Sanghachalak of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, America, Prof. Nanda passes away. Loktej World News

Denver (America), January 2 (HS). Professor Ved Prakash Nanda, Sanghachalak of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, America, passed away on the first day of the New Year. He was 89 years old. He breathed his last on the morning of January 1, 2024, at his home in Denver, USA. Professor Nanda was the head of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh in America and was a strong pillar for many volunteer organizations.

Born in 1934 in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan) in undivided India, Professor Nanda and his family had to endure the terrible tragedy of Partition and subsequently led a very difficult life as a refugee in Punjab. After completing his MA Economics from Panjab University, law degree from Delhi University and LLM from North Western University, he pursued post-graduation from Yale University in the US and built an exemplary career. He has been a successful international law professor at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver since 1972.

Professor Nanda was also the Honorary President of the World Jurists Association, former Honorary Vice President of the American Society of International Law. He was a member of the Advisory Council of the United States Institute of Human Rights. He was widely published, authoring or co-authoring 24 books in various areas of international law. He was a regular columnist for the Denver Post and wrote on a wide range of topics, including human rights and international relations. In 2006, alumni of the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver established the Veda Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law in his honor. He also received several awards including the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Award for Community Peace Building in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2018.

Professor Nanda, who came in contact with the Sangh even before the partition of India, had made the purpose of his life to preserve Hinduism and unite Hindus in America. He started the first Sangh branch in America in 1961 at the University of Chicago. After becoming the Sanghachalak (President) of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh since 2001, Professor Nanda frequently traveled across America to meet, guide and inspire the volunteers. He took the initiative to convey the opinion of the society to the top politicians of America for various Hindu-American issues. He also served as Chairman of the Board of the Hindu University of America. He was chairman of the board of trustees at the Hindu Temple of Colorado and was also active in interfaith activities in Colorado.

Professor Nanda leaves behind his daughter Anjali, son-in-law, granddaughters as well as an extended family of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. Expressing its tribute to Professor Ved Nanda, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh has said in its condolence message that we express our heartfelt condolences to his family and acquaintances and pray to God that the departed soul rests in the divine light.