Former Vice President Kamala Harris / X Via @KamalaHarris

As a community leader, former advisor to President Biden on the White House AANHPI Commission, and a dedicated fundraiser who helped galvanize millions for Democratic causes, I’ve spent years championing the voices of Indian Americans and South Asians in the fight for a more inclusive America.

This past weekend, I had the profound joy of reuniting with former Vice President Kamala Harris at her electrifying book tour event for 107 Days: The Fight for America’s Soul. It was our first meeting since the heartbreaking 2024 election loss—a campaign I poured my heart into as Deputy National Finance Chair for the DNC, raising millions, knocking on hundreds of doors, and mobilizing South Asian voters like never before.

As we embraced amid the crowd’s energy, our brief but passionate conversation cut straight to the soul of our shared mission. We spoke urgently about the skyrocketing costs crushing families, rising healthcare costs, decline in USA India relationships ,the economic strain hitting our communities hardest, the alarming rise in hate against South Asians and other immigrants, mass deportations tearing families apart, punishing tariffs eroding global ties, and the dangerous drift from our vital alliances.

I looked her in the eye and asked: “Are you ready for the even greater battles ahead, with nearly three years to prepare for 2028?” Her response was pure fire, a spark that reignited my resolve: “We have to keep fighting.”

Those words weren’t just for me—they’re a clarion call for every Indian American, every South Asian family, and every voice in our diaspora who believes in an America where opportunity knows no borders, and justice isn’t rationed by zip code or skin color.We have to keep  beacon of unyielding strength, hope, and determination to forge a more inclusive nation. The road to 2028 starts now. Let’s lock arms, stay fierce, and reclaim the soul of our country together.

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Reflecting on that moment takes me back to the raw aftermath of November 2024. As one of the top fundraisers for Kamala’s campaign—helping secure over $1 billion in a whirlwind 107 days—I wrote an op-ed grappling with what went wrong. We built a coalition of dreamers and doers, from Silicon Valley tech leaders to temple-goers in suburban New Jersey,to small businesses in Wisconsin’s, Michigan, Pennsylvania,all united by a vision of pragmatic progress.

Yet, despite our momentum, campaign lost touch with working-class voters—from Hispanic families in Texas to African American communities in Michigan—who craved real talk on rising costs, inflation, border security, and street safety.They wanted transactional results .  South Asians, our own powerhouse base, felt sidelined too: concerns about H-1B visas, student pathways, and the U.S.-India partnership were drowned out by louder cultural debates.

Trump’s promises of economic nationalism and “America First” pulled away too many, including a record share of Indian American votes—up to 30% in some polls. It stung, but it was a wake-up call: Big money and star power can’t replace bread-and-butter empathy.

Much has changed in the ten months since. Trump’s second term has reshaped America—and not for the better, especially for us in the Indian American community. What was once a budding strategic alliance with India has soured into a transactional quagmire, marked by distrust and diplomatic snubs.

Tensions spiked after India’s refusal to credit Trump for mediating a brief India-Pakistan skirmish in early 2025, leading to public barbs and a pivot toward Europe as New Delhi’s “backup plan.” Our diaspora, once a bridge between nations, now watches helplessly as bilateral ties fray—exacerbated by Trump’s “America First” isolationism that weakens the very counterbalance to China we all need.

At the epicenter of this strain are Trump’s punishing 50% tariffs on Indian exports, imposed in August 2025 as retaliation for India’s purchases of discounted Russian oil and weapons. Affecting $50 billion in goods—from pharmaceuticals to textiles—these levies aren’t just numbers; they’re job killers for Indian American entrepreneurs reliant on cross-border supply chains and a gut punch to families back home.

U.S. lawmakers are pleading for relief, warning these tariffs could push India closer to China and Russia, but the damage is done: inflation here at home surges, and our community’s remittances—vital lifelines to aging parents in Punjab or Kerala—stretch thinner.

The pain hits even closer through visa policies that feel like a deliberate squeeze on our dreams. Trump’s September 2025 executive order mandates a staggering $100,000 fee for every new H-1B petition—a barrier now enforced on applications filed after mid-September.

What was a gateway for brilliant engineers from IITs and NITs to innovate in Silicon Valley is now a paywall, pricing out startups and straining Big Tech giants who sponsor our talent. Lawsuits are challenging this as unconstitutional overreach, but the chaos is immediate: families divided, careers stalled, and a brain drain risk that could hollow out America’s edge.

For our students, the story is equally grim. International student visas, especially F-1s for Indians, plummeted 45% in 2025 compared to last year, thanks to new rules capping stays at four years, banning mid-program transfers or major changes, and adding vetting hurdles. August arrivals dropped nearly 20% overall—the steepest since the pandemic—locking out thousands of young scholars from Hyderabad or Delhi who once flocked to U.S. campuses. This isn’t policy; it’s a barrier to the American Dream we all chased.

And amid this policy vise, a darker shadow looms: the silence from Indian Americans who backed Trump in 2024. We saw record turnout for him—fueled by economic anxieties and cultural nods—but now, as tariffs bite and visas choke, where is the outcry?

Congressman Ro Khanna didn’t mince words: “I am waiting for all those Indian Americans who voted for Trump over Harris… You know who you are.” Shashi Tharoor echoed the shock: “Why are India-Americans so silent?” Regrets are surfacing—donors who funneled cash to MAGA now whisper of buyer’s remorse as H-1B fees hit their portfolios. This isn’t schadenfreude; it’s a plea: Our community thrives on unity, not division. If we traded our voice for fleeting acceptance, it’s time to reclaim it—before fascism’s rise normalizes the hate we’re already seeing.

That rise is no abstraction. Hate crimes against Indian Americans have surged in 2025, from temple vandalisms in California to street assaults in New York. Social media is a cesspool: anti-Indian slurs on X spiked 75% post-inauguration, laced with “go back to your country” venom tied to visa crackdowns. FBI data shows anti-Hindu incidents up, mirroring broader anti-Asian xenophobia that paints us as perpetual outsiders. This isn’t isolated—it’s the fruit of divisive rhetoric that vilifies immigrants while our kids dodge slurs at school and our elders fear the corner store.

A Call to Indian Americans

To my Indian American community: This is our moment to stand tall. The 50% tariffs gutting our businesses, the $100,000 H-1B fees locking out our engineers, and the student visa caps crushing our youth’s dreams aren’t just policies—they’re attacks on our place in America.

The U.S.-India relationship, once a pillar of our pride, is crumbling under Trump’s isolationism, threatening our role as global bridge-builders. And the hate crimes—graffiti on our temples, slurs in our streets—demand we raise our voices louder than ever. We are doctors, tech innovators, small business owners, and students who fuel America’s engine. Let’s channel Kamala’s fire: Organize, vote, and fight for an America that honors our contributions and protects our future. Our silence is not an option—our strength is.

Kamala’s words at the book event cut through the uncertainty like a beacon of hope: Fight. For an immigration system that welcomes talent and keeps families together. For alliances that strengthen our global standing. For an economy where small businesses, from corner stores to tech startups, can thrive without crippling tariffs, and where working families see costs for groceries, housing, and gas come down.

For healthcare that reaches every American, ensuring no one chooses between medicine and rent. For communities free from the shadow of hate crimes—where synagogues, mosques, temples, and churches stand unmarred, and every person walks the streets without fear. For justice that tackles rising crime while healing divides.

We’ve rebuilt before—from the Great Depression to the digital age—and we’ll do it again, united for all Americans.