Election 2020 at Arya Samaj

Houston: The election process is a celebration in any democratic setup that makes the people govern themselves. Today we hear very often the unique partnership between India and the USA, the largest and the oldest democracies, respectively. But the truth is that India is the oldest democracy in the world besides being the largest one. India gave the original mantras of democracy to the entire civilized world. Maharshi Dayanand writes in the sixth chapter of his Magnum Opus, Satyartha-Prakash (Light of Truth) – the people should follow the directives of the king and the king should follow those of the public. Such were the governing principles written by Manu, the first writer of the republic constitution in human history. Democratic principles reside in every grain of what India is and is vividly present in its classical Gram Panchayat system.

It is natural for Arya Samaj to view the election process with a sense of sacredness. So, much before the arrival of the grand day, your Arya Samaj Houston got in touch with the county officials and proposed their Arya Samaj Mandir to function as the Election Mandir. The challenge was to maintain the sanctity of the process amid the health concerns of the pandemic. Both, Arya Samaj Houston and the county officials walked the extra mile to ensure that the Devatas (the voters) will exercise their rights in an environment that respected their safety, security, and privacy. We are grateful to the County Judges Gabriela Zavala and Jon Menefee for their guidance, presence, and patience throughout the process.

We take the opportunity to wish Shubh Deepavali to all! — Acharya Dr. Harish Chandra, Arya Samaj Greater Houston