A former Seattle City councillor, who has been a strong advocate for social justice and human rights, isn’t being allowed to enter the world’s so-called largest democracy. Kshama Sawant urgently needs to go to India to see her ailing mother. The Indian-born Sawant has been under attack from supporters of the right-wing Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, since 2023 when she initiated an ordinance that criminalizes caste based discrimination in Seattle.
This historic law was the first to be passed outside India to outlaw caste based oppression, which has been prevalent within orthodox Hindu society for centuries. Incidentally, she hails from India’s Maharashtra state, where anti-caste movements have been very strong.
A world renowned, towering Indian scholar and the architect of the Indian constitution, Dr. BR Ambedkar was from Maharashtra. He was born and raised in the marginalized Dalit community, which has been treated as untouchable by the self- styled custodians of the brutal caste system.
Throughout his life, Ambedkar denounced casteism and even renounced the Hindu religion to embrace Buddhism. Sawant is greatly inspired by him. Ironically, Modi too claims to be his admirer.
Earlier, Sawant had raised her voice against anti-Muslim and anti-farmer laws passed by the Indian government, following which she was repeatedly hounded by Hindu supremacist groups in the US.
Although the Indian government hasn’t given any reason for denying her visa, there have recently been a number of instances where scholars and elected officials in the Indian diaspora were denied visas for being critical of the policies of the Modi government.
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Sawant’s work isn’t limited to the human rights situation in India. She had campaigned for raising the minimum wage in North America, and has been known for her unwavering commitment towards the underdog.
Gurpreet Singh is a journalist
