India-Born Congressman Shri Thanedar condemns
“ Hinduphobia’ in US ........following MAGA attack
Hindustan Times ^ | 12/31/24 | Tuhin Das Mahapatra
Posted on 12/31/2024 by fluorescence
Indian Congressman Shri Thanedar introduces a solution against Hinduphobia amid racist attacks over immigration support. Thanedar, a Democrat from Michigan, has spoken out against “all Hinduphobia” and racism in the United States after becoming the target of a wave of hateful rhetoric over the weekend. The backlash came after Thanedar, born in Karnataka, India, voiced his support for the H-1B visa program and advocated for increasing legal immigration to maintain America’s competitive edge in innovation. “Unfortunately, the H1-B visa discourse has been hijacked by MAGA racism and xenophobia,” he said.
“By increasing H1-B visas and streamlining the H1-B and green card process, America maintains our edge on innovation & discovery,” Thanedar wrote in a follow-up tweet. In response to his remarks, Thanedar was subjected to a barrage of racist and xenophobic comments, including calls for him to “go back to India.” Social media posts were filled with vitriol, with one user writing, “Can I buy you a ticket to Mumbai? One way, of course,” while another said, “You need to be denaturalized and deported.”
Thanedar responded to the hateful rhetoric by introducing a bipartisan resolution condemning Hinduphobia. He stated, “Racism in America is still alive and well, and we must stand up to it together. Just read the replies to any recent post that includes ‘H-1B’ to see the deplorable rhetoric targeting Indian Americans.” “That’s why I introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning all Hinduphobia.”
The H-1B visa program, which allows highly skilled foreign workers to work temporarily in the United States, has long been a contentious issue. Critics, particularly from MAGA circles, argue that the program undercuts American wages and replaces domestic workers with foreign labor, despite safeguards in place to prevent such misuse. Indians, who receive the majority of H-1B visas, have become a specific target.
Some critics questioned the dominance of Indian workers in the program, ignoring factors like India’s large population, English proficiency, and established pipelines for Indian students at U.S. universities. “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long,” Vivek Ramaswamy stated, adding, “A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math Olympiad champ…will not produce the best engineers.”
wiki——Early in his House tenure, Thanedar attempted to join the Congressional Black Caucus.
In September 2023, Thanedar formally launched the Dharma Caucus, stating bipartisan support and 27 lawmakers joining as members from across 4 faiths.Thanedar stated the caucus “is a statement of commitment to stand against religious discrimination, to propel the wheels of inclusion, and to cultivate a nation where diversity is not only tolerated, but celebrated”.
South Asian advocacy groups, Hindus for Human Rights, Sikh Coalition, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Emgage, and Indian American Muslim Council, put out a joint statement voicing concern on the lack of input from the broader South Asian community.
wiki——In November 2017, a buyer of his business, Avomeen Holdings LLC filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, claiming Thanedar made “fraudulent and misleading representations” of his company’s finances in order to sell the majority stake in November 2016.
Thanedar denies the allegations, saying that revenues “are anticipated to significantly exceed” those of past periods.[20] U.S. District Judge Gershwin A. Drain dismissed the case in August 2019, citing a notice from Thanedar and Avomeen Holdings LLC that they had reached an agreement to resolve the matter out of court.