Annual NYC Bengali Hindu parade keeps hope for 1st Hindu Pre-K

16  Sept 2018 - NYC non-profit organization VidyaDham Panchatatva Gitapith held their annual NYC Bengali Hindu parade in Jamaica Queens. VidyaDham run by the Dey family, is a Bengladeshi Hindu Learning Center and Temple which focuses on study of the Bhagavad Gita and the "five elements" (Panchatatva) of Hinduism: earth, water, fire, air and space. The parade and school is maintained by the large NYC Bengali Hindu community which reaches more than 35,000 members. 

It was announced at the parade that the VidyaDham Panchatatva Gitapith, under the auspices of its founder and leader Priyatosh Dey, would be launching a campaign to get NYC Hindus prepared to create the city's 1st publicly funded Hindu Preschool. The announcement came after last year's meeting with the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit which suggested Hindus use their temples to take advantage of Mayor de Blasio's pre-K program which allows community residents to open pre-Ks which can then apply for city recognition and funding. 

NYC Mayor's Community Affair Unit & NYC DOE

It has been established that a regular meeting will be held at the VidyaDham center in order to plan to officially institute an NYC Hindu Pre-K which can then receive city authorization and funding; this 1st Hindu Pre-K will also serve as a model for other USA Hindu Pre-K's. The program was initiated by a larger campaign to add the Hindu Holidays of Diwali and Holi to school calendars so that NYC Hindus may be represented the same as Muslims, Jews and Christians. 

NYC Hindus need to work together to find some way to pay associated legal costs, and build an online version of the school which can be used as a central hub for lesson plans and community announcements for all future participating Hindu Pre-K groups. The school should focus on the Panchatatva, the 5 Elements, as this way Hinduism can be presented in a more secular form that can be better integrated into public institutions. 

Any Hindu residence of Jamaica Queens who would like to work with us to establish this 1st NYC Hindu Preschool please contact Vincent Bruno.  You may also volunteer and attend meetings in the NYC area to help us bring this program to other City neighborhoods. It is important that Hindus take advantage of the city programs being offered and utilized by other groups, we need to work together to secure a better future for ourselves and Hinduism. 

Vincent Bruno

vincent.bruno.1229@gmail.com