Source: IndiaWest
By Richard Springer
David Williams, a Republican Party candidate for governor of Kentucky, ignited a firestorm of protests nationwide in the Indian American community by criticizing Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, his Democratic opponent in the Nov. 8 election, for participating in a Hindu ceremony to celebrate a groundbreaking for a $180-million manufacturing plant in Elizabethtown, Ky.
Williams lambasted the Kentucky governor for “participating with Hindu priests, participating in a religious ceremony. He’s sitting down there with his legs crossed participating in Hindu prayers, with a dot on his forehead with incense burning around him. I don’t know what the man was thinking.”
The plant is being built by India-based Flex Films, a packaging application firm. The project will create 250 jobs in a state hard hit by the recession. Beshear, the son of a Baptist preacher, recruited Flex Films to Kentucky during a recent visit to India.
The president of the Kentucky state Senate, Williams has steadfastly refused to apologize for his remarks. He was trailing in the polls by over 25 percent at press deadline.
Williams said he objected not to Beshear attending the event, but to his “worship of idols.” He added that as a Christian, he would not participate in Jewish, Muslim or Hindu prayers and hoped Hindus would “receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior.”
He qualified his remarks later by saying he “strongly” believes in freedom of religion.
“What I cannot understand is why Governor Beshear has a long pattern of opposing outward displays of the Christian faith such as Christmas trees, prayers before high school football games, and posting the Ten Commandments, but apparently has no problem personally participating in displays of non-Christian religions."
Response was swift by Indian American organizations and some elected officials.
“The words of Sen. Williams are not only an affront to Hindu Americans, but all Americans as he conjures up the lowest sentiments of exclusion and bigotry,” said Suhag Shukla, managing director and legal counsel of the Hindu American Foundation.
“Williams’ remarks are shameful and should be condemned by Kentuckians and Americans alike,” added Ohio Rep. Jay P. Goyal, D-Mansfield. "We live in a world today where we should be aiming to be more accepting of other cultures, and instead we have people like David Williams saying very insensitive things that deride others for showing a sense of respect for other cultures.”
HAF Nov. 4 issued a press release saying Shukla and Williams had a “civil” follow-up phone conversation about the issue. “While we strongly disagree with (Williams’) comments and opinions, we appreciate his efforts in reaching out to us," Shukla said.
“Although Williams reiterated that as a Christian it was his hope that Hindus receive Christ as their savior, he added that he did not intend to offend Hindus and would never, in his official capacity, discriminate against anyone on the basis of their beliefs,” the HAF press release said.
But the issue is not over, at least as far as the Indian American community is concerned.
USINPAC chairman Sanjay Puri said in a statement, “It is unfortunate that instead of appreciating the large number of jobs and investment the plant will bring to Kentucky, candidate David Williams chose to display such intolerance and disrespect towards the religious sentiments of the Indian American community.”
The Atlanta, Ga.-based Asian American Hotel Owners Association in a statement said Williams’ remarks were “insensitive and inappropriate.” AAHOA chairman Hemant Patel added, “We are surprised that an elected official with more than two decades of public service would pit one Kentuckian against another based upon cultural differences. Conversely, AAHOA commends Gov. Beshear for his inclusiveness and for his long-term vision for a prosperous Kentucky.”
Maryland House of Delegates members Kumar Barve, Aruna Miller and Sam Arora issued a joint statement blasting Williams.
“In the difficult times we face," Miller said, “I cannot fathom why anyone would choose to use such inflammatory language instead of celebrating the economic impact and jobs the plant will create."
Arora said, “As a Baptist, I am embarrassed that someone would try to use our faith as cover for such inappropriate remarks. This is the kind of desperate remark we hear from candidates who cling to fear instead of moving our economy forward.”
Barve said, “Hindus across the globe recently celebrated Diwali, one of the holiest days in the Hindu religion. I believe Williams could take a lesson from (Maryland) Gov. Martin O’Malley who is hosting his third annual Diwali celebration to recognize the valuable contributions of the Indian American community.”
In a letter to Williams, South Asian American Leading Together executive director Deepa Iyer and SAALT policy director Priya Murthy demanded a retraction and apology.
“In addition to being offensive to a large segment of the American population who practices Hinduism, your comments also run counter to the ideals of religious pluralism that have long enriched our country,” they said. “Implied in your statements is the message that those who follow certain religions are not welcome in this country and are not American.”
Beshear campaign spokesman Matt Erwin in a statement called Williams’ remarks “pathetic and desperate” by a “candidate facing devastating poll numbers.”
He added that Beshear’s participation in the traditional Hindu blessing ceremony was “to show partnership in the new endeavor.” Flex Films chief executive Pradeep Tyle and director Anantshree “Audi” Chaturavedi attended the ceremony in Elizabethtown.
Williams’ comments also elicited criticism from a Democratic Party group. The Indian American Leadership Initiative said Williams’ remarks are “just another show of intolerance and ignorance from the GOP.”
India-West contacted the offices of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to determine if either of the two Indian American GOP leaders had issued any comment or press release. Neither press office responded and no press releases on Williams’ comments were posted on their Web sites by press deadline.
Source: Yahoo News, Digital Journal
David Williams criticized Gov. Beshear for participating in a Hindu ground breaking ceremony to mark the inauguration of a packaging plant that would bring in $180 investment to Kentucky.
Washington DC (PRWEB) November 04, 2011
The US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) strongly condemns the disparaging remarks by Kentucky gubernatorial candidate David Williams about Governor Steve Beshear’s participation in a Hindu groundbreaking ceremony. Gov. Beshear was participating in a ceremony to mark the opening of a new flexible packaging plant designed to bring $180 million in investment and 250 jobs to Kentucky.
Expressing regret at the remarks, USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri said, “It is unfortunate that instead of appreciating the large number of jobs and investment the plant will bring to Kentucky, candidate David William choose to display such intolerance and disrespect towards the religious sentiments of the Indian-American community. The voters in Kentucky are a diverse and tolerant community, and candidate William is misguided to assume that such desperate remarks would bring him more votes.” According to the 2011 Census Kentucky is home to 12,501 Indian-Americans.
David Williams said that Gov. Beshear’s actions were tantamount to “idolatry.” He further said that as a Christian, he would not participate in Jewish, Muslim, or Hindu prayers, and hoped Hindus would open their eyes and “receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior.” On behalf of the 2.7 million strong Indian-American community, USINPAC demands an immediate apology from David Williams.
About USINPAC: The U.S India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) is a bi-partisan non-profit organization and the voice of 2.7 million Indian-Americans. It works to impact policy on issues of concern to the Indian-American community in the US. We also provide bipartisan support to candidates for federal, state and local office who support the issues that are important to the Indian-American community. For more information visit us at http://www.usinpac.com.
Follow USINPAC on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
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Source: Yahoo News
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal elected to second term as Governor with landslide votes.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) November 04, 2011
US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) congratulates the Indian-American Governor of Louisiana state, Bobby Jindal, on being re-elected as the Governor for the second term. He won a landslide victory with 66% of the total votes cast in his favor. He amassed the highest number of votes in the 10-way primary.
USINPAC Chairman Mr. Sanjay Puri while congratulating Bobby Jindal on his re-election said, “It is a matter of huge significance that Mr. Jindal has been elected by the people again. The victory is symbolic of his selfless hard work in the previous term, and the increasing role of the Indian-American community in the political setup of the country.”
About USINPAC: The U.S India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) is a bi-partisan non-profit organization and the voice of 2.7 million Indian-Americans. It works to impact policy on issues of concern to the Indian-American community in the US. We also provide bipartisan support to candidates for federal, state and local office who support the issues that are important to the Indian-American community. For more information visit us at http://www.usinpac.com.
Follow USINPAC on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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By: Padma Kuppa
Source:patheos.com
While I often use the term Hindu-American to identify myself, I am nearly as likely to use the term Indian-American. The two terms have much overlap for me as an ethnic Hindu, since faith and culture are so intertwined. But recently, there was a serious disconnect.
I was at the sixth annual Hindu Mandir Executives Conference in Columbus, Ohio, and one of the sessions had a panelist from USINPAC, the U.S.-India Political Action Committee, "a united, strong and clear voice representing the Indian-American community on Capitol Hill and the White House." The speaker brought up South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal as Indian-American success stories, as Indian-Americans who advocate for their communities. While both Jindal and Haley may also be Indian-American, the pluralistic religious roots of their parents' have no place in their success. I began wondering if many others in the predominantly Hindu audience felt the same disengagement from being Indian-American.
The adjective Indian is quite complex, since there are multiple ethnic and religious terms that describe being Indian. During my childhood, I was often asked to say something "in Indian"—and I had to explain that I spoke Telugu, that there is no language called Indian. More recently, a friend from WISDOM asked me about a "Hindu word"—and I had to explain that there is Hindi, the Indian national language, or Sanskrit, the language of the Vedas, the body of Hindu scripture, but that there is no language called Hindu.
Being Indian-American means finding a balance between cultural concepts—such as sprinkling khara-podi (a spicy south Indian powder) on my pizza, or speaking "Tenglish" with my family, where English and Telugu words are blended to create our own Indian-American vocabulary.
India and Indian are terms that technically do not have a religious connotation, since India is a secular democracy. But calling myself a Hindu in the Indian context can have political implications that I never intend to invoke. Some interfaith leaders in my region have questioned me about my involvement with another advocacy organization that I support, the Hindu American Foundation, which promotes tolerance, acceptance, and pluralism. The accusations usually involve the concept of Hindu nationalism—a call for India to be considered a Hindu nation—and the term "Hindutva."
Hindutva is a Sanskrit compound word, Hindu + tva, which can be defined as Hinduness, and which a century ago didn't have any negative implications. While the term Hindu implies a body of religious beliefs and cultural practices, Hindutva and the political history surrounding a Hindu identity are best explained by Prof. Anantanand Rambachan, who suggests that Hindus in India and the diaspora confront the alternative meanings of Hindu identity to "determine what it means to be Hindu and the character of Hindu relationships with other religions." Belgian scholar Koenraad Elst, in this excerpt from his book Decolonizing the Hindu Mind, deals with the misunderstandings about key Hindu terms and the whirlpool of religion, politics, and culture they invoke in today's context. Jeffrey Long, Elizabethtown College's Religious Studies Department Chair, in his book A Vision for Hinduism: Beyond Hindu Nationalism, suggests seeking a Hindu identity which respects its cultural roots while being true to its core values of tolerance and pluralism.
Thus, the disconnect from India and Indian.
It is the Hindu and American parts of me that call me to activism and advocacy. While calling myself a Hindu-American puts into perspective my religious beliefs, spiritual philosophy and national identity, even this can cause complications that I never intended. An Indian-American friend talked of the "Hindu fundamentalists" when I brought up the Hindu American Foundation and the need to advocate. He and many others shy away from my concerns about what academics teach or what media presents about Hinduism. These misrepresentations often lead people, especially our Hindu American children, to question the value or respectability of the Hindu faith.
Often, my advocacy is through simple means—I give people an HAF Hinduism2Go card, which summarizes some basic precepts on the back of a business card. I direct them to the HAF website to provide clarification on common misconceptions and answers to frequently asked questions. These may not address the complexity and depth of Hinduism, but it is a basic attempt to correct misunderstandings. I even explain how HAF is like the American Jewish Committee, the advocacy organization for the Jewish community, to give it an American context.
The American identity is often a hyphenated one; people usually say they are Italian-American, Polish-American, Irish-American—but not Catholic-American or Protestant-American. But we live in times where religious identity is important, and shedding one's religious roots as the two governors have chosen to do is indicative of that. When the New York Times calls Swami Vivekananda an Indian monk, and ignores the fact that he was a great ambassador of Hinduism, I would rather proclaim that I, too, am a "Hindoo," as he was called over a century ago.
I represent the pluralism embedded in both the Hindu scripture (in the Rig Veda) and the American Constitution (through the first Amendment) as a Hindu-American. Do I also need to add another hyphen to connect to India, the land that birthed Swami Vivekananda and my forefathers, and to acknowledge that the Hindu faith emerged from it?
