Overview

In the United States, the Hindu American community—roughly two-thirds of the 5 million Indian American population—faces a contentious battle over caste, an obsolete social hierarchy that has been left behind by reformist and progressive Hindu People in India and in all places, including the USA, where they live and work, barring negligible sporadic incidents.

To label all White Americans as White Supremacists and to label all Germans as Nazis at present is wrong, specifically after serial measures towards liberty and fraternity. Similarly, labelling Hindus as casteist is malicious, specifically after serial reforms and affirmative actions by Hindu Society.

Leftists have been “weaponising” caste narratives to vilify Hindus just as they vilify American and German Conservative Nationalists by calling them racist and Nazi. California’s Left-leaning Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom’s vetoes of Senate Bill 403 (SB 403) in 2023 and Senate Bill 509 (SB 509) in 2025 are political moves to court Hindu American voters and to mobilise funds from Hindu American Donors. The resultant vetoes create a “double whammy effect”: amplifying caste debates for ideological leverage and then luring Hindu Americans for electoral gains.

This article explores the anti-Hindu bias of the leftists, the political underpinnings of vetoes and their impact on diaspora dynamics. For more, check-https://myind.net/Home/viewArticle/weaponising-caste-the-divisive-campaign-against-hindu-americans-across-the-us

Understanding Caste and Its “Weaponisation”

Caste is a traditional social system tied to occupation and ritual status. Though caste based negative discrimination has been outlawed in India’s constitution, leftists and other anti-Hindu forces (including in the U.S.) keep on harping on this with malicious intentions. “Weaponisation” here implies the strategic use of caste issues by political actors—not to address genuine inequities, if any remaining, but to divide communities or score political points. Hindu advocacy groups, like the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), expose leftist organisations for framing caste as a weapon, fostering “Hinduphobia” (anti-Hindu bias) and profiling and stigmatising the community.

The U.S. Caste Debate: Leftist Push vs. Hindu Pushback

The drive to tackle so-called “caste discrimination” in the U.S. has gained momentum in recent years. Seattle became the first city to ban non-existent “caste-based discrimination” at the behest of leftist propagandists in 2023, followed by Fresno. A high-profile 2020 Cisco lawsuit was ultimately dismissed without any evidence supporting the fabricated allegations. Leftist groups like Equality Labs and Hindus for Human Rights have so far failed in their malicious efforts. They allied with terrorist coalitions and some Democratic lawmakers to push legislation like California’s SB 403. HAF and CoHNA explained that these bans are unnecessary, as existing laws covering ancestry and religion already address caste discrimination, if any sporadic incidents occur. They argued that focusing on caste unfairly singles out Hindus, overlooking its presence across South Asian faiths (e.g., among Muslims or Christians) and its existence as socio-occupational groups elsewhere. HAF highlighted the methodological flaws in Equality Labs’ survey data.

Newsom’s Vetoes: Political Calculus

Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat with larger ambitions, vetoed these bills opposed by Hindu groups, fuelling suspicions of vote-catching tactics to appease Hindu American donors and voters — a key demographic in California’s swing districts / purple suburbs.

SB 403: The Caste Ban Veto (2023)

Introduced by Senator Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward, the first Afghan American Muslim state senator), SB 403 aimed to explicitly add “caste” to California’s anti-discrimination laws (covering employment, housing, and education) under the umbrella of “ancestry.” Passed 31-5 after intense advocacy, including a month-long hunger strike by Equality Labs’ Thenmozhi Soundararajan, the bill faced fierce opposition. HAF and CoHNA organised protests, explaining that it stereotyped Hindus and duplicated existing protections. A lawsuit by two Hindu professors against California State University’s caste policy also underscored the community’s resistance.

On October 7, 2023, Governor Newsom vetoed SB 403, calling it “unnecessary” since courts “liberally construe” ancestry and religion protections to cover caste, though he endorsed non-existent “casteism” to the detriment of the Hindu American Community and its adverse consequences, but prioritised avoiding redundancy. Behind the scenes, Indian American Democratic donors who raised millions for Biden-Harris campaigns lobbied Newsom, warning the bill could alienate Hindu voters and strain U.S.-India ties (vital amid tensions with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-occupied China). Republican senators, like Brian Jones, also cited business risks.

A Washington Post analysis (November 2023) highlighted a 27-member Hindu/Jain/Buddhist/Sikh congressional caucus formed to block federal caste laws, signalling bipartisan pressure. The veto was portrayed as a win for Hindu groups, with HAF calling it a “victory for civil rights” against divisive rhetoric, but even amid the elation, the community realises that this is a kind of double whammy politics. Stereotype the community first and then lure by retraction of the onslaught after adequate damage and profiling, the aggressor turning into a saviour. Community is not gullible, though exchange of pleasantry is done as usual courtesy.

SB 509: The Transnational Repression Veto (2025)

In 2025, SB 509, introduced by leftist Democrat Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced), mandated training for law enforcement through the Office of Emergency Services (OES) and Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission to identify “transnational repression” — foreign governments targeting dissidents abroad, often via proxies. Building on 2024’s failed Assembly Bill 3027 (by Sikh Assembly member Jasmeet Bains), it referenced cases like the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Pakistan-backed Khalistani terrorist in Canada.

Hindu groups, led by CoHNA, opposed SB 509, saying its vague “proxies” language could unfairly target Indian Americans amid rising anti-Hindu hate (up for four consecutive years, per FBI data). They feared it would chill diaspora advocacy and harm U.S.-India relations, especially given strategic ties countering CCP-occupied China. Pro-Khalistani groups supported the bill, seeking protection from alleged Indian harassment. On October 13, 2025, Newsom vetoed SB 509, citing fiscal concerns and overlap with federal efforts. CoHNA celebrated it as preventing a “target on immigrant communities”, the community taking note of this double whammy pattern of politics.

The “Double Whammy” Effect

Both vetoes reflect political triangulation. Governor Newsom balanced leftist priorities (e.g., signing gun safety laws alongside the SB 403 veto) with appeasement of Hindu donors, who wield significant influence in California (800,000 Indian Americans) and nationally. Former Federal Election Commission chair Ann Ravel linked the SB 403 veto with vote flow and fund flow from Hindu American voters and donors, a pattern echoed in SB 509. By rejecting bills that Hindu groups viewed as anti-Hindu, Governor Newsom not only neutralised community backlash but also lured votes and funds from the Hindu American Community while allowing leftists to claim visibility for their causes without new laws. This “double whammy” amplifies divisions for political gain while securing Hindu votes for Newsom’s 2028 ambitions.

Veto Comparison

SB 403 (2023) and SB 509 (2025)

Focus

SB 403 - Add “caste” to anti-discrimination laws under “ancestry.”

SB 509 - Train police to spot transnational repression by foreign agents/proxies.

Supporters

SB 403 - Equality Labs, leftist coalitions.

SB 509 - Khalistani terrorism proxies.

Opponents

SB 403 - HAF, CoHNA (Focus on stigmatising of Hindus).

SB 509 - Hindu/Indian groups (targets diaspora as “proxies”).

Newsom’s Political Takes

SB 403 - Unnecessary; covered by existing laws.

SB 509 - Fiscal concerns; duplicates federal efforts.

Leftist Political Gains and Hindu Losses - Double Whammy Pattern

Appeases and lures Hindu American donors/voters.

Balances leftist rhetoric by endorsing their divisive politics indirectly

Impact and Ongoing Tensions (as of October 2025)

Governor Newsom’s vetoes have not quelled the leftist propaganda around the caste debate; they’ve intensified it. Hindu Americans, bolstered by HAF’s lawsuits (e.g., against California’s Civil Rights Department in 2023) and a growing congressional caucus, see the vetoes as victories against “Hinduphobic” overreach, but they also see that there is the double whammy inflicted upon the community by such “double” actions.

Yet, anti-caste advocates continue pushing, with Seattle and Fresno bans intact and federal efforts (e.g., Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s resolutions) gaining traction despite opposition.

A 2023 Washington Post piece notes Indian Americans are split: many support equity but reject laws perceived as stigmatising. The debate risks alienating Democrats’ Hindu base, especially as anti-Hindu hate rises. Meanwhile, leftist groups are exploiting caste to fragment the diaspora, with no resolution in sight.

Conclusion - Community at a Crossroads

The caste propaganda-based double whammy politics in the U.S. reveal leftist political opportunism.

Governor Newsom’s vetoes underscore how diaspora issues are leveraged for votes, not solutions.

For Hindu Americans in California and elsewhere, the fight is about survival, unity and dignity in a divisive Leftist polarised landscape.