HUMAN DIMENSION IMPLEMENTATION MEETING
Warsaw, 16 to 27 September 2019
Working session 13: Tolerance and non-discrimination II
Including: Combating racism, xenophobia, discrimination, combating anti-Semitism and
intolerance against Christians, Muslims and members of other religions.
The dire state of Hindus in Russia
The center for conservation of Indian culture in Russia – Shri Prakash Dham has been working on the front
of spreading knowledge about Indian culture and helping the Indian citizens that live in Russia. We have
presence in countries like India, Germany, Lithuania, UK, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Our NGO is headed
by the leader of Hinduism in Russia who is also a popular spiritual teacher with a discipleship running in
hundreds of thousands. Hinduism has got 140,000 followers in Russia and more than a billion worldwide.
The Russian constitution mentions clearly that there should not be any one official religion on the territory
of Russian Federation. At the same time the influence of Orthodox Christianity is visible with naked eyes.
Alexander Dvorkin who heads a Moscow based research center for the study of sects and cults named after
Saint Ireneus is a notorious figure who attacks all except orthodox Christianity through his defamation
campaigns, which involve the use of methods, labeled as extremist under the Russian constitution and law.
Since the past four years Dvorkin has been concentrating his malicious efforts on Shri Prakash Ji. In the
year 2017 his threats and hatred speeches directed towards the leader of Hinduism in Russia resulted in the
burning of his effigy in New-Delhi in front of the Russian Embassy. Hindus do not have even one proper
temple for their religious practices except for the Ashram that has been organized by Shri Prakash Ji in
Moscow region.
Nationalists and Dvorkin’s journalists regularly disturb the religious gatherings of Hindus. I have spoken
on this grave matter in the walls of the UN and the Russian parliament. The problem will be solved only
when the Russian government officially recognizes Hinduism and sanctions the building of the first Hindu
temple.
Dvorkin and his associates in the case of Shri Prakash Ji and his Hindu followers are constantly violating
the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms that are key to OSCE’s comprehensive security concept.
Legal sanctions must be taken against Dvorkin by the OSCE and Russian agencies banning his entry into
EU and US. Dvorkin is a threat to a harmonious and peaceful society.
Prasun Prakash
Director of public affairs
“Shri Prakash Dham”
Contact: prasunpublic@gmail.com