What happens when the ancient hierarchies of a caste system, forged in the temples of India, seep into the sleek boardrooms of Silicon Valley and the corridors of Washington D.C.? It’s no longer just about tech giants or political maneuvering—it’s about how an ideology rooted in discrimination is silently shaping the Western world. The Indian diaspora, particularly those loyal to Modi’s Hindutva agenda, have brought caste apartheid to the United States and blocked criticism of India’s minority abuse. Most of the power sectors including IT and politics belong to upper-caste Hindus who skillfully bend the west’s policies to favor India even at the cost of basic liberties and equal opportunities. With caste discrimination creeping into the very fabric of Indian society, the question remains: how long will it take for the West to realize that such regressive-espousal poses serious political threats to its societies? India is a society developed on so called democracy or so to say an electoral autocracy functioning under the shadow system oriented on oppression. That is precisely what is happening in the United States where the caste system which India has been trying to suppress is being brought by Indians. The piece of legislation enacted by the California legislature in the recent past to prohibit caste bias was recently vetoed and overturned by Governor Newsom owing to pressure from certain powerful Indian-American financiers. This act was not a mere political play; It is a manifestation of the politically powerful Hindutva tentacles in the United States especially upper caste Hindus who have learned the game of Washington DC very well. This act was not a mere politicking but a coming of age of the growing political Indian might, especially the upper caste Hindus in America whose political skills of maneuvering the American political and economic systems and can even outdo the American masters.
The penetration of the diaspora into Silicon Valley and the American political process represents much more than financial triumph. It is the arrival of an entity—an ideology called Hindutva— guiding the US polices, protecting India’s reactionary behaviors, and sustaining discrimination. The current Modi regime has been particularly unforgiving towards Muslims and Dalits in India and yet has retained a cult-like following amongst a section of Hindu-Americans. This political support is not just in form of an ideological convergence; it comes with the capacity to fund. Democrats and Republicans have both woken up to the realization that this demographic is an important voting pool given that they are increasingly becoming the voting king makers especially in swing states’ and are also good political fundraisers, therefore, in a world where money talks louder than values, caste discrimination is no longer an Indian problem, it is a western problem too.
Even more disturbing is how the Hindutva agenda has expanded beyond merely being a local problem in India since coming to power. Similarly, as India has succeeded in shutting down any criticism of its terrorism in Kashmir, so too has the Indian diaspora succeeded in preventing similar discussion in the United States through political pressure and bribery. The recent veto of the California caste bill shows that upper-caste Hindus regulate top positions. Silicon Valley, previously viewed as an innovative and progressive place for workers of color and women, about the caste apartheid characterizing modern India and the case against a top technology company for caste bias. This growing influence transcends mainly economic gains now to politics and policies of the United States. Indian diaspora has synchronously aligned it categorizing narratives, defending India and advocating for the Hindutva project. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been a subject of international criticism for its policies of marginalization, and at times persecution, of India’s Muslims, Dalit’s, and other minorities, and yet the U.S., and its allies remain in lockstep with this Indian government. Political domination starting with the US-India alliance whose strategic partnership intends to check the China’s growing power has dominated coverage to the point where rights abuses going on under Modi government are obscured. The consequence of this new influence is alarming. Caste discrimination is exported to the west but that is not the major issue; the major issue is how the diaspora is influencing the American polity to the advantage of India geopolitical agenda. The parallels are clear, likewise, the globalization of the Jewish lobby in America to influence its policies in favor of Israel, the Hindu ethnic lobby is on the right track to do so for India. In doing so, promotes an agenda that marginalizes the plight of India’s minorities while cozying up to its pro-India nationalist politics.
At the core of this debate, India is still unable to fix its interior caste imbalance. Because India has encouraged casteism to thrive within its country, it has not only neglected the vulnerable Indian groups but also taken this bigotry to other countries such as America. The inability of the California bill to proceed to the next level again underlines how far and deep caste politics have entrenched itself in the diaspora and how far-reaching their maneuvers are. To the U.S., a country which boasts in democratic principles and equality, this injection of caste system bigotry is dangerous. The Hindutva agenda has made serious inroads controlling the Indian-American narrative ensuring instructions of casteism of division and exclusion within western societies will become canonized. As the West continues to engage with India, driven by the promise of economic partnerships and strategic alliances. Despite the increasing reliance of the United States in India as an ally, the nation winds up being an accomplice in the perpetration of these supremacy system in foreign territories. The longer Indian caste discrimination continues in another country, the harder would be to solely keep the essence democratic the democratic liberal system.
