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Come August 15, and the tricolour comes fluttering out,
microphones are installed on the ramparts of Red Fort,
and even the streets of New York witness an 'Indian Day
Parade'. There are a thousand other celebrations ranging
from the small to the grand. The Festival of India, held
in Silicon Valley in California, was one such. It had
all the visual trappings of India, from the smell of
kebabs and vadas to Bollywood on the sound system.
Still, it was discomforting to some that gathered there,
celebratory to others, and highly offensive to a few.
Disproportionately represented were organisations that
represent politics of religion and region. The RSS was a
clear winner. While it was not itself present, a good
tenth of the stalls discreetly mentioned their associa-
tion with it, ranging from the obvious Hindu Swayam Sevak
Sangh to the India Development and Relief Fund, (IDRF)
which channels funds. from the Indian community to the
RSS and related "cultural" organisations in India.
Other booths proclaimed Hindu Pride through the modem
medium of T-Shirts, which proclaimed, "Hinduism: not a
religion, but a way of life". Still others did so
through the ancient medium of spiritual yoga, praying for
a Hindu Empire in India. Of the republic being celebrat-
ed, there was never a mention. The India Parade, presid-
ed over by film star Shatrughan Sinha, and attended by
the Consul General of India in San Francisco, included
young boys and girls chanting "Sri Ram", and a prayer
ceremony by the Maharashtra Mand celebrating Shivaji's
expulsion of the Mughal "invaders".
Other communities were not as well represented. Pro-
Khalistani Sikhs paraded behind yellow police lines
calling the "Dilli Government" one of child-killers.
Muslims and Christians were conspicuous by their absence.
Organised by the Federation of Indo-American Associations
of Northern California (FIA), the festival is in its
fourth year. The organisation claims to represent Indi-
ans. Mohinder Khanna, Vice-President of FIA, says,
"Anyone can come ... (the federation) is open to all
religions." The federation does not solicit or bar any
groups. But its claim to represent all Indians may be
questioned: a Hindu temple serves as its headquarters,
the President is closely allied with the BJP and Khanna,
on being asked about minority communities' lack of par-
ticipation, put the onus on them - "other people should
participate ... they should approach us."
The federation may just be a reflection of the expatriate
Indian community. After all, as many said, the RSS does
"do a lot of good". A celebration of India should indeed
include all its elements, and the question arises, is the
presence of these organisations a matter of concern or a
testament to our culture and diversity? Even C. R.
Balachandra, Consul General of India in San Francisco,
when asked about his involvement said that the "parade
was open for participation to all the friendly Indian
American community ... without any distinction", and that
he was "impressed". He did refer to the Khalistanis,
though, as "misguided".
Others were more candid, Drew Singh, who works in the
Silicon Valley, felt disturbed by the FIAs Hindu bias.
Even some participants expressed concern. Safeena Hu-
sain. who comes from a Hindu-Muslim family and is a
volunteer with International Development Exchange (IDEX),
an organisation which funds projects in India, said, "I
felt deeply offended by the participation of these organ-
isations. These organisations have an extremist politi-
cal agenda, one which our overseas community does not
realise, as it does not see its consequences first-hand."
Silicon Valley is the centre of high technology, and most
of the Indian community here is employed in the technolo-
gy industry. The community is affluent. It does not fit
the usual profile of a hotbed of extremist politics. Yet
the definitions of "national identity" do not extend far
beyond kebabs, Punjabi suits, and Bollywood. Every
region and religion has its very own organisation, and
most Indians are not shocked by the presence of saffron
flags at an Indian Parade. They view these organisations
as representing their community, whether it is Punjab,
Rajasthan or Vishwa Hindu. This precludes the thought of
their community being India.
The presence of these organisations and support for them
among the Community is viewed with pride by many. they
are, for most, an expression of their tradition and
culture. Yet even though India's religions and regions
are the source of its culture, Hindu organisations, Sikh
protesters and saffron and black flags do not make for a
celebration of India, but a wake.
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