Tulsi Gabbard is a shining example for Caribbean Hindus in public life. She boldly and fearlessly identifies with her Hindu Dharma and the challenges and injustices faced by the Hindu community globally.
Gabbard is on record for speaking out against the violent expulsion of Kasmiri Pandits in Kasmir and the continuing genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh.
Gabbard is not a political rain fly but has a record as a Congresswoman for the 2nd District of Hawaii between 2013 to 2021. She is also an Army Reserve Officer and has a distinguished record of service in Iran.
A practicing Hindu, Gabbard gets her values from the Bhagavad Gita. She is a vegetarian and practices yoga and when Modi was campaigning for International Yoga Day supported him fully. She also participated in the campaign by American Hindus for a Divali stamp.
She is now President Trump’s choice for Director of National Intelligence with more than sixteen security apparatus under her portfolio including the FBI and CIA.
Tulsi Gabbard is definitely saying to us that serving Hindu dharma is not simply chanting the Maha mantra and eating bhojan but more so speaking out against injustices.
The Bhagavad Gita was delivered by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in a battlefield. It is a message of commitment to duty or dharma, the principle by which the world is governed. Dharma must be upheld at all cost, and to ignore one duty is a sin.
Tulsi Gabbard is a politician who uses her office to speak out against wrongs. The current genocide against Hindus in Bangladesh was condemned by Tulsi Gabbard because she understands her role as a Hindu in the arena of politics. She knows that when she demits office her success will not be measured in the value of her house and its location, the social class she fraternizes with and the exotic destinations she traveled to for holidays.
Unfortunately I did not hear any Hindu politician or leader in the Caribbean diaspora condemned the violent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Sadly, our politicians don’t even speak out against the dry taps in Barrackpore and Felicity, the home invasions and the consequential thefts, rapes and murders that families suffer daily. And why should they when the government of the day can be vindictive? No wonder the tactic is silence and feigned cooperation to win contracts and other ceremonial appointments.
Tulsi Gabbard is a symbol of the new breed of Hindus. Leadership today is no longer based on lineage like the feudal past which many are afraid to let go. It is time to move the curtains and open the windows and doors to liberal values and abandon the pretentions that have borne us little fruits.
Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment as head of DNI is going to definitely impact positively on the psyche of our Hindu mothers and sisters who have been relegated to preparing halwa and damodole choka. Thanks to Tulsi, the Hindu girls will now have a more challenging vision to aspire toward.
