The recent Diwali period in America was remarkable for the vicious racial trolling of Indian immigrants as well as Americans of Indian heritage, including those who had ingratiated themselves into the white nationalist constituency of Donald Trump. When the US President began to criticise India back in May, it seemed to provide the cue for a sharp uptick in hostility towards Indians. In September, White House restrictions on H1B visa applications fuelled this further. This online hate peaked on Diwali, when even prominent Indian Americans in the MAGA movement became targets due to the colour of their skin, their religion, and culture. These included second lady Usha Vance, FBI director Kash Patel, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza.
Patel, who used to be a podcaster with a penchant for right-wing conspiracy theories and now earns his corn bill as Trump’s hatchet man, received a fusillade of Hinduphobic abuse for posting an innocuous Diwali greeting. Online trolls called him a pagan and questioned his right to be in the US. This, after all the pains he took to show himself as a fan of the assassinated white nationalist icon, Charlie Kirk.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s protestations of being more loyal than the king have not cut much ice with the Christian nationalist laity whose support he is seeking in his bid to be governor of Ohio. At a campaign rally earlier this month, his claim to represent white Americans was challenged by a teenager who asked why he should vote for a candidate who worships Hindu ‘demons’.
Usha Vance, the Indian-American wife of Vice President JD Vance, has not been spared either. Despite doing nothing to offend the MAGA constituency, her Hindu background has been picked upon with derogatory commentary. Dinesh D’Souza, whose creds as a spokesman for the far-right ideology predate Donald Trump’s, has been attacked for greeting Hindus on Diwali. Even the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, invited ridicule for making an appearance at a celebration organised by Indian Americans in his state.
While some unruly Diwali celebrations, particularly in Texas and Edmonton, Canada, did provide grist to the MAGA hate mill, this phenomenon exposes the true character of the white Christian nationalism sweeping the US. Alignment with hard-right causes is no insurance against prejudice against the colour of one’s skin. This swell of racial hatred and the slew of measures against Indian interests not only repudiate the diaspora’s tacit and overt support to alt-right politics in America, but also show up the hollowness of the so-called friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump. What use is the chemistry of top leaders if it neither translates to well-being for Indian communities on the ground nor fetches a policy dividend for India?
The Indian government cannot afford to look away from this development because it could set the context for uglier incidents. Already, we have seen several reports of violent attacks against Indians, although they may not have been racially motivated. New Delhi needs to address these developments assertively with the US State Department. It also must invest in an outreach campaign to highlight the Indian community’s contributions to America’s economy, society, and culture. Additionally, prominent Indian-origin business leaders such as Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and Shantanu Narayen must speak up for the country of their origin
