All Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus
Quarterly meeting of APPG for British Hindus was held in the parliament on 18 March 2025
The meeting was presided by the Chairman of the APPG MP Bob Blackman of Harrow East. A number of parliamentarians from both houses and from different political parties attended the meeting. These included:
- MP Bob Blackman – Conservatives (Harrow East) – Chair
- MP Navendu Mishra – Labour – Stockport – Officer
- MP Luke Taylor – LibDem – Sutton and Cheam – Officer
- MP Neil Hudson – Conservatives – Epping Forest
- MP Bobby Dean – LibDem – Carshalton and Wallington
- MP Paula Barker – Labour – Liverpool Wavertree
- MP Louie French – Conservatives – Old Bexley and Sidcup
- MP Jim Dickson – Labour – Dartford
- Baroness Sandeep Verma – Member House of Lords
A number of parliamentary aides also attended the meeting along with British Hindu community organisation representatives including Ms Janhavi Dadarkar, Mr Nitin Palan, Mr. Nilesh Solanki, Mr. Santosh Patil among others. The meeting was facilitated by Mr. Vinod Tikoo who coordinates the secretariat of the APPG British Hindus on behalf of ABHI UK.
There was a round table discussion between the members on the topics relevant to the British Hindu community and consensus that more should be done to bridge the gap between the community and the parliament to address issues relevant to the community.
A number of key topics were discussed including the plight of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and it was agreed to issue a letter to the government to look into the issue on priority. There was also discussion on other important topics like the Anti Hindu hatred and the Caste legislation. The MP’s were apprised of the Action 4 Harmony initiative to bring the voice of the community together through the APPG BH. It was agreed to run the APPG BH update meeting on a quarterly basis and also to issue a monthly newsletter to the members.
The UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) is a cross-party group of Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the House of Lords who come together to discuss and promote the interests and concerns of Hindus in the UK and to facilitate greater understanding and engagement between Hindus and the wider British society.
The UK APPG for Hindus can play an important role in representing the views and interests of Hindus in the UK and in promoting greater understanding and dialogue between Hindus and other communities.
We will work with Hindu organisations and community leaders to gather information and insights about issues that are important to Hindus in the UK. We will host events and meetings in different parts of the country to engage with and listen to the concerns of Hindu communities. In addition, the APPG will commission research on topics of relevance to Hindus in the UK and use this research to inform its work and advocacy efforts.
The goal of the UK APPG is to be the voice between Hindu communities and the broader political process, and to ensure that the views and concerns of Hindus are heard and considered by policymakers.