“When I started on this journey, in my 20s, there was a huge novelty to having someone of Indian origin even enter politics,” he said. “The Indian American diaspora can play such an important role in helping strengthen the U.S.-India partnership. … I think this is a historic moment for our community. I think we’re really emerging and coming into our own as a strong voice.”
— Rep. Ro Khanna
Rep. Ro Khanna will be a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, reported NBC News. Khanna, a Democrat who has been representing California’s 17th Congressional District since 2017, will co-chair the caucus with Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla.
In an exclusive interview to the news channel, Khanna said, “When I started on this journey, in my 20s, there was a huge novelty to having someone of Indian origin even enter politics,” he said. “The Indian American diaspora can play such an important role in helping strengthen the U.S.-India partnership. … I think this is a historic moment for our community. I think we’re really emerging and coming into our own as a strong voice.”
The caucus, which was established in 1993 to strengthen relations between the US and India, was previously chaired by Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., and former Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio.
Khanna said he hoped to take the caucus beyond its original goal. The Indian diaspora in the US has its own unique needs, he said, and the position could be an opportunity to bring them to the forefront.
“I’m going to try to make it about not just us India, but also the Indian American community and highlighting the contributions of that community,” he said. “I think being Indian America and being part of the community, knowing so many of the community leaders, knowing the passions and interests of young people, I’ll be able to do that.”
Khanna said that, having spent much of his career in Northern California’s Silicon Valley, he has been immersed in Indian American issues for years. The rising tide of Hindu nationalism is on the forefront of the diaspora’s collective consciousness; from professional spheres to college campuses, reports of Islamophobia and casteism abound in South Asian spaces.
Khanna has been vocal about Hindu nationalism and his words have sparked outrage from right-wing Indian Americans. In 2019, 230 Hindu and Indian American entities wrote letter criticizing Khanna for denouncing Hindu nationalism and for advocating religious equality on the subcontinent.
Indian children who came to the US with work visa-holding parents are beginning to face immigration issues of their own. As they grow up and age out of coverage under their parents visas, many are left with no clear path to citizenship. Indian American-run organizations like Improve the Dream have spent the last few years lobbying the federal government to pass legislation correcting that
“It’s the duty of every American politician of Hindu faith to stand for pluralism, reject Hindutva, and speak for equal rights for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhist & Christians,” Khanna tweeted at the time.
They also criticized Khanna for joining the Congressional Pakistan Caucus and for speaking out against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s revoking the state of Kashmir’s autonomy.
“Of course, we have to fulfill the strategic partnership and we have to respect the democratically elected leadership in India,” Khanna told NBC News. “I will work to strengthen that while also upholding these human rights values.”
As pandemic aftereffects continue to impact communities in the US and India, backlogs for green cards and tourist visas have grown to span years. Khanna hopes with the caucus, he can help alleviate that. “We’re trying to figure out, how do we allocate the resources to address this issue?” he said. “But this is a top priority for us.”
Indian children who came to the US with work visa-holding parents are beginning to face immigration issues of their own. As they grow up and age out of coverage under their parents visas, many are left with no clear path to citizenship. Indian American-run organizations like Improve the Dream have spent the last few years lobbying the federal government to pass legislation correcting that.
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