THE growing role of overseas Indians in governance in their adopted homelands raises an interesting question when it comes to the world’s most powerful nation: Can an ethnic Indian be elected the next, or future, president of the United States?
On his last day at the White House a year ago, president Barack Obama — although his strong endorsement failed to get Hillary Clinton elected as the first woman president — somewhat prophetically said his country could elect “not just a woman president, but could also see a Latino president, a Jewish president and a Hindu president in the future.”
In a broad sense, Indian-American Nikki Haley fits in. Michael Wolff, the author of Fast & Fury: Inside the Trump White House, said she considered herself worthy of the post and that her colleagues thought she was “ambitious and smarter than Donald Trump”.
Trump had initially considered her as his secretary of state, but eventually sent her as ambassador to the United Nations.
That Haley, born Nimrata Randhawa, is seen to be in the reckoning within nine months of doing her job is significant. She answers to another of Obama’s approving descriptions, of “mixed-up presidents”. She remains a Sikh while being married to a white Christian American.
Not a dumb Trump follower, she was critical during the latter’s presidential campaign, receiving media hype for saying the phrase “bless your heart” in response to Trump’s Twitter attacks after she called for him to release his tax records.
Being called “ambitious” and “smarter than Trump” carries obvious risks. But, she insists that she has no ambitions. “Every position I’ve ever had, people have assumed that I am looking toward something bigger,” she declared on becoming envoy to the UN.
But, that was on April 4 last year. According to excerpts in The New York Times, Wolff said Haley “decided” by October last year that “Trump’s tenure would last, at best, a single term, and thought she could be his heir apparent”.
Trump has trashed the book and its writer. Speculation is that Trump could eliminate Nikki, as he has done with many of his team, if he thinks she could block his second term bid in 2020.
Unlike another Indian American politician Bobby Jindal, who briefly sought the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election, Nikki flaunts her Indian origin.
“I am the daughter of Indian parents who said to me ‘whatever you do, be great at it and make sure people remember you for it’”.
As a woman, she could have a formidable rival in Oprah Winfrey, who has captured Hollywood’s imagination after her Golden Globes address. Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep — all want “president Oprah Winfrey in 2020”.
Another Indian-American, Aruna Miller, last week filed nomination papers to run for the US Congress from a Congressional seat in Maryland. Two dozen Indian Americans are contesting elections across America and in Canada, there are four Indian ministers.
Across the Atlantic in Britain, Indian IT czar Narayana Murthy’s son-in-law, Rishi Suna, and Goa-born Suella Fernandes have joined the Theresa May government.
Her earlier team had Priti Patel. The British Parliament has many Indian-origin lawmakers like Keith Vaz.
They are among 285 Indian origin parliamentarians across the globe. Past heads of state have included New Zealand’s Anand Satyanand and Singapore’s C.V. Devan Nair. Prime ministers and ministers, who were elected in 19 countries, total more than 70. The recent entrants to the prime ministers’ club are Antonio Costa (Portugal) and Leo Varadkar (Ireland).
The Indian diaspora now total 31.2 million. D. Mulay, secretary, Department of Overseas Indians in the Ministry of External Affairs said they were impacting their societies and the economies.
India observed Jan 9 as the day for Indians overseas. The annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) has evolved into a biennial affair. It was held this month in Singapore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted over 141 overseas Indian parliamentarians and mayors from 23 countries. Only sitting members of parliament and mayors — no ministers, heads of government/state or parliament speakers were invited. Delegations came from Guyana, Trinidad, Surinam, Curacao, Jamaica, US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Holland, New Zealand, Switzerland and Fiji.
As Modi spoke to them, Congress President Rahul Gandhi addressed the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin in Bahrain the same week, reflecting domestic political interest overseas Indians generate.
Modi rhetorically said: “No matter where you are, I believe your ancestors will be very happy to see you all here. Your achievements (as legislators in your countries) are a point of pride for us. Even when you are nominated for political office anywhere, we are very happy. You affect geo-politics and the world and frame laws. Indians watching these developments are very happy to hear about your achievements.”
Unsurprisingly, overseas Indians are seeking voting rights in India. A day before the commencement of PBD, Delhi journalist S. Venkat Narayan filed a public interest litigation before India’s Supreme Court seeking quashing of amendments made in the Citizenship Act in 2004, which deny voting rights to overseas citizens of India (OCI).
Venkat Narayan said the denial of voting rights to persons
having OCI status violated fundamental rights as it was “discriminative to a class of citizens of India who are not only being denied equality before law and equal protection of laws, but also rights and freedoms relating to life, liberty and dignity of the individual”.
From getting elected abroad to seeking a voice in the Indian election, will the wheel take a full circle?
The writer, NST’s New Delhi correspondent, is the president of the Commonwealth Journalists Association 2016-2018 and a consultant with ‘Power Politics’ monthly magazine