‘We are in a moment where minority rights in US are under attack... we need to step up’

Nirav Shah, an Indian-American politician and a Democrat, is running to be governor of the northeastern US state of Maine.

- Shashank Mattoo

Should Shah win the Democratic primary race and the election next year, he will be the only Indian-American governor across the United States. He rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, when his televised public health briefings made him a household name in Maine. In the primary, Shah will face off against established political figures including the speaker of the state's lower house Hannah Pingree and Maine's Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. In an interview with HT, Shah talked about his opposition to the Trump administration, rising racism and online vitriol directed at Indian Americans, and his reflections on how his Indian background has helped him in his bid for Governor. Edited excerpts:

have in public service, it's very difficult to go back to anything else. So I was then asked to move to Maine and continue working and running the health department. When Covid-19 hit, that took a difficult job and made it even more so and more important. But at the same time, the impact that you could have on day-to-day lives also became so much more important. Following that, I was asked by the Biden administration to go down and help run the US Centers for Disease Control and Protection. I was the number two official at the US CDC, and then ultimately wanted to come back to Maine. And so my family and I moved back, and I was approached by some groups to consider leading not just the health department, but the entire state.

Should you be elected governor of Maine, you will be the only Indian American governor at this point in time elected to head a US state. How does your background and your connection affect your politics?