Kshama Sawant Denied Indian Visa Amid Political Controversy
US Activist Who Championed Anti-Caste Law Blocked from Visiting Ailing Mother;
Kshama Sawant, an Indian-American politician and former Seattle City Council member, has alleged that the Indian government has denied her visa applications, preventing her from visiting her ailing 82-year-old mother in Bengaluru. Sawant, known for her advocacy against caste discrimination and criticism of the Indian government's policies, has been denied a visa three times since May 2024, with no official explanation provided.
In February 2023, under Sawant's leadership, Seattle became the first U.S. city to ban caste-based discrimination, a move that garnered international attention. She has also been a vocal critic of India's Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), describing them as discriminatory against Muslims and the poor. Sawant's office passed a resolution condemning these laws and expressed solidarity with India's farmers' protests against certain government policies.
Sawant perceives the visa denials as political retaliation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. She has initiated an online petition urging the Indian government to grant her and her husband, Calvin Priest, visas to visit her mother. The petition highlights that her appeal to India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, in June 2024, received no response.
This incident is part of a broader pattern where individuals critical of the Indian government have faced visa denials or revocations. For instance, Swedish Indian-origin professor Ashok Swain and British writer of Indian origin Nitasha Kaul have reported similar experiences, leading to concerns about the Indian government's approach to dissenting voices.
The Indian government has not officially commented on Sawant's visa denials. Supporters of the government's actions argue that such measures are necessary to protect national security and sovereignty. Critics, however, contend that these actions suppress dissent and discourage critical discourse.
