After UK polls, diaspora to be key factor in US too

Ruchi Ghanashyam

Former High Commissioner to UK 

The emergence of Senator Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for Vice-President in the forthcoming US elections has generated keen interest in India. The first person of Indian origin to have reached this far, she is the perfect foil for Joe Biden, the white, Anglo-Saxon, male Democratic presidential candidate.

Both Biden and Kamala Harris have spoken of their commitment to building closer relations with India. The Biden and Harris messages on Independence Day signified an outreach to India and the Indian diaspora by setting out an extensive agenda for bilateral relations.

The Indian diaspora has traditionally tended to be supportive of the Democrats. Over the years, as Indians prospered and moved up the economic and social ladder, they also responded to the conservative values of the Republicans. A strong right-of-centre government in India and the visibly warm relationship between PM Modi and President Trump consolidated this attraction. The Democratic Party appears to be fighting to retrieve its base; Kamala Harris can help consolidate the Democratic support within the African-Americans as also stem the outward flow of the Indian-origin votes.

The Indian diaspora’s impact came to the fore in last year’s elections in the United Kingdom. The political dynamics in the UK are somewhat similar to that prevailing in the US. Indian-origin people have traditionally been staunch supporters of the UK’s Labour Party. With its pro-immigration policies and commitment to economic and social well-being of the working people, the Labour Party was a clear favourite for the first-generation Indian immigrants to the UK. This has been changing in recent years. David Cameron is warmly remembered by members of the Indian community in London for his participation at the large diaspora event at Wembley Stadium with PM Modi. During his visits to India, he covered Amritsar and Ahmedabad. A number of Conservative Party MPs have close links with members of the Indian diaspora. The diaspora vote is crucial to a number of MPs whose constituencies have either a significantly large Indian-origin vote or a crucial swing vote.

The diaspora’s movement towards the Conservatives quickened last year due to several developments in the UK. Under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party appeared to have developed strong links with sections of the Pakistani diaspora in the UK. While this in itself was not a consideration for the Indian diaspora, the community was shaken by a vicious attack on India House in London on Independence Day, (August 15, 2019), when a mob of over 5,000 people of Pakistani origin surrounded the Indian High Commission.

A group of around 300 Indians had gathered outside India House after the flag hoisting to celebrate the occasion. Among them were several elderly people, women and even young children. The mob threw frozen water bottles, eggs, tomatoes and even stones and metal rods at India House. The innocent group was squeezed between two groups of violent protesters and was at the receiving end of these projectiles.

With the doors of the India House blocked by this mob, it took several hours of reaching out to the UK authorities by the High Commission, before the riot police could open a small passage for the Indians to be brought into India House. As High Commissioner, I made frantic efforts to secure their safety.

The attack on India House caused deep anguish within the diaspora as some Labour Party MPs were in the forefront of this ‘protest’. This was not the only attack on India House. Another attack followed in early September, following which the Labour Party passed a motivated and partisan resolution against India at its party conference, leading to cancellation of a dinner planned for Labour Friends of India by the High Commission at the party conference after invitations had been sent out and several senior Labour leaders had agreed to speak. This was a bold and unprecedented expression of our unhappiness.

These events prompted a decided shift of the diaspora’s support towards the Conservatives. Groups of British Indians made focused efforts to support Conservative candidates in the UK’s elections. PM Boris Johnson’s well-known affinity towards India and the presence of strong Indian-origin leaders in the Conservative Party, committed to UK-India ties, was reassuring to the Indian diaspora. Currently, PM Johnson’s cabinet has four senior ministers of Indian origin, including Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary.

Under a new leadership, the Labour Party appears to be making efforts to redress the situation. The new Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has adopted a more balanced approach to issues relating to India and Pakistan. His shadow cabinet has four Indian-origin members, including shadow Foreign Secretary, Lisa Nandy.

The political scene in the US has not witnessed such dramatic developments. Under President Trump, India-US relations have strengthened. He enjoys warm relations with PM Modi. A large segment of the Indian diaspora is supportive of the Republicans for these and other reasons. It is unclear whether the nomination of Kamala Harris alone can help the Democrats win over the Indian diaspora. Her nomination, however, does bring into focus the significance of the diaspora factor in US politics. There may not be four Indian-origin ministers in the future US cabinet, but the impact of the Indian diaspora, felt earlier in the UK, can be seen as an important factor in current US politics. Kamala Harris is not just a powerful symbol of hope for people of colour in America, she has also brought the diaspora factor to the frontline of US politics.