US Congressman Brandon Gill has stirred controversy after branding a Patidar community volleyball match in the United States as “casteist.” His remarks, shared on X (formerly Twitter), sparked widespread criticism from Indian-Americans, who accused him of promoting anti-India and anti-Hindu sentiments.
Gill, a Republican Congressman from Texas and a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, responded to a viral post about the Patidar volleyball tournament in Dallas. He argued that America has no place for “foreign class allegiances” and warned that unchecked immigration without assimilation could lead to “cultural suicide.”
“America is the ‘land of opportunity’ precisely because we DON’T have a caste system. We cannot sustain America’s prosperity and liberty by importing foreign class allegiances. Immigration without assimilation is national and cultural suicide,” Gill wrote on X.
His comments were directed at Dylan Patel, an Indian-American entrepreneur, who had proudly posted about the tournament attended by 8,000 members of the Leuva Patidar Samaj in Dallas. Patel described the event as a celebration of shared heritage among Gujaratis in the U.S., with many attendees being small business owners in rural America.
Gill’s remarks ignited backlash from Indian-Americans who accused him of misinterpreting the term “caste.” Many pointed out that the Patidar community is a social and cultural group, not a caste in the traditional sense.
Lavanya Vemsani, an academic researcher, schooled Gill on the history of caste in India. “Surprised you said this. Using the term ‘caste’ to refer to a community event is misleading and weaponizes anti-India rhetoric. The colonial concept of caste has long Read More….
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