——The Indian Tricolor at the attempted coup on January 6th in DC should come as no surprise

In these days after the terrible attack on Capitol Hill, there has been much discussion of the insurrectionists who were spotted carrying Indian flags. While there was a lot of early speculation in the Indian-American social media as to who they might be, it has now been confirmed that they were people explicitly connected with Hindutva ideology.

HfHR strongly condemns those Hindu nationalists who were part of a violent attempt to overthrow American democracy. And we deplore the association of the Indian tricolor with the attempted coup.

As many of us have learnt in Indian schools, the Indian flag represents sacrifice, peace, prosperity, and dharma; and much less of the jingoism and triumphalism associated with many other flags and countries.

It is a matter of great regret to us that such a symbol of the aspirations of an independent India is now being used by Hindu nationalists in their war against the Indian constitution and to perpetuate unimaginable crimes against the minorities, in the name of Ram and Country.

What we saw in DC earlier this week were the votaries of Hindutva in the US, who, not being satisfied with their support for hate in India, have jumped on the Trump bandwagon of hate in the U.S.  

Here is one of several articles that make it clear that the person who carried the Indian flag to the Capitol was Krishna Gudipati, who has ties to both Vishwa Hindu Sanghatan (VSS) and to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-America (VHP-A). While another flag bearer named in the news is a Trump supporter, Vinson Xavier Palathingal. The article shows that he and Mr. Gudipati have collaborated in the past and have appeared with the BJP/RSS leader Subramaniam Swamy, whose corrosive anti-Muslim bigotry is well known.

While HfHR was quick to condemn the insurrection and the fact that the Indian flag was a part of it, some friends of HfHR have asked us why we did not immediately make the connection to Hindu nationalism.  While we too felt that it was highly probable that the Indian flag bearers were motivated by Hindutva ideology, it was important for us to stick with our policy of some verification of facts, so we could make a meaningful statement about it. (We do make exceptions when our quick intervention could possibly save lives and liberty.)

As the Indian-American community is busy debating the Indian flag in DC, let us not forget that the assault has left even the most optimistic African Americans shaken to the core. We are hearing from many of our colleagues who feel as if their own persons were assaulted on Wednesday.                                         

Darren Walker, the President of Ford Foundation writes, “Democracy is a threat to white supremacy - and that is the cause of America’s Crisis.” 

It encapsulates what we have known all along of India, “Democracy is a real threat to Hindu nationalists -- and that is the cause of India’s crisis under the BJP/RSS”

Mr. Walker concludes,

Yes, the ideal of democracy is the greatest threat to the ideology of white supremacy; neither can long endure in the presence of the other. That is why today—and every day—we must renew our commitment to protect our democratic values and institutions from all enemies, foreign and domestic, especially those falsely disguised as patriots.

He might as well have been talking about Hindu nationalists in the Indian context.

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P.S. Hypocrisy in India? We hear that a case has been filed in India against one of the Indian flag bearers. We do not know who is behind the FIR; however, it seems a bit hypocritical that there should be a hue and cry about the misuse of the tricolor in DC, when so much violence is taking place in India in the name of the same flag and no charges have been filed for its mis-appropriation by politicians and their foot soldiers.