With only five weeks until D-Day, one must acknowledge that this election was extraordinary, featuring both some of the greatest hits that made American elections incredibly entertaining for viewers as well as some of the new masterpieces.
The greatest strikes include classics that are a part of British politics, such as a Kennedy cadillo or a political assassination attempt. However, we’ve also had some fresh alternative hits, like a VP candidate and the Washington Post discussing the favorable effects of matar ( chickpea ) paneer on a well-known podcast just before the election season.
Overall, this has been the most desi culture to the White House, with colored supporters on both sides, but Donald Trump showed signs of improvement with his Content Diwali information, which included a three-pronged mentoring to Hindu Americans, a group that typically leans Democrat.
Donald Trump blasted the assault against Hindus in Bangladesh in a sharp-worded message sent out on Diwali, promised to stand up for Hindu Americans against the “radical left’s” anti-religious plan, and vowed to” enhance the fantastic partnership with India and his great friend Narendra Modi.”
He signed off by saying,” Moreover, Happy Diwali to All. I hope that Good over Evil is triumphant in the Festival of Lights”!
Trump is wooing a majority group in this country, whose views have changed over the years.
The international Hindu community, which he addressed, shared his initial statement, which included calls for Hindus to spend jizya, a tax imposed on non-Muslims, with concerns that not enough attention is paid to the suffering of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina‘s ouster. Despite rallies in New York where he was referred to as a” Hindu predator,” interim chief Muhammad Yunus has attempted to dismiss these problems, claiming they were “exaggerated.”
Trump’s statements coincide with a Hindu belief that they have been treated unfairly.
The next comment makes some hints about California’s Senate Bill 403, which was later known as the California class bill. State Senator Aisha Wahab pushed for the bill to “incorporate caste-based bias into California’s civil rights security,” but Governor Gavin Newsom after vetoed it.
Many of the companies that supported the act have a record of anti-Hindu advertising, with one of the most popular voices being Equally Labs, a California-based non-profit whose research was used to back these claims. But, that research has its concerns. There were many issues with that review, as Razib Khan pointed out in a column for UnHerd titled America’s Fake Caste War. Conducted through an online, self-reported survey, it was circulated through society organisations, social press, and South Asian sites. The survey used snowball sampling, which revealed demographic and viewpoint biases, and was developed by South Asian academics and activists and was supported by various Dalit advocacy groups.
Organizations like the Hindu American Foundation opposed the bill because it would increase discrimination against Hindu Americans, and the California bill was viewed as an unfair attempt to target the community.
Governor Newsom’s veto was based on his view that the bill was “unnecessary” because existing civil rights laws already prevent discrimination based on race, ancestry, religion, national origin, and other protected categories. Without focusing on particular communities, Newsom claimed that these current protections were sufficient to address any caste-based discrimination.
Given that everything was happening in Kamala Harris ‘ backyard, it was even more intriguing. In fact, rumors in Washington’s corridors have even suggested that Harris, as VP, participated in the reversal to avert offending the Democratic Party’s Hindu contingent.
Trump’s third statement, about building stronger ties with Modi, was aimed at Hindu Americans who hold Indian PM Narendra Modi in high esteem. More recently, on the Flagrant podcast, Donald Trump was full of lavish praise for Narendra Modi, describing him as a friend and” the nicest guy” but one who could be a” total killer” when needed. Reaching out to Modi is part of Trump’s Hindu outreach, in stark contrast to comments from the Washington establishment, including America’s ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, who has been critical of New Delhi over the Canada affair.
Given that Trump’s opponent is half-Indian and likely wants to draw voters with her origin story, Trump’s outreach is even more astonishing. Harris, the daughter of highly educated academics, is the typical second-generation high achiever who wants to win the White House, something no Indian of its kind has ever been able to do. However, the second-largest immigrant group in the US, Indian American voters, may not support Kamala Harris as strongly as they did Joe Biden in 2020. A recent Carnegie Endowment survey shows a decline in the community’s Democratic alignment, from 56 % to 47 %. Some Indian Americans are drawn to Republican candidates because they are drawn to figures like Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, and both parties are actively seeking out this powerful group. More women are supporting Harris because of her support for her stance on reproductive rights, while younger men are showing growing support for Republicans in keeping with stricter immigration laws.
Some members of the Indian American community who believe she has not embraced her Indian heritage, are not deeply aware of her identity as a Black woman. Her 2020 Dosa video with Mindy Kaling received mockery for coming off as fake.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has Vivek Ramaswamy, the first openly Hindu Presidential nominee who remains an important part of Team Trump. Ramaswamy’s story as a high-achieving second-generation immigrant resonates with many Hindu Americans, even though his version of Hinduism at times seems to resemble Christianity. As this author has argued in the past:” Many Trump supporters had hoped Ramaswamy would be Trump’s VP pick, but he was n’t in the running, at least not in the final stages as Trump chose Ramaswamy’s old Yale mate, JD Vance. Despite this, Ramaswamy appears poised for a long career in the new MAGA movement, with Time magazine calling him the most obvious “heir apparent” to Donald Trump. JD Vance’s wife, Usha, is also Indian American, and Team Trump has tried to use their stories to highlight the idea of good immigration versus bad immigration.
This was most recently demonstrated when JD Vance argued for the gustatory and dietary superiority of Indian vegetarian food over plant-based meat on the Joe Rogan podcast about his love for matar ( peas ) paneer.
Trump’s remarks are likely intended to suffocate a dormant rage among Hindus around the world because they believe they are frequently seen as an easy target for left-leaning liberals, despite the fact that it is late in the campaign. After October 7, Jews continue to wonder why the plight of Hindus in minority groups is ignored or why Hindus are sometimes depicted as adjacent to white supremacists.
It’s important to remember that Indian Americans are not only the second-largest immigrant group ( after Mexican-Americans ), but also one of the wealthiest, whose interests and concerns are becoming increasingly important. It’s a far cry from the time when the Simpsons ‘ only Indian representation was Apu. Indian Americans are the wealthiest immigrant group and have made remarkable contributions to the country’s various industries, from technology to business.
ISKCON Kolkata vice-president Radharamn Das recalled a remarkable incident after Donald Trump’s successful assassination attempt:” In July 1976, Donald Trump had come to the rescue of ISKCON devotees by providing his train yard for free. Today, during the Rathyatra festival, it was Lord Jagannath’s turn to return the favour”. Team Trump will now be pondering whether Lord Jagannath’s followers will assist him in pushing his chariot past the finish line.
