Gurinder Singh Khalsa, although a member of the Republican Party, did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020
Washington:
Outgoing President Donald Trump has left the United States more divided than ever and the country’s reputation under his presidency has been damaged on the international stage, taking years to repair, says an influential Indian-American Sikh leader.
“This is a democracy in action, on both sides. Whether it is a Democrat or a Republican … people are excited and want to talk. The historic turnout of the elections means that people are hungry to change the status quo on both sides.
“We are more polarized and divided than I have ever seen as an American in 25 years. I think people care who will represent them, especially in times like the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gurinder Singh Khalsa, headquartered, told PTI. in Indiana.
Received the prestigious Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award in recognition of her efforts to change the Transportation Security Administration’s policy regarding turbans, Khalsa, 46, although a member of the Republican Party, did not vote for Trump in this election nor in 2016.
“I don’t think he is morally or ethically fit to be president, especially the leader of the free world. I came to the United States for choice, for dignity and respect. For the first time as an American, I have felt challenged in those values,” he said .
Although disappointed with the current situation in the Republican Party, Khalsa said he has no plans to leave the Republican Party.
“I don’t think the problems are within the party. It is those like Trump who have twisted the foundations of what it means to be a Republican,” he said.
On the election of Kamala Harris, of Indian descent, as the country’s vice president, Khalsa said it gives confidence to people of color and the immigrant community.
“Kamala Harris is a powerful achievement for the United States and provides a ray of hope for relations with India. And her victory is only the beginning,” he said.
Khalsa, one of Vice President Mike Pence’s early supporters when he was running for governor of Indiana, said he is deeply disappointed by the four years of the Trump administration. He alleged that Trump’s rhetoric has directly fostered racism and sexism. “And it continues to fuel the narrative of white against black and poor against rich,” he said.
Responding to a question, Mr. Khalsa said that it is time for the American Indian community to actively participate in politics and serve the community in which they live. “You need to give back by serving the community, in whatever capacity you can. One thing to keep in mind that democracy is not a constant, you have to watch over it and respect it or it will escape,” he said.
In 2007, Mr. Khalsa was denied access to board a plane due to his turban. Thereafter, he mobilized more than 67,000 people across the country to petition and brought the matter to the United States Congress, which forced the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) to shift its hat policy toward the Sikh community.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated channel.)
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