Shashi Tharoor Just Called Out the Indian American Diaspora

Indian MP Shashi Tharoor offered up some pointed words during a recent meeting with a U.S. Congressional delegation. As reported by the Times of India, he said he was “astonished by the silence of the Indian American community on issues that matter deeply to India,” pointing specifically to recent U.S. H1B visa restrictions and trade tariffs.

Even more interesting is that one of the congresswomen in the room admitted she had “not received a single phone call from an Indian American voter urging policy changes.”

That’s a bit unexpected from a community that’s usually quite visible when it comes to politics here. Especially when you consider how the H1B program has always been a lifeline for Indian professionals in the United States, offering thousands of participants a start here in the U.S. When the Trump administration raised H1B fees to $100,000, the change impacted Indian applicants especially hard, and yet according to Tharoor, the diaspora’s response was somewhat muted.

“This is something that is surprising,” Tharoor remarked. "If you care about the relationship with your motherland, then you also have to fight for it, speak for it, and press your political representatives to stand up for India."

His remarks tap into a bigger, more complex conversation. Indian Americans clearly have strong ties to India, but they are also busy building new lives here in the U.S. The community has done well establishing itself in terms of education, business, and even public service, but when it comes to weighing in on policy that connects Washington and New Delhi, things haven’t always been consistent.

By putting the issue squarely on the table, Tharoor has raised a question that’s been lingering for years. How much should Indian Americans use their influence in Washington when it comes to developments in India? While there’s no easy answer, it’s definitely one of those conversations that’s not going to go away any time soon.

Photo by India Prime Minister's Office/Creative Commons