A Hindu nationalist from the American right is outlining fresh policy takes, shocking the staid American establishment. With Nikki Haley, Hirsh Vardhan Singh and Vivek Ramaswamy in the race for US President, the Indian-American diaspora has touched new heights. It may just be that the competitive parents of Indian origin children set even loftier goals for their children. Interestingly, all three Indian-origin candidates are from the Republican party, each positioning themselves as the most American, most Republican candidate of their time. Hirsh Vardhan Singh even refers to himself as a "pureblood candidate" for not allowing himself to have been vaccinated.
While Nikki Haley is known as a veteran politician by this time, an anti-establishment voice that has broken through has been that of Vivek Ramaswamy. An author and entrepreneur with the right Ivy League credentials, his policy ideals often read like that of amateur Indian Twitterati. Much like the Indian commentariat, his talks are replete with references to the American Deep State, to dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, of China as enemy Number One, and of being proudly Hindu. The similarity may well be because the average English-educated Indian is much better versed with, and interested in global affairs, but his views have caused consternation even in his own party. While he has taken on Ron DeSantis from the right, he has refused, at any time, to criticize Donald Trump. A strategic move that allows him to vie for the Vice Presidency under an unlikely Trump Presidency, it also comes across as more sincere due to its consistency.
Vivek Ramaswamy has so far provided a unique outlook, one that has offered proactive solutions to major American and global crises. A rare policy-oriented voice in today's American politics, which has been heavily rhetorical, he is well-versed with the US Constitution and uses it to good effect. His belief in American exceptionalism as what allows him to compete for the top spot in his nation despite being born to immigrant parents seems to have helped, not hindered his progress so far. According to polls, he has climbed from 4% polling average in July to 10% only a couple months later. A significant shift, his rise has caused discomfort in Republican ranks with undisguised racist attacks from pastors and authors alike, that has arguably only brought more notice to his campaign. Ramaswamy being openly Hindu has not stopped him from citing Christian scripture very comfortably to make his point on digital media with very wide reach, thus catering to a slice of the Republican audience.
Vivek Ramaswamy has been relentlessly articulating his views confidently on mainstream as well as new age media. He is only the second person in the race for American Presidency to advocate for non-interventionist foreign policy aside from Tulsi Gabbard, coincidentally another Hindu candidate, but from the Left (formerly Democrat). His geopolitics offers an unapologetic withdrawal from Ukraine, mending fences with Russia and redrawing global borders to arrive at peace in order to break apart the ever-closer Russia-China embrace, and preventing Taiwan from Chinese attacks. All of this is underlined by a fiercely nationalist strategy stance that benefits the American people foremost, without reneging on the current American God-complex
that allows its hegemony. For example, while Ramaswamy has sworn to protect Taiwan militarily, it is only to be until the time that the US achieves semi-conductor independence. He hopes that after that, the Chinese lose motive to attack Taiwan.
His clear-eyed approach is, understandably, met with a large amount of scepticism, citing impossible idealism and lack of experience. Considering that Chinese belligerence is revanchist in nature, their interest in Taiwan is unlikely to recede once it loses its status as the foremost manufacturer of semiconductors. From an American nationalist perspective, though, the utility of military support to a faraway Asian country can cease at that point. This flies face-first against a "values first" geopolitical approach that has been selectively employed, but nonetheless binds American strategists across the board. It is similar to his stance on Ukraine, calling Ukranian President Zelensky a fraud, and a call for an end to the ongoing war even at the cost of accommodating Russia. A red line in an establishment too used to a single big, bad Bond villain in the guise of Russia, the call is nonetheless justified from a citizen point of view that has seen billions in taxpayer money disappearing into corrupt coffers of Ukrainian bureaucrats. Bolstered by reductive reasoning with mass appeal, like calls to "Support the Little Guy" and flags on bios, rhetoric around the subject has overpowered views like Ramaswamy's in recent times, but his appeals are resonating with at least some Republicans. He has been unabashed about calling Israel a staunch friend, and cites his appreciation for democracies like Israel and India despite their flaws since there are ideals such nations aspire to, much like the USA.
From a domestic standpoint, his policy statements involve restructuring of the FBI so that redundant departments can be lopped off to work for the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) or the US Marshals. At the same time, he has come down heavily on the American education system that has cultivated culture wars and cancel culture. He advocates abolition of the Department of Education, a wild idea that also finds appeal in a population that has moved to homeschooling at scale, especially post-pandemic. Further appealing to his right wing base, he has promised to pardon former President Donald Trump on all charges he is currently being held on, on technical grounds.
His statements and internet popularity have garnered enough traction for him to be deliberately misquoted by far-left media such as the CNN, the Atlantic and for the New York Times to write an article calling him annoying. While his chances of winning the 2024 presidency are seen as very low, his surging popularity and calls to move beyond identity politics seem to be finding ground. His calls for a revival of American exceptionalism and national pride, without the associated tags of white supremacy, have marked him as the wildcard candidate on the right, much like Robert Kennedy is seen as on the left of American politics. A self-made millionaire, his political gambit may be a personal dare, but has broken ground in mainstreaming conversations that were formerly restricted to Redditt threads, while embodying all the ideals of faith and family his party claims to stand for. Anti-establishment personalities have little chance of breaking through on any side in American politics, but fortune favours the brave, or so Ramaswamy seems to believe, especially with Trump having shown the way in 2016. Therein lies the rub, then - does blaspheming coalesce a growingly nervous population to repeat its choices, or does it win elections? The American people will decide soon, while the internet keeps its eye on the dark horse.
(Sagorika Sinha is a columnist and podcaster with experience in foreign policy analysis and international relations. She also writes about domestic policy when not working on her fledgling YouTube channel)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.