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The Indian diaspora should be loyal to the country they reside in and strive to be better citizens, while demonstrating that Hindus can contribute to local society and provide leadership in all walks of life, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said here. Hosabale, who is on a visit to the US, said his conversations with a cross-section of Americans were focused on addressing misconceptions about the RSS that he said were a result of propaganda against the 100-year-old organisation for the past several decades. "All these years, the RSS has been working silently with the belief that our work is the message. Now, we thought that it is better to reach out. Our words should also become the message," Hosabale told PTI in an interview here. Hosabale arrived in the US last week after a tour of the UK, where he interacted with academic circles, thought leaders, policy experts and a cross-section of the Indian diaspora as part of the outreach efforts as the RSS marks its centenary ...
The Nebraska State Legislature in the US has adopted a resolution recognising the celebration of Deepavali, in what the Indian mission in Seattle described as a "historic" move for the state's Hindu community. The resolution was sponsored by State Senator John Frederickson and signed by Speaker John Arch on March 31. The adoption of the resolution is a "historic" development for the Indian diaspora in the American Midwest and marks a "watershed moment" for the approximately 9,000 Hindus who call the "Cornhusker State" (Nebraska's official nickname) home, the Consulate General of India in Seattle said in a statement. The Consulate noted that Frederickson, whose district includes the Hindu Temple of Omaha established in 1993, has been a "long-time ally" of the community, frequently attending temple events. While Hindus account for less than one per cent of Nebraska's population, the passage of resolution LR 424 signals an "era of deep cultural integration and respect," it said. The
Once largely confined to spiritual use among Indians, Rudraksha seeds are now gaining popularity in Switzerland, with rising demand from both the diaspora and local Swiss, an official said. "It is a niche market now, set to be solidified by the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which comes into force from October 1," an official said. India and the four European nations bloc, EFTA (European Free Trade Association), signed the agreement on March 10, 2024. In 2024-25, India exported the commodity worth Rs 0.97 crore. "While Switzerland's Indian diaspora of over 27,000 people provides a foundational market for these seeds, the primary driver is a burgeoning wellness and mindfulness movement among the broader Swiss population," the official said. Swiss online retailers and yoga shops now market Rudraksha malas (prayer beads) not just as religious items, but as tools for a secular kind of spirituality. A Zurich-based online yoga store sells a simple Rudraksha