Former Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant has claimed that the Indian government has denied her a visa, preventing her from visiting her ailing mother in India. In a post on X, Sawant stated, “India’s PM Modi & the BJP government are denying me a visa to see my ill mother. I’m not alone. Modi has retaliated against other activists & journalists, denying or revoking entry into India.” She linked the alleged visa denial to her past criticism of the Indian government, particularly her opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
She further added in her X post, “My socialist Seattle City Council office took an unwavering stand against India’s right-wing, anti-worker, anti-Muslim PM Narendra Modi & his right-wing nationalist BJP party. Modi & the BJP have waged sustained attacks on workers, farmers, Muslims, and other oppressed groups in India, including with the anti-Muslim, anti-poor CAA-NRC law, which denied citizenship to millions. Working people and my office passed the first U.S. resolution condemning CAA-NRC. We faced opposition not only from the U.S. Democratic Party but also from Modi’s Indian consulate in San Francisco itself, which publicly opposed us. We also won a resolution in solidarity with the farmers’ movement in India against Modi’s brutal and exploitative policies. We also won a historic citywide ban on caste-based discrimination, the first of its kind outside South Asia, despite opposition by Seattle Democrats, and right-wing, pro-Modi groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Hindu American Foundation. Donald Trump is now beginning his promised mass deportation campaign, including workplace raids. This continues the steady escalation of attacks on immigrant workers in the U.S., which has been carried out by both Democrats and Republicans. Working people & the Left internationally need to fight against the right wing and the billionaire class, and their brazen tactics of repression and attacks on immigrants, activists & movements, including with strike action and civil disobedience. Fight against Modi, BJP, Trump, Republicans, Democrats & all the capitalist parties.”
However, the CAA, introduced by the Indian government, is aimed at granting citizenship to persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, not revoking citizenship as Sawant suggested.
This denial of a visa comes amid Sawant’s history of controversial political actions. In February 2020, Sawant was behind a Seattle City Council resolution condemning India’s CAA and NRC. The resolution, which passed unanimously, reaffirmed Seattle as a welcoming city, expressing solidarity with the city’s South Asian community, regardless of religion and caste. It opposed the CAA and NRC, calling them discriminatory to Muslims, oppressed castes, women, indigenous, and LGBT people.
The resolution called on the Indian Parliament to repeal the CAA, halt the NRC, and ratify various UN treaties to aid refugees. Ahsan Khan, president of the Indian American Muslim Council, praised the move, stating that Seattle’s decision should serve as a message to those undermining pluralism and religious freedom. Thenmozhi Soundararajan of Equality Labs also expressed support, framing Seattle’s action as part of a global outcry against the CAA.
In February 2023, Sawant sponsored another controversial resolution, making Seattle the first city in the United States to officially recognize “caste” as a protected category under its non-discrimination policy. The ordinance was criticized by Hindu organizations for singling out South Asians, potentially leading to bias against the community.
The resolution was influenced by Equality Labs, an advocacy group that has published reports highlighting caste discrimination in the U.S. However, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace later questioned the methodology of these reports, suggesting that the data was not representative of the broader South Asian population in the U.S.
Sawant’s claim of visa denial has drawn mixed reactions. While her supporters see it as an act of political retaliation for her stance on India’s policies, critics argue that sovereign nations have the right to grant or deny visas at their discretion. Some have also pointed out that individuals such as Ashok Swain who has indulged in peddling fake news against India and those who have been vocal opponents of a government’s policies may face restrictions on travel, as seen in other global contexts.
The Indian government has not officially commented on Sawant’s visa application status or the reasons for any potential denial. However, her case comes amid broader debates over India’s handling of dissent and its relations with the diaspora.
Sawant’s actions, particularly her strong stance against India’s policies, have continued to spark debate on the role of local governments in addressing international issues.
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