THE DIASPORA DILEMMA

It used to be, and still is, one of Indian foreign policy's greatest assets. But India's super successful diaspora faces its greatest challenge today.

- HINDOL SENGUPTA

NEW DELHI The murmurings had begun already in T America with the political elevation of Vivek Ramaswamy when the successful Cincinnati-born, Harvard and Yale graduate near-billionaire of Indian origin, decided to run for President seeking a Republican ticket. Ann Coulter, right-wing author, columnist, and influencer, told Ramaswamy on his face that she would not vote for him because he "is an Indian".

Ramaswamy dropped out of the race, and actively threw in his support for Donald Trump. In turn, Trump, after a historic victory, picked him and Elon Musk to kickstart the new proposed Department of Government Efficiency.

The murmurings became louder. But when Trump picked Chennai-born Sriram Krishnan, an old Musk associate, and general partner at the venture capital firm Andreesen Horowitz, as his advisor on artificial intelligence, the conversation exploded.

A barrage of right-wing and MAGA supporters objected loudly-Krishnan was an immigrant, and accused of being a "former Leftist"-how could he find a place in a Trump administration avowed to taking a tougher stance on immigration, they asked. Many demanded that the H1-B visa, most coveted by, and most given to, highest-paid Indians, should be scrapped.

Indian engineers were, and are, critical to the growth and continued success of Silicon Valley. People of Indian-origin occupy corner office positions, and other major managerial positions, across America Inc. and yet the "My job was Bangalored" syndrome has never quite disappeared. In fact, with America, like large parts of Europe and the UK, facing an illegal immigration crisis, public positions on immigration and immigrants are becoming sharper.

There are a few contradictory things in this issue.