By Muslim Mirror Network
Washington (DC) : ASPAIRE (Alliance to Save & Protect America from Infiltration by Religious Extremists) and CAPI (Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India) the rights groups of Indian Americans have condemned the presence of India tricolor at Capitol Hill.
The flags carried by rioting mobs sparks shame and horror for Indian Americans, they said in a joint statement.
In what is being called out as one of the darkest days in US history, by none other than the President-elect Joe Biden, when 1000’s of violent rioters owing allegiance to outgoing President Donald Trump, stormed the Capitol Hill building in Washington D.C., on January 6. In what is being widely viewed as an affront to American Democracy, there was yet another moment of shame, this time for India, it said.
Millions of Indians in the US and around the world, watched with shock and horror as amongst the snatches of live telecast of the Capitol Hill horror, were visuals of the flag of India, the ONLY international flag standing out in a sea of American and Trump flags, carried by angry insurrectionists, some of them Indian Americans.
Most of the Indian American supporters of Donald Trump are also default supporters of the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, propagating the right wing, extremist Hindutva ideology.
One of the Indian Americans carrying the Indian flag, amongst the rioting Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters, is Vincent Xavier (Vinson Palathingal) who has long been identified as a MAGA supporter. He lost elections at the local school board in Virginia in November 2019, after he was called out for his fact-free, hateful campaign.
Though traditionally most Indian American have supported the Democrats, the political affiliations of many Indian Americans went through a marked change after Modi came to power in India in 2014. Since then the right wing Hindutva ideology which fuels Modi and his political machine, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has also started fanning the hateful and divisive politics of both Modi and Trump on US soil.
The world in general and the USA in particular have been caught unawares with the rise of Hindutva influence not just amongst the Indian American community, but in US politics as well, with some Indian American politicians in the present Congress, supported by Hindutva affiliations. Hindutva as an ideology has nothing to do with Hinduism as the religion, as it is often believed. Hindutva is a fascist cult, fashioned after Hitler’s Nazism, which needs to be identified and investigated as one. Though the first Hindutva presence was established as far back as in 1989 in the US, with the registration of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), the organisation was largely silent, not infiltrating politically, until 2014. Both Trump and Modi supporters, who view both of the leaders as very strong, enjoy a symbiotic relationship, with a common ideology and goals. But the violent gathering at Capitol Hill is one battle in which Modi supporters indulged which Modi himself denounced in a tweet, especially carrying an Indian flag, hurting the sensibilities of the peaceful Indians in the US and the rest of the world, including India.
Expressing growing concern over the infiltration of “ultranationalists and Hindutva supremacists,” a founder member of the Alliance to Save and Protect America from Infiltration by Religious Extremists (ASPAIRE). Dr Shaik Ubaid, whilst denouncing the attacks on democracy, demanded an investigation into their sustained infiltration into the US power centers.
ASPAIRE is a nationwide alliance of organizations dedicated to preserving and promoting freedom, democracy and rule of law, and has been keeping a tight check on the Hindutva infiltration into American politics. Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India (CAPI), yet another non-profit, has also condemned the violent attacks on Capitol Hill.
Shaik Ubaid the co chair of ASPAIRE contacted them FBI and provided them with the photo and video evidence and the social media posts of the Hindutva activists who participated in the assault on the Capitol building. FBI assured Ubaid that to investigate these leads fully.
Mr Masood Rab, chair of CAPI, unequivocally condemned the rioters assembling at the Capitol Building in Washington DC, and breaking in the national historical monument, calling it “an act of terrorism against the American Nation, its properties, and its values”. He added that “President Trump and the legislators supporting his quest to disrupt the American Democratic process shall be brought to justice openly to stand as a lesson for the future American Generations and become part of our history to discourage any future similar activities”.
ASPAIRE/CAPI also condemned President Trump’s denial of accepting the election results not in his favor disrespecting the democratic process that this nation stands for, and instigating the rioters to disrupt the legislature in session for disseminating constitutional process of confirmation of election results and stepping down to the level of criminal autocrats and dictators of the world. Both expressed support for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, offering them our complete trust and commitment to help reach out in their monumental task of nation re-building.
ASPAIRE / CAPI Team also prays for the recovery of everyone hurt or injured in this travesty of terrorism in our nation’s capital and sends condolences to the families of the those who lost their lives.
Vincent Xavier carried indias flag and that photo of bhagwa flag is clearly not from the same day .
Don’t do propaganda against hindus for by doing such this you will make even more hindus hate your religion and mentality
Even if not on the same day but why Bhagva Flag in US?
Not all hindus r extrimist but most of them r peace loving. Hindutawa is Golwalker’s extrim idealogy . Most hindus vote bjp not for extrimis but for fals promis of development. If u carry a green flag with creasent will u be an ISIS supporter. Safron flag is stolen from Mandirs by RSS
Toh report mein bhagwa flag mentioned bhi kahan hai.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/indianexpress.com/article/world/india-flag-trump-rally-washington-7138784/lite/
@anshuman He himself accepts he carried the flag. Obviously he is a MAGA supporter.
Its very important how rising nationalistic tendencies in India coupled with rising fascist Hindutva ideology of the RSS+BJP combine is doing immense damage to the pluralism of India and its secular character. The radicalisation of Hindu youths is a trend never seen before after India gained independence. The earlier Biden and Kamala Harris of the new Democratic US administration realize this, the better its for world peace and preventing the whole of India from becoming a potential hotspot.
Without evidence of any wrongdoing, Shaik Ubaid called the FBI on Hindus who did not take part in any violence that day. There were 1 million people there, and 54 people entered the Capitol. The Hindus spotted with the flag were peacefully demonstrating and hundred of meters away from the building, yet the mere presence of an Indian tricolor next to a MAGA hat — neither of which are symbols of extremism — is enough to compel this ASPAIRE propaganda piece.
The irony, of course, is that Islamists such as Ubaid are the first to claim Islamophobia when the FBI legitimately investigates Muslims with known terrorist links. Calling on the same agency which groups such as CAIR and IAMC accuse of being bigoted and fascist to take down his hated enemies, the nation-loving Hindu. How ironic.
Mr. Ubaid, Trump supporters are not white supremacists. Approximately 1/3 of Americans support Trump, and if you are suggesting that the majority — or even a sizeabke minority — are racist white supremacists, then I suggest that you have are drowning in hatred of your fellow Americans. One million people abstained from violence that day, most of them hard-working, patriotic Americans who were politically frustrated at a media and political system that has failed to acknowledge their concerns. They were driven by a conspiracy no different in its absurdity than the belief that American law enforcement are systemically racist — and they had four years of a bogus Russia investigation, failed impeachments, and numerous other plots to remove the elected President from office — efforts that began before he was even in office. Please excuse their confusion and frustration for this, and recognize that the peaceful unfurling of the Indian tricolor at this event was a show of solidarity between people who love their neighbors.