Hindu American Foundation Pushes Back at Shashi Tharoor’s Critique of Diaspora Silence

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has strongly rebutted Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s recent remarks questioning the Indian-American diaspora’s “silence” on issues affecting India-US relations, including tariffs and H-1B visa fees.

In an article for The Print, HAF executive director Suhag A. Shukla argued that Tharoor’s claims misrepresent the community and undermine its carefully cultivated credibility in the United States.

“There are 535 members in the US Congress—100 senators and 435 representatives. But the honourable Shashi Tharoor made sweeping claims about the Indian-American diaspora based on the words of just one,” Shukla wrote, referring to Tharoor citing a congresswoman who claimed she had not received any outreach from diaspora members regarding US President Donald Trump’s policies.

Shukla emphasized that the diaspora has long contributed quietly but significantly to strengthening India-US ties, often behind the scenes and within the bounds of American law. “We do so without a formal role in shaping India’s policies, and always within the strictures of US law. It is disingenuous, dangerous even, to suggest we do otherwise,” she said.

She also defended the diaspora’s dual identity, stressing that civic engagement in the US does not conflict with cultural or emotional ties to India. “Just as India and Indian citizens have a duty to pursue their national interest, the United States and its citizens, including Indian Americans, have a duty to pursue ours. This recognition is not a betrayal of our heritage, but a simple fact of citizenship,” Shukla wrote.

Shukla cautioned that statements like Tharoor’s could embolden critics who question the loyalty of Indian and Hindu Americans, particularly amid legislative pressures such as California’s SB509 and proposed “transnational repression” bills, which could enable surveillance and profiling of diaspora communities.

“Expecting Indian Americans, increasingly under attack from both ends of the political spectrum, to continue sacrificing and paying for India’s global voice is not a sound strategy,” Shukla noted.

Acknowledging Tharoor’s stature as a statesman, Shukla added that his words “must be measured” and called for more nuance in how Indian politicians perceive the diaspora. “Indian Americans do not exist to serve as proxies for the Government of India. We exist as Americans—citizens endowed with rights, responsibilities, and loyalties rooted in this soil.”