Hindu society has a long and glorious tradition of engaging in democratic institutions and traditions, particularly when the Hindu community was free of foreign domination. Hindu society is inherently an egalitarian society, and thus it has an inherent democratic disposition. Wherever Hindus are in a majority, democracy practices are on the whole thriving. The country of Bharat, where Hindus comprise a large majority of the population, has consistently held (with one notable interruption) the title of the “World’s Largest Democracy” since gaining its Independence in 1947.

Another shining example of a Hindu majority country where democracy has been firmly established and flourishing is the country of Mauritius. Wherever Hindus comprise a large part of the population, democratic tendencies are strengthened due to the support from the local Hindu population. In addition, Hindu populations have been at the forefront of strengthening democracy by encouraging pluralism as well as safeguarding human rights of all citizens. Additional examples of democracies being strengthened by the efforts of Hindus are the countries of Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.

Outside Bharat, wherever Hindus comprise a significant section of the population, it has always fought for the values of freedom, liberty and democracy unitedly with the non-Hindu population of the country. Hindus have had a long history of fighting against totalitarian and dictatorial regimes. From the various corners of the globe ranging from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, Hindus have worked in tandem with the local non-Hindu population to break the chains of dictatorship and colonialism and replaced it with a democratic and pluralistic polity.

In many countries, however, where Hindus comprise a significant section of the population and also have a rich history of active contribution to societal welfare as well as living in peaceful co-existence with non-Hindu neighbours, their representation in the political arena is frequently far too small. Now, the Hindu society has established itself firmly in over 40 countries. In many countries, Hindus have produced Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Governors and Premiers, Parliamentarians, Diplomats, important government officials, etc. The participation of Hindus in the political process is slowly growing, but so far there has been no proper forum to bring Hindus from different parts of the world together to share their knowledge, expertise, and experience in politics.

The World Hindu Democratic Forum has been especially established for the purpose of providing a global platform for Hindus presently involved in the political process. It aims to bring them under one roof and deliberate on political issues of importance to the global Hindu society as well as to the local Hindu populations. In addition, the World Hindu Democratic Forum aims to harness established and experienced members of the political profession to encourage aspiring young Hindus to become part of the political process, as well as share with them their experience and expertise.