![Bobby Jindal's Identity Politics.
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A few days ago, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave a speech before the American Christian organisation known as the American Family Association (AFA). To thunderous applause, he declared, “Our God wins!” But when Jindal uses the word "our”, who is he talking about? Who is the "we” to which he refers?
[Earlier the same AFA group have stated that the Native Americans “deserved” genocide for refusing to convert to Christianity. Apparently, white people had a duty from “God” to kill them. Even the Charlie Hebdo attack is justified by them as saying God's punishment .]
This is not some Muslim imam talking about world domination, nor a Christian televangelist exhorting his followers toward Holy War. These are the words of the most powerful man of Indian descent in American politics, and a man who is very likely to run for President of the United States in 2016. But to really understand Jindal, you need to understand his history.
In his speech, which is available on his website, he stated, “We came to America to be Americans. Not Indian-Americans, simply Americans… if we wanted to be Indians we would have stayed in India.”
He wasn’t always “Bobby”. He was born as Piyush Jindal, the son of Hindu Indian immigrants to America. At an early age, he began to turn away from his Indian identity, adopting the name “Bobby” from a TV character, and later secretly converting to Christianity while a teenager. It is clear that this is a man who was never really “at home” with his identity as either an Indian or a Hindu.
So in conclusion, we believe that Jindal has formally disassociated himself from India, and the long line of his ancestors stretching back to Vedic times and beyond. It is time we all just respected his wishes, and stop referring to him as “Indian”. Frankly, it’s disrespectful to real Indians.
-Bryon Morrigan,Niti Central](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/s480x480/10959706_917351148297863_4818514034580291313_n.jpg?oh=2feedd8f7e9c5f740153b84090c013b3&oe=5595DC56&__gda__=1433075179_b76c39c43d1988fa021603c4b569b62c)
A few days ago, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave a speech before
the American Christian organisation known as the American Family
Association (AFA). To thunderous applause, he declared, “Our God wins!”
But when Jindal uses the word "our”, who is he talking about? Who is the
"we” to which he refers?
[Earlier the same AFA group have stated that the Native Americans “deserved” genocide for refusing to convert to Christianity. Apparently, white people had a duty from “God” to kill them. Even the Charlie Hebdo attack is justified by them as saying God's punishment .]This is not some Muslim imam talking about world domination, nor a Christian televangelist exhorting his followers toward Holy War. These are the words of the most powerful man of Indian descent in American politics, and a man who is very likely to run for President of the United States in 2016. But to really understand Jindal, you need to understand his history.
In his speech, which is available on his website, he stated, “We came to America to be Americans. Not Indian-Americans, simply Americans… if we wanted to be Indians we would have stayed in India.”
He wasn’t always “Bobby”. He was born as Piyush Jindal, the son of Hindu Indian immigrants to America. At an early age, he began to turn away from his Indian identity, adopting the name “Bobby” from a TV character, and later secretly converting to Christianity while a teenager. It is clear that this is a man who was never really “at home” with his identity as either an Indian or a Hindu.
So in conclusion, we believe that Jindal has formally disassociated himself from India, and the long line of his ancestors stretching back to Vedic times and beyond. It is time we all just respected his wishes, and stop referring to him as “Indian”. Frankly, it’s disrespectful to real Indians.
-Bryon Morrigan,Niti Central
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