Why Tulsi curries favour

Watching from India, it would not be wrong to assume that the kaleidoscope of Democratic presidential candidates for the 2020 US elections reflects the rich diversity that makes America. The more than 20 contenders come with distinct histories, all positioning themselves as the vanguard for a post-Trumpian era.

Two of the contenders — Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Senator Kamala Harris — have links to India, and not just because of their Hindu names. Tulsi is the name for the holy basil plant, which Hindus believe is the earthly manifestation of the goddess Vrinda, a devotee of Lord Vishnu.

In Hinduism, Kamala is the tenth manifestation of Mahavidya or great knowledge. Different mythologies ascribe her to either be a form of Parvati, the goddess of knowledge, or Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

Though the Congresswoman does not have Indian ancestry (her father is Samoan and mother of German ancestry) she professes to be a practising Hindu. In fact, Gabbard wrote in a Medium post that she was ‘proud to be the first Hindu-American to have been elected to Congress, and now, the first Hindu-American to run for President.’

On the other hand, Senator Kamala Harris, a Baptist, is Indo-Jamaican — her mother is from India and her father Jamaican. Her ties to India are tangible through parentage.

However, the Indian-American community in the US has donated thrice as much to Congresswoman Gabbard’s campaign than to Senator Harris’. 

This predilection for an American and not for someone with similar roots can be intriguing for many. However, as a citizen, and resident, of India, where religious identity is currently influencing the concept of nationality, we can understand why Indian-Americans have put their money on Congresswoman Gabbard.

The Indian-American diaspora of 2,843,391 (2010 census) in the US, is a seething mass of different religions and castes and is the fastest growing ethnic group. Of this population, 51% consider themselves to be Hindu. 

From this group, the number of people who are supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his nationalist Hindutva-espousing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can be gauged by the following — the Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP) has 18 chapters across the US, with 4,000 members and at least 300,000 supporters. 

Congresswoman Gabbard has been a vocal supporter of Modi. In fact, in 2013 she had opposed House Resolution 417, which voiced concern for the safety of minorities in India. 

It is not surprising then, that at a 2014 OFBJP event, a senior BJP functionary said to the Congresswoman that ‘with the support of non-resident Indians, your victory later this year is a foregone conclusion.’ 

Though Indian-Americans and Gabbard don’t share a common ethnicity, they prefer her over Kamala who has roots in India. Gabbard’s Indian-American supporters are Hindus who relate to her through their common religion — Hinduism: absence of Indianess in her heritage a non-issue. The preference suggests that Indian-Americans give importance to religion rather than links to the country of their origin — India. 

Religion becoming thicker than shared roots is what is happening to India. Most visible when BJP politicians and supporters tell Muslims and Christians to either go to Pakistan or Rome, underlying their belief that non-Hindus are not Indian citizens. 

Let’s look at other reasons why Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has found support among this section of Indian-Americans. 

The concept of an Indian is as porous as Swiss cheese, riddled with identities of caste, religion, language and region. Each identity is reaffirmed and strengthened by strict customs, including opposition to marrying outside these silos. Marrying outside is still considered taboo, and seen as shaming the family and community. This parochial mindset has migrated to America with a H1B Visa, GreenCard and American citizenship. According to Pew Research Center, 91% of Hindus in America marry within their community.  

At the same time Indians, especially Hindutva-espousing Hindus, preen when foreigners take to Indian-Hindu culture. It is seen as an affirmation of the greatness of this land. This is especially important for those who consider Mughal and British rule an ignominy and aberration that needs to be undone. 

Therefore it is not surprising that in India, much attention is given to featuring international day of yoga events from across the globe. 

Further, members of the RSS and BJP supporters have a tenuous relationship with minorities in India. Their call for Christians and Muslims to leave India, suggesting that minorities don’t have the country’s best interest at heart, is not considered Indian or they aren’t Indian enough because of their religious affiliation.   

It is natural for these supporters then, even those living in America, to think less kindly of Kamala Harris given her Indo-Jamaican parentage, and Western religion. 

Gabbard, on the other hand, is welcomed into the Indian-Hindu fraternity as she is an example of the West accepting, if not acceding to the greatness of, Hinduism. By supporting her, these people are raising the profile of Hinduism.  

The majority of Indian Hindus in America claim to be liberal democrats and these deeply entrenched parochial biases are usually kept within the community. 

Nonetheless, their choice of the Congresswoman and not the Senator displays their chauvinism in all its glory. The BJP’s and their supporters’ attitude towards minorities has been exported to America, which already has a long history of racism. 

That Indian-American bigotry is influencing American politics proves how well assimilated this community is in the US. Or does it indicate that prejudice is secular enough to give space to other forms of prejudice? 

Author has worked in the development sector