Roving Periscope: Amid India-Canada row, US lawmaker floats a new Caucus
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid the raging controversy between India and Canada over the latter harboring extremist and criminal fugitives, US Congressman Shri Thanedar has launched a caucus to protect the interests of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains in America and give them a voice, the media reported.
The launch came on a day a Sikh priest, Granthi Giani Jaswinder Singh from Pine Hill Gurdwara in New Jersey, made history by offering prayers to start the proceedings of the US House of Representatives.
Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar said the Caucus aims to address cultural misunderstandings and promote interfaith dialogue and harmony. It supports initiatives to promote Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain Americans’ well-being, education, and empowerment.
The newly formed Caucus has bipartisan support from more than 27 lawmakers, including both Republicans and Democrats.
Addressing the event in Washington DC, Thanedar said, “I am profoundly honored to stand before you at this pivotal juncture. We are not merely congregating to initiate another caucus, we are assembling to pioneer a movement, one that strives for understanding, inclusion, and affirmative policy actions. A movement that says every faith, every culture, and every community has a place in America, the land of free and the home of the brave.”
“My name is Shri Thanedar and I am a proof of America’s diversity in the US Congress,” he added.
The US Congressman said the launch of the Caucus is a commitment to stand against religious discrimination and cultivate a nation where diversity is not just “tolerated, but celebrated.”
“I am an immigrant of this country, born in Belgaum, Karnataka, India. My parents worked hard to provide for my siblings and me. Such an honor for me to serve my constituents Detroit and Michigan’s 13th Congressional district in the US Congress,” Thanedar said.
“Today is significant for many reasons. To many of you, the launch of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain American Congressional Caucus may seem like a formal procedure, but let me assure you, it is so much more. It is a statement of commitment, a commitment to stand against religious discrimination, to propel the wheels of inclusion, and to cultivate a nation where diversity is not just tolerated, but celebrated.”
His aim is to fight for religious freedom and make sure that everybody feels safe to practice his or her religion.
“Some of the cultures are sometimes misinterpreted, and misunderstood, and I just want to make sure that everybody feels safe to practice his or her religion. We are fighting for religious freedom. We are just fighting for a person’s right to practice his or her religion,” he said.
