The Hindu American Foundation Monday said they do not work as the spokesperson of any Indian government or any political party, reacting to MP Shashi Tharoor’s allegation that the Indian-American community remained largely silent or absent as the US and India are caught in a quandary over several conflicting issues like tariffs and H-1B visas. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor recently met a delegation of Indian-American politicians in India and claimed that one of them told Tharoor that her office did not get any call from any Indian-American voter asking her to raise the issue with India. The silence of the Indian-origin tech CEOs has also come under scrutiny as they use the H-1B visa programs the most and now that the Donald Trump administration raised the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, these companies will have to pay the fee if they want to hire Indians or skilled people from any other countries.Tharoor’s accusation triggered a debate with many Indian-Americans commenting that their situation is difficult as they are often considered as ‘foreign agents’ in India and ‘deportable’ in the US.“As American citizens of Indian origin we are indeed in a unique position to provide nuance to often one-dimensional narratives about India and Indians. We help elected leaders understand ground realities in India and dispel disinformation, not as mouthpieces for any Indian government or political party, but as Americans who straddle both cultures and are engaged in the democratic processes of our own country. And we do,” the Hindu American Foundation said. Earlier, HAF director Suhag A Shukla reacted to Tharoo’s allegation and said the Indian government should not expect the diaspora to become their lobbyist. “The Govt of India does not ask our approval for its oil policy or import duties, and so @shashitharoor and the GOI shouldn’t be expecting us to champion their sovereign policy decisions with the U.S. government. They can hire lobbyists for that,” she said.
