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1612 - Multiculturalism - HINDU COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Boyd, Abigail to the Treasurer representing the Minister for Small Business, Minister for Lands and Property, Minister for Multiculturalism, and Minister for Sport
HINDU COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

(1) Have you been made aware of evidence that the Hindu Council of Australia has engaged in acts of religious vilification, caste discrimination and social discord?

(2) Are you aware that on 7 November 2023 Periyar Ambedkar Thoughts Circle of Australia (PATCA) wrote to Dr Malcolm Haddon, the Associate Director of Community Resilience, documenting alleged incidents of religious vilification, caste discrimination and social discord?

(3) Are you aware that the activities that the Hindu Council of Australia is alleged to have participated in would contravene the essential criteria for nomination to the NSW Faith Council (listed on NSW Government website) and violate the Multicultural Principles of the Multicultural NSW Act 2000?

(4) What were your reasons for nominating the Hindu Council of Australia for the NSW Faith Council over other Hindu organisations?

(5) Do you consider that the Hindu Council of Australia has contravened the essential criteria for nomination to the NSW Faith Council (listed on NSW Government website) and violated the Multicultural Principles of the Multicultural NSW Act 2000?

(a) Will you reconsider the nomination of the Hindu Council of Australia to NSW Faith Affairs Council on this basis?

(6) Are you aware that community leaders are concerned that if action is not taken to require the Hindu Council of Australia to curtail their alleged vilification and discriminatory activities, it might embolden them to persist in ongoing vilification of Sikh and Muslim communities, perpetuate caste discrimination and contribute to targeted hate crimes?

(a) Will you meet with community leaders to address widespread concerns caused by the Hindu Council of Australia’s nomination to the NSW Faith Council and the nomination of Mr Surinder Jain as its Co-Chair?
Answer -

The NSW Faith Affairs Council is established to improve the NSW Government's understanding and competency in relation to policies, programs and services that affect religious communities and people of faith in New South Wales.

I am advised that Mr Surinder Jain was nominated for the NSW Faith Affairs Council by the Hindu Council of Australia, as one of 12 organisations representing the 12 largest faith groups in New South Wales. The Hindu Council of Australia was selected as a nominator on the recommendation of Multicultural NSW.

I am advised that membership of the Faith Affairs Council is time-limited to ensure a diversity of representation over time.

I am advised that a series of complaints have been made to Multicultural NSW about the Hindu Council of Australia. I am advised that in the opinion of Multicultural NSW, those complaints include highly selective and partial information. I am advised that, having reviewed this information, Multicultural NSW is not satisfied that Mr Surinder Jain or the Hindu Council of Australia as an organisation should not have the opportunity to engage in NSW Government activities, including the newly formed NSW Faith Affairs Council.

This Government introduced new laws to make religious vilification unlawful. Any actual evidence of religious vilification or discrimination should be reported to the appropriate authority, which is Anti-Discrimination NSW.

Question asked on 13 December 2023 (session 58-1) and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 156
Answer received on 17 January 2024 and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 171

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.