11/12/2025
11th December 1949 - 11th December 2025
Happy 76th Anniversary!
THE HISTORY OF HYO
The seed of the organization was sown by a handful of far sighted members who made no
mistake in having done the correct job. Today stands this mammoth body bearing the name
Hindu Youth Organisation. Proudly tracing back the history of this body, one cannot forget
the youth spiritual Group organisation which is today the pioneering body of Hindu Youth
movement in Malaysia (formerly known as Malaya).
Here again one must pause to see who were responsible for the orgination. The name that stands out is none other than K. Satkunam a feeble looking determined youth with deep religious outlook. Surprising that an early age when most youth would have been thinking of playing with kites and tops; this feeble youth was determined to establish the youth spiritual group. He was morally supported, then by Messrs. S. Selvarajah and K. Selvanayagam, M. Balasundram, G. Shanmuganthan,
S. Navartnam and S. Panchacharan. (The 12 founders were all students of the Methodist Boys’School, sentul and Kuala Lumpur) Although a band of youths were responsible for the formation, the support and the real magnetic force behind that band was none other than Swami Sathyananda Ph.D.,J.P., now President of the Pure Life Society, Puchong, Selangor. Swamiji has always been the person who encouraged and gave courage and spiritual thoughts which guided correctly in achieving the alms.
The first meeting of these youths was convened by Master K. Satkunam and S.Shanmuganathan. this meeting took place an the verandah of the Chettiar’s Hall, Ipoh Road, Kuala Lumpur on a fine Sunday morning in the 1949, a group of 12 interetsed youngsters were present. The result, the youth spiritual Group was formed and a protem committee was selected under the leadership of master K.Selvanayagam the first outing of the youth spiritual group was the presenting of estables to the orphans at the l***r Group (Y.S.G) rendered services at the Thanir Panthel at Batu Caves during the Thaipusam festival. At the second informal meeting of the Y.S.G a skeleton constitution was drafted. After years of ups and down the Y.S.G established itself on firmer grounds, The object of the H.Y.O (Hindu Youth Organisation) since its establishment in 1949 has been to strengthen the spiritual, social, cultural and moral outlook of Hindu Youths. The religious background of the HYO has been the secret of its success and throughout its record of public service, it has proved to be a model what young people can and should fo towards the betterment of the country.
The first Annual General Meeting of the HYO ws held at Thambusamypillai Tamil School, Senthul, Kuala Lumpur on 17th August, 1952 at 3.30pm. The meeting was declared open by Mr. K.Ramanathan, B.A., B.L, B.Lat this meeting the HYO was affiliated to the Malayan Salva Sithantha Sangam (M.S.S.S) as a youth section and was known as the HYO Kuala Lumpur. The second Annual General Meeting was declared open by Geraic Hawkins, Esg.O.B.E, who paralysed the organization for the all round activities and said that the organisation should continue to contribute to serve its own community. This year, the HYO was affiliated to the Selangor Youth Council. At this meeting we were honored by the presence of George carter, Asia Secretary of the world Assembly of Youth, Mr. A. R. Allen, Youth service Adviser, Federation of Malaya, Mr. Fred Arulnandam, President of the Malayan Youth Council (now Malaysian Youth Council) and Mr. Eric Wee, President of the Singapore Youth Council.
The 3rd Annual General Meeting was declared open by the honorable Mr. Musthapa Albakari,
member for social and industrial Relations, federation of Malaya on 8th August 1954, at the Vivekananda Ashrama. In his opening address he said “your services are admirable, your motto shows it. Though your organisation shows that you are creating for the betterment of youth movement in Malaya.
Mr. T. Sivapragasam, M.B.E., an Adviser in his speech said, “Three years ago twelve men requested me to address on the formation day of the organisation. Since then your organization has been growing rapidly and the growth has reached a stage when your should come out and stand on our own legs, you should register yourself as an individual body.”
The 4th Annual General Meeting was held on 20th August 1955, at Vivekananda Ashrama. The Meeting was declared open by the Deputy Chief Social Welfare Officer, Capt. Mohd Saleh Bin Haji Sulleiman,M.B.E. In this speech he praised the organization “in the previous years I note with great pleasure that the committee carried out its mandate. I was happy to see that the members of the organization were religious conscious.
The 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Annual General Meeting were held at Kishan Dial School, British Council hall, Vivekananda Ashrama Selangor, Ceylon Tamils Association and the Appar Tamil High School respectively. This movement was an experiment to verify whether there was any necessity for a youth body to cater for the needs of the Hindu Youths. Strange enough, the answers is heartening, for from out this, burst forth the formation of the various branches of the Federation of Malaya Hindu Youth Council (now known as Malaysian Hindu Youth Council)
