Statement about 2024 Elections from Concerned South Asian American Advocates | April 2024
We are over 100 South Asian American advocates living in the United States who believe in an inclusive, multi-faith, and multiracial democracy. We are deeply concerned about how white supremacy, Hindu supremacy, and Zionism are influencing political candidates and policy platforms during the 2024 election cycle. In particular, we are alarmed by research, news and community reports indicating that several Indian American candidates running for national office this year are expressing divisive policy positions, associating with organizations that reportedly promote Hindu supremacy, and being either silent or neutral in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
Background
Around the world and here in the United States, far-right political ideologies peddle dangerous conspiracies and hierarchies, uphold racist and harmful policies, and target marginalized communities through erasure, displacement, and violence. In the United States, white supremacy has led to systems, narratives, and policies that reinforce colonialism and anti-Black racism. White supremacy also influences other far-right ideologies such as Hindu supremacy, which promotes the idea of establishing India as a Hindu nation.
Reports and media articles reveal the spread of Hindu supremacy in various contexts here in the United States as well. Hindu supremacist groups regularly oppose affirmative action policies along the lines of both race and caste; spread anti-Muslim disinformation and hate speech; and oppose laws geared towards ending caste discrimination. Many of these groups also provide financial support for political candidates with like-minded views in the US, and are attempting to build influence in the Democratic Party.
The alignment between Hindu supremacy and the white supremacist movement, Zionism, and other far-right forces is cause for collective concern. In March 2024, over 100 groups representing Black, Asian American, Latinx, Native and other communities — from the Movement for Black Lives to Jewish Voice for Peace to Grassroots Asians Rising — joined a declaration issued by SAVERA: United Against Supremacy to highlight concerns about the spread of Hindu supremacy.
Concerns about Indian American Candidates in 2024 Elections
The signatories to this statement are particularly concerned about research, community, and news reports that indicate how several Indian American candidates running for national office are expressing divisive policy positions, associating with organizations that reportedly promote Hindu supremacy, and being either silent or neutral in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine. The information below is based on publicly available news media, research, reports, interviews, social media posts, and community statements.
Presidential Election: While campaigning for the GOP nomination, Vivek Ramaswamy expressed a range of policy positions that endanger the rights of people of color and immigrants. Ramaswamy argued in favor of limiting legal immigration, dismantling the H1-B program used heavily by Indian nationals, and deporting American-born children of undocumented immigrants. He also dismissed and denied the existence of white supremacy, calling it a “boogeyman.” Following his attendance at two galas held by the VHP of America, a group reported to espouse Hindu supremacist beliefs, Ramaswamy praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his official visit to the United States in June 2023. Although Ramaswamy is no longer running, he remains an influential presence within the GOP.
Nikki Haley, who also contended for the GOP presidential nomination, has been criticized by civil and human rights organizations and leaders for a range of reasons. As governor of South Carolina, Haley did not remove the Confederate flag from statehouse grounds until public pressure mounted in the wake of the Charleston AME church massacre by a white supremacist. On the campaign trail in the 2024 cycle, she failed to mention slavery as the cause of the Civil War. Previously, as UN Ambassador during the Trump Administration, Haley supported a long-standing Israeli agenda to delegitimize Palestinian human rights. In June 2023, after members of Congress boycotted Prime Minister Modi’s speech to Congress, Haley tweeted that “the Squad boycotting India’s democratically elected leader while they side with Palestinian terrorists and socialist dictators is exactly on brand.” Although Haley has suspended her presidential run, she remains an influential figure within the GOP.
12th Congressional District (PA): Summer Lee, who currently represents the 12th Congressional district in Congress, is being challenged in the Democratic primary by Bhavini Patel, a borough council member.
Media reports reveal that during a recent fundraising call in support of Patel, several individuals and political action committees linked to Hindu supremacy spoke in favor of her candidacy. According to news reports, speakers on the fundraising call also unanimously supported Israel and its “current war efforts in the Gaza Strip.” During the fundraising call, Patel apparently spoke about taking down a member of the Squad in Congress by “leveraging support from right-wing Hindu and pro-Israel supporters.”
On the genocide in Palestine, Patel has not called for a ceasefire to date, while Representative Lee co sponsored a House resolution for a ceasefire in October 2023. Patel has criticized Lee for accepting donations from activists and groups supporting Palestinian rights, characterizing them as “hateful, dangerous individuals.” Patel has also accused Lee of “agreeing to speak with … extremists” in reference to an invitation to appear at an event organized by CAIR-Philadelphia.
Queer Indian-American Hindu voices of the Alliance for South Asian Progressives in Pittsburgh expressed their views about Patel in a March 2024 statement titled “Bhavini Patel Does Not Make South Asian Communities Safer.” They write that “Patel’s sixth campaign since 2017 is Islamophobic, racist, homophobic, casteist, and only seeks to better one person — herself.”
The Democratic primary in Pennsylvania takes place on April 23, 2024.
13th Congressional District (MI): Shri Thanedar is the current Democratic representative of the 13th Congressional District which includes Detroit.
In June 2023, Thanedar welcomed and escorted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his address in Capitol Hill. In September 2023, Thanedar announced the “Dharma Caucus” that reportedly focuses on protecting the interests of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains living in United States; however, it has been roundly criticized by Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu organizations.
News reports also reveal that Thanedar received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in the 2024 election cycle, and went on a trip to Israel hosted by the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Education Foundation.
The Democratic primary in Michigan occurs on August 6, 2024.
10th Congressional District (VA): Manga Anantatmula is running in the Republican primary in Virgnia’s 10th Congressional District. A recent report from SAVERA about the VHP notes that Anantatmula is a VHP-A affiliate. She also sits on the board of the Asian American Coalition for Education (AACE) which supported Edward Blum’s Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) case against the use of affirmative action in higher education admissions. Anantatmula has spoken publicly about her stance against affirmative action.
The Republican primary in Virginia is on June 18, 2024.
Rishi Kumar and Burt Thakur are two Indian American candidates who ran in 2024 primaries but did not prevail. Rishi Kumar ran in the California Democratic primary to represent the 16th Congressional District. Kumar has praised Indian Prime Minister Modi in the past, and helped to organize his visit to Silicon Valley in 2015. About Israel, Kumar proclaimed in February 2024: “I’m the only candidate in this race who has taken an explicit pro-Israel stance on the Israel/Hamas conflict of today.” In Texas, Burt Thakur ran in the Republican primary to represent the 26th Congressional District. Thakur has called for a “temporary moratorium on immigration” and disparaged undocumented immigrants. A recent report reveals that Thakur also appeared on a YouTube show that often includes people espousing Hindu supremacist beliefs.
South Asians Are Speaking Out
During the 2024 election cycle and beyond, it is vital for South Asians to oppose white supremacy, Hindu supremacy, and Zionism. We must uplift and support human rights, here in the U.S., in South Asia, in Palestine, and beyond. We must learn about the spread of Hindu supremacy in the United States and initiate courageous conversations with family members, friends, and personal and professional networks. South Asians can also join and support the many organizations and coalitions in the U.S. that are working to stop Hindu supremacy, advocate for just and equitable policies, end caste discrimination, and provide services to impacted community members around the country.
Additionally, it is important to support political candidates who promote liberatory principles and policies for all people, and to disavow the political opportunists who don’t represent our communities. To borrow from the words of Zora Neale Hurston, not all skinfolk are kinfolk. As South Asian Americans with complex histories of discrimination and oppression back home and here in the United States, we must reject divisive policies, narratives, and appeals from candidates who come from our communities — but are not working towards collective liberation and justice.
We hope that this statement contributes to the ongoing work of organizations and advocates, and catalyzes local efforts, deeper conversations, calls for accountability, and authentic solidarity among South Asian communities in the run-up to the 2024 elections and beyond.
Questions? Email southasianadvocates@gmail.com.
Signatories
Zahir Adil
Samantha Agarwal
Tanzila “Taz” Ahmed
Aishwarya A.
Pyaari Azaadi
Anish
Dr. Puja Batra
Pabitra Benjamin
Anuradha Bhagwati
Shikha Bhatnagar
Sayu Bhojwani
Zahra Billoo
Niketa Brar
Anjan C
Anirvan Chatterjee
Amber Chaudhry, J.D., M.P.H.
Anouska Cheddie
Pabitra Dash
Vasudha Desikan
Nandani Devi
Sukhman Dhami
Pawan Dhingra
Veena Dubal
Namita Dwarakanath
Anupa Gewali
Antony Gnalian
Venu Gupta
Prarthana Gurung
Shahnaz Habib
Almas Haider
Aarti Harper
Abeer Hoque
Chaumtoli Huq
Mala Iqbal
Deepa Iyer
Deepa V. Iyer, Esq.
Abhi Janamanchi
Syed Zane Kaleem
Manpreet Kaur Kalra
Aliya Karmali
Jo Kaur
Maria T. Khan
Saaliha Khan
Aakriti Khanal
Aminta Kilawan-Narine, Esq.
Kavi Ramachandran Ladnier
Tsering Lama
Kavita Mahoney
Sunil Malhotra
Rupa Marya, MD
Noor Mir
Susan Misra
Priya Murthy
Priti Nemani
Kunoor Ojha
Ria Pal
Sapna Pandya
Prachi Patankar
Harish I. Patel
Prachi Patel
Prital Patel
Shailja Patel
Shiwali Patel
Sumun Pendakur
Supriya Pillai
Dolly Prabhu
Sunil Prabhu
Umer Qureshi
Eesha R.
Darakshan Raja
Manju Rajendran
Varsha Ram
Luna Ranjit
Saira Rao
Anjuli Rathod
Nick Rathod
Swati Rayasam
Prerana Reddy
Angela S
Annetta Seecharran
Chaitali Sen
Arjun Singh Sethi
Paromita Shah
Silky Shah
Pushkar Sharma
Preeti Shekar
Amar Singh Shergill
Sonal Sheth
Imraan Siddiqi
Sonny Singh
Daljit Kaur Soni, Esq.
Rita Soni
Lakshmi Sridaran
Sanjay Sridaran
Trishya Srinivasan
Lina Srivastava
Vega Subramaniam
Amita Swadhin
Ranjeet S. Tate
Sujata Tejwani
Joe Thomas
Subha Varadarajan
Suchitra Vijayan
Sunita Viswanath
Ammad Wajahat
Hena Zuberi
