of Commons; Interfaith reception for H H KarmapaKarmapa
The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyupa , itself one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism....
Lama, a Buddhist leader; Hindu memorial service for the London Bombings at the Victoria Embankment Gardens; the Inter-faith Memorial Service for the Mumbai Bomb Blasts and many others.
Media and Publicity
Ramesh has run various community campaigns and is one of the most quoted community workers in the UK media. He writes profusely for various newspapers and is quoted regularly in ethnic, regional, national and international media, including newspapers, television and radio.Memberships and positions
Ramesh is a member of various organisations. Some of his positions are as follows:- Commissioner for Integration and Cohesion, reporting to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
- Secretary General, Hindu Forum of BritainHindu Forum of BritainThe Hindu Forum of Britain is an organization that represents over 275 Hindu groups throughout Great Britain with joint annual income of at least £34 million...
- Vice Chair, Hindu Aid
- Member, Race Hate Crime Forum, Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan policeMetropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
- Member, Diamond Advisory Group, Metropolitan Police
- Member, IAG London Criminal Justice Board
- Executive Member, Religions for Peace (UK)
- Fellow, Royal Society of the Arts
- National Working Group, EU Campaign to Combat Discrimination
Publications and Papers
- *Caste in the UK, a research paper on the situation of caste in a British context providing fresh evidence from surveys and research, 2008
- Working with a Hindu Ethos, Ramesh authored a guide for Hindu charities in the UK, published by the Hindu Forum of Britain in 2007. This book was launched in the House of Commons by Harriet Herman MP, Leader of the House
- Oral and written response to the Home Affairs Select Committee on Terrorism and Community Relations, 2005
- Oral and written response to the House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Discrimination, November 2002
- Response to 'Fairness for All' White Paper on the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, July 2004
- Response to 'Strength in Diversity', Home Office White Paper on race equality and community cohesion, July 2004
- Using the UML Uniformly, City University, September 2000
- Screaming Hot Bhajiyas - weekly column in the Asian Voice, largest English weekly for Asians in UK
- Angrezi Matters - fortnightly column in the Hindustan Times, largest circulating newspaper in Delhi, India