Tulsi Gabbard has been confirmed as the director of national intelligence (DNI) in a 52-48 vote by the US Senate, making history as the first Hindu to lead the country’s intelligence community. ISKCON has praised Gabbard’s appointment, highlighting her strong Vaishnava values and hoping they will guide her in the role.
” We pray that Tulsi Gabbard’s experience in government, along with her base in Vaishnavism—selfless services, perseverance, care for others, equality, tolerance, humility, and integrity—will support her succeed”, said Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON’s world minister of communications.
The original four-term congressman was raised in Hawaii and the Philippines and was born in the US state of American Samoa.
Tulsi Gabbard’s mother, Carol Porter Gabbard, grew up in a different social atmosphere and developed an interest in Hinduism. She passed on this moral effect to her babies, all of whom have Hindu names—Bhakti, Jai, Aryan, Tulsi, and Vrindavan. Tussi herself constantly adheres to Hindu customs and beliefs.
Gabbard, a erstwhile lieutenant colonel in the US Army Resources, today holds a top place in the US government. She oversees the intelligence community and advises the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council.
” Dedicated Vaishnava”
Gabbard, 43, is a practicing Vaishnavi in the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya and served as the first Hindu in the US Congress. She signed the Bhagavad-gita, which she afterwards gave to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2014 visit to New York, on her personalized version of the Bhagavad-gita.
Gabbard’s military service includes a year-long stint with the 29th Brigade in Iraq as a health operations expert. In 2008, she returned to the Middle East for a second fight journey as a military police squad head, training Kuwait’s National Guard Counter-Terrorism system.
ISKCON officials highlighted Gabbard’s long-standing assistance for religious minority and intercultural harmony. According to Madana-gopala Dasa, co-director of ISKCON contacts North America,” Tulsi Gabbard stands as a special figure in British politics, not just as a former congressman and military former but as a dedicated Vaishnava who has long supported spiritual minorities and championed the cause of interracial harmony.”
Gabbard as DNI
Although Gabbard hasn’t made her faith the focus of her political career, she has spoken about how the Bhagavad-gita shapes her values. She frequently chants” Hare Krishna,” has regularly discussed her beliefs at international gatherings like the UN, and has regularly shared videos for Hindu holidays.
Gabbard and ISKCON have a close relationship. She has visited temples in Honolulu and New Delhi, spoken at the 2019 LA Ratha Yatra during her presidential campaign, and was the keynote speaker at ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary Gala in Washington, DC, in 2016.
Gabbard’s political career has been marked by both praise and criticism. Like many of President Donald Trump’s nominees, her confirmation as DNI has sparked debate. ” Her independent stance on various issues, coupled with her past interactions with figures across the political spectrum, has led to both praise and criticism”, said Madana-gopala Dasa. However, as devotees, we don’t care about political conflict but rather the potential positive impact that individuals can have on the world.
Gabbard will be at the center of national security decisions as DNI, a position elevated to cabinet level under Trump and maintained by Biden.
Many welcomed Gabbard’s appointment, including tech billionaire Elon Musk, who expressed his support on X. Some Republican senators were initially skeptical but later backed her after she assured them that she would concentrate on the essential responsibilities of the position, which is overseeing intelligence operations and providing president advice.
Due to her name and religion, many people assumed Tulsi Gabbard was Indian in 2012, despite the name and religion she practiced. She clarified this herself, stating,” I am not of Indian origin”, in response to a message calling her Indian-American.
