During his visit to the Washington, DC, metro area on Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi praised the Indian diaspora in the United States as a crucial link between the two nations. Speaking to a gathering, Gandhi highlighted the unique role that Indians living in the US play in bridging cultural and ideological gaps between the two countries.
Indians as Cultural and Ideological Connectors
In his address, Gandhi underscored the dual identity of the Indian diaspora, noting that they embody both American and Indian values. “You are the bridge between these two great unions of states,” he said. “And you make us very proud because we understand what it meant for you to come here. We understand the difficulties and struggles you faced. But when you came here, you came with humility, respect and affection… You did not say that the United States is inferior to us, or that you hate the United States… You are proud of India and proud of the United States.”
Congress’ Message: Love Over Hatred
Gandhi also took the opportunity to address what he described as a divisive narrative promoted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to him, the BJP’s stance is that individuals cannot hold dual identities as both Indian and American. “As per the BJP, you cannot have two identities. You cannot be an Indian, and at the same time an American. That is what the fight is about,” he asserted.
The Congress leader advocated for a message of love rather than hatred. “We are saying that don’t spread hatred, spread love. Don’t be arrogant, be humble. Don’t disrespect people, communities, religions, traditions, languages… If you don’t do this, you will never be successful… You will take American ideas and values back home and will bring Indian values, traditions, and ideas to the United States. You will help both states by doing this,” Gandhi said.
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Critique of RSS and Ideological Disagreements
Gandhi’s speech also included sharp criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing the organization of not fully understanding the essence of India. “And the problem is, these people don’t understand India… India is called a union of states. In the Constitution it is written clearly—India, that is Bharat, is a union of states. It means it is a union of languages, traditions, histories, music, or dance,” he explained.
He further criticized the RSS for allegedly promoting a hierarchy of states and communities. “The RSS is saying that certain states, languages, religions, and communities are inferior to others. This is what the fight is about. We are of the opinion that… all of you have your history, tradition, and language. Every single one of them is as important as any other one,” Gandhi said.
Emphasizing Inclusivity and Diversity
Gandhi illustrated his point by asking the audience to imagine being told they could not speak their native language, using Tamil as an example. “What would you do if somebody told you that you cannot speak Tamil? How would you feel? How would you react? That is the ideology of the RSS—that Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Manipuri are all inferior languages,” he said. According to Gandhi, such ideological views ultimately influence political decisions and the broader vision for India’s future.
In his concluding remarks, Gandhi emphasized that the ongoing ideological struggle in India is about determining the nature of the country’s societal and political landscape. “The fight is about what type of India we are going to have. Are we going to have an India where people are allowed to believe what they want to believe?… Or are we going to have an India where only a few people can decide what is going to happen,” he concluded.
