India's Independence Day highlights rift between 'Howdy Modi' supporters and critics in US
For the first time, members of the Indian diaspora in the United States will hoist the Indian flag in New York's famous Times Square on August 15 to mark the country's 74th Independence Day. But this grand event has once again cast the spotlight on a widening rift between Indian-Americans, many of whom support the nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and "progressives" unhappy at policies which marginalise minorities and go against the secular constitution.
"The flag hoisting ceremony is a testament to the Indian-American community's growing patriotism," said Ankur Vaidya, chairman of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), a 50-year-old non-profit conglomeration of over 110 Indian-American grass root organisations, which is organising the event.
The FIA will illuminate New York's Empire State Building in hues of the tricolour - orange, white and green - on Friday night, a ceremony that started in 2012.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the FIA was not able to hold an Indian Independence Day parade in Manhattan that has been a tradition for the past 40 years. Instead, the "sombre" flag-hoisting event will pay tribute to Covid-19 health care workers and heroes of the Indian independence struggle, said Vaidya.
But New York-based human rights activist Sunita Viswanath, who is also a co-founder of the advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), said the FIA is celebrating "Hindu nationalism's massive and authoritarian victories" over Indian minorities.
"Indians should be perturbed about the flag hoisting ceremony because the values and principles represented by the flag - inclusiveness, secular democracy, human rights of all - have been decimated in India today," Viswanath said. "The flag they are hoisting is for Hindus only. The flag we stand by represents and protects all Indians - Hindus, Muslims, Dalits, Christians and others."
The Empire State Building in New York City is lit up in the colours of the Indian flag in 2019. Source: Federation of Indian Associations (FIA)
On Saturday, an hour before the flag-raising in Times Square, a coalition of six pro-democracy Indian-American organisations including HfHR will gather "in defence of the values of Indian constitution". The coalition will also hand over a letter to the Consul General of India in New York, Randhir Jaiswal, who will be the chief guest at the FIA event, expressing their concerns over attacks on minorities and the Indian government's lack of accountability on a range of issues.
There are about 3.9 million people in the US who are either born in India or reported Indian ancestry or race in the last census, and they have been billed as the wealthiest ethnic group in the US based on median household income. Many are considered to be Modi supporters - at the "Howdy Modi" event held in Texas ahead of the Indian general election last year, more than 50,000 Indians chanted "Jai Shri Ram [Hail, Lord Rama]" inside the venue where Modi was addressing them.
But others have expressed discomfort at the rise in mob violence targeting Muslims and policies such as the abrogation of Article 370 that removed the special status of the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir. A smaller group of Indian-Americans protested against this outside the Howdy Modi event.
There were also online and offline protests in December and January against India's controversial new citizenship law that fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim migrants facing religious persecution in neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Pennsylvania-based pastor Sarah Anderson-Rajarigam, who is of Indian origin, said the current administration "routinely attacks and criminalises Muslims, Dalits, tribals and women".
US President Donald Trump looks on as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a "Howdy Modi" rally in Houston, Texas, in September 2019. Photo: Reuters
The "overt Hindu-nationalist politics" by a section of Indian diaspora has been counterproductive as it has "deeply divided" the Indian diaspora community, according to Ashok Swain, a professor in the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Sweden's Uppsala University.
Modi supporters have tried to highlight distinctions in terms of their support for Hindu nationalism.
Vaidya, who calls himself a devout Hindu, clarified that the FIA has members from all communities and religions, and the flag-raising event collectively embodies "every" Indian.
Some Indian-Americans see the event as an extension of celebrations held last week when Modi laid the foundation stone for a temple in Ayodhya, 28 years after a mob of Hindu right-wing activists demolished a 16th century mosque at the site.
Jagdish Sewhani, who leads another Hindu group, disagreed. "The laying of the foundation stone for Ram temple was a dream come true for Indians across the world, there is nothing wrong in celebrating it."
Sewhani's Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Shilanyas Celebration Committee displayed a 3D image of the god Ram on a 17,000 square foot LED screen at Times Square on August 5. There were supposed to be multiple screens but pro-democracy groups including HfHR protested.
Vaidya stressed that the FIA and Sewhani's group were separate and Saturday's event had no links to last week's Times Square celebrations. But Sewhani will attend the flag-hoisting.
New York-based FIA member Ahmed Shakir said the relationship between members of the US Indian diaspora had been "fractured" ever since they started emphasising "identity based on religion" following the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's hardline Hindutva ideology.
The hoisting of the flag could be a reminder of "what India stands for - unity and diversity. We must use this opportunity to spread the message of love", said Shakir.
Oregon-based journalist and interfaith solidarity activist Gurmehar Kaur Sharma said: "I am praying that the same chest-thumping nationalism that we saw last week will not be on display again."
Vaidya argued there was nothing wrong in showing "love for Modi" and the flag hoisting event also signified the warmer bilateral ties between the US and India under Modi. "We have got the permission for the event in the middle of the pandemic, that says a lot about the improved US-India relationship," he said.
The event comes days after Kamala Harris, who is of Indian descent, was chosen as the vice-presidential candidate by the Democrats for the US election in November. The Indian-American community is considered an important demographic for Democrats in key battleground states.
Indian-Americans have also expressed their "joy" and "pride" over the choice of Harris. But it is unclear if she will be vocal against the Indian government's violation of minority rights.
"We will certainly be asking her to use her platform to demand the human rights of India's minorities. Her previous statements of solidarity with the people of Kashmir are encouraging," Viswanath said. "But only time will tell if the need for the US to maintain trade relations and political diplomacy with India will take priority over the urgent need for international pressure on India to restore democracy."
Vaidya, speaking as an Indian and not as a FIA representative, said Harris "has the potential to swing the Indian-American block of vote and funding".
Swain observed that the Indian Independence Day event, primarily, is a show of "power" by a section of Indian-Americans to recruit more support from the community to "influence US politicians in this election season".
India celebrates its 74th Independence Day on August 15. Photo: EPA-EFE
The Independence Day event is also significant given the current geopolitical climate and China tensions. "Indian Americans are unhappy that both India and the US have to deal with issues generating from one source [China]," Vaidya said. "We will do whatever it takes to stop Chinese aggression in India."
A group of Indian Americans staged a protest in Times Square after Chinese troops killed at least 20 Indian soldiers in a border skirmish in Ladakh in June.
According to Swain, the boycott of Chinese goods and the demonstration against China by Indian diaspora groups may soon be countered by the "powerful" Chinese diaspora, which comprises 1.5 per cent of the US population. "That will neither bring any benefit to the Indian diaspora community nor for India's interest abroad," Swain said.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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