The Bahá’í community in India recently held its National Convention—an important annual gathering where believers come together to elect their national governing council, known as the National Spiritual Assembly. This year’s Convention, held from 25th to 27th April 2025 at the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi, brought together delegates from every corner of the country. These individuals had been earlier elected by local communities in district conventions and came to carry out the sacred task of electing the national leadership in a spirit of prayerfulness, reflection, and unity.
Bahá’í elections are distinctive: there are no nominations, no campaigning, and no electioneering. Voting is conducted by secret ballot, with each delegate choosing those individuals they feel best exemplify qualities such as integrity, wisdom, and dedication to service. In this process, personal ambition gives way to collective purpose, and members serving on institutions are seen not as instruments of power, but as humble channels for nurturing the well-being of the community and advancing the betterment of society.
Alongside the election, the Convention was a space for profound consultation among delegates, who reflected on the Bahá’í community’s growing efforts to build vibrant, spiritually empowered communities across India. Themes discussed included community-building initiatives, educational programmes, social action, participation in discourses of society—and notably, the crucial role of the family. Drawing on recent guidance from the Universal House of Justice, delegates considered how the family is the foundational unit of society, a “nation in miniature,” where individuals first learn the values of unity, cooperation, and service. Strengthening the bonds within the family, it was emphasized, is inseparable from the wider effort to release the society-building powers of the Faith and contribute to the creation of a just and unified world.
The following friends have been elected on the National Spiritual Assembly for the year 2025-26:
Ms. Nazneen Rowhani
Mr. Dinesh Rao
Dr. Lalita Sharma Anant
Mr. Lateef Rasheed
Dr. Mangesh Teli
Dr. Elham Mohajer
Dr. R. P. Singh
Dr. Mayuri Mohajer
Ms. Martha Moghbelpour
