Indian-American politician Kshama Sawant, an outspoken critic of the Narendra Modi-led government and its policies, hit the headlines on Friday after she and members of her outfit protested at the Indian consulate in Seattle on being denied an emergency visa to visit her ailing mother in Bengaluru. The incident soon blew out of proportion as the Indian consulate tweeted about “unauthorised entry by certain individuals” while Sawant, in multiple posts, accused the officials of physical assault.
At the heart of the row lies the denial of an emergency visa to Sawant, a former Seattle City Council member. However, her husband was issued a visa. She claimed that it was the third time that a visa was denied to her to visit her 82-year- old mother as her name was on a “reject list”.
In a lengthy post on X, the activist, known to be involved in anti-India lobbying activities, blamed PM Modi and the BJP government over the issue. In the past, she had publicly spoken out against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the farmers’ protests.
WHO IS KSHAMA SAWANT?
Born in Pune, Kshama Sawant completed her bachelor’s from the University of Mumbai in 1994. She then moved to the United States and pursued a doctorate in economics from North Carolina State University, graduating in 2003.
For three years, she worked as a lecturer and professor of economics before dabbling in politics. In 2006, she joined a US-based political party called Socialist Alternative. Even though her bid to enter the Washington House of Representatives in 2012 failed, she was elected to the Seattle City Council the next year.
She became famous after helping push through legislation that made it mandatory to grant a minimum wage of $15 an hour in Seattle.
However, it is her criticisms of the Indian government and Hinduphobic remarks that have rankled a section of Indian Americans and community leaders.
In 2023, Sawant got a resolution passed in the Seattle council outlawing caste discrimination – the first US city to do so. Sawant, however, faced heavy criticism from Hindu Americans, who claimed that the move singles out the Hindu community which is already vulnerable to discrimination in the US.
In 2020, she got a resolution passed in the Seattle City Council denouncing the CAA and NRC for “discriminating against women, Muslims, members of suppressed castes, indigenous and LGBT individuals”.
While the CAA allows certain religious minorities from India’s neighbouring countries to become permanent citizens, the NRC aims to identify illegal immigrants in the country.
Amid the visa denial row, Sawant has started an online petition demanding that India grant her a visa. She has also hinted at legal action.
