The Appalling Denial of Visa to Kshama Sawant, Indian Origin US Politician 

What happens when a young politician of the United States of America (USA) with established Indian origins applies for a Visa to come to her home country in order to visit her ailing mother? Everyone would expect that the visa would be granted to her without much ado. But that is not what happened in the case of Kshama Sawant, former Seattle City councillor, when she sought permission to come to India to meet her ailing mother. The Indian government repeatedly denied the visa to Sawant and this case is now attracting international media attention. Sawant needs to urgently visit her ailing mother in Bengaluru.

Indeed, Kshama Sawant’s political credentials as a former Seattle City Councillor, is emphatically marked by her advocacy in relation to human rights and social justice, and these attributes are now being highlighted in the international media coverage about the appalling visa denial. The Indian-born Sawant has been under attack from supporters of the right-wing Hindu nationalist forces in the US as well as India. Needless to say, these right wing forces are led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) led Sangh Parivar, of which the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi too is a devoted member. These attacks had become increasingly aggressive since 2023 when she initiated an ordinance that criminalised caste based discrimination in Seattle.

The historic law moved by Sawant was the first to be passed outside India to outlaw caste based oppression, which has been prevalent within orthodox Hindu society for centuries. Incidentally, she hails from India’s Maharashtra state, where anti-caste movements have been very strong. Sawant had previously opposed anti Muslim and anti farmer laws brought by the Modi led BJP government in India.

In this interview with Gurpreet Singh, independent journalist based in Vancouver, Sawant expressed her apprehension that the Modi government is being vindictive and does not want her to see her mother. The audio interview was originally published in Canada’s Spice Radio 1200 AM.

Given below are selected, edited excerpts from the conversation:

Q: Can you please give us a brief background on your situation with the Indian consulate in US.

A: My husband and I applied for an e-visa in May of last year that is 2024 and my e-visa application was rejected and it didn’t say why it was rejected. Then I applied again in a couple of weeks in June (the very next month). Then too I faced the same situation and the application status was that of rejected. And there was no explanation given whatsoever.

NOW: Kshama Sawant and members of Workers Strike Back are engaging in a peaceful sit-in at the Consulate of India in Seattle, demanding answers for why @cmkshama’s visa has been denied a third time, and why she has been told that the Modi government has placed her on a “reject… pic.twitter.com/a7nZk7HUeL

— Workers Strike Back (@wrkrsstrikeback) February 7, 2025

It is extremely plausible that this is related to political reasons, because I was born and brought up in India and my husband and I have visited India many times. I am a public figure with full accountability to working people. So there is no other reason I can think of why my visa should be rejected. And it is not surprising to us. To be honest, the Modi regime has used visa application rejection or long term visa revoking or revoking overseas citizen of India status against many activists and journalists. We know of Aatish Taseer, Nitasha Kaul, Ashok Swain and so many others who have been affected in the same way. They too have faced retaliation from the Modi government and it’s not surprising that it’s happening against me. Some of your listeners might know that when I was on the city council in Seattle as a socialist and a working class representative, we passed the first ever resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act-National Register of Citizens (CAA-NRC) citizenship laws by the Modi government which were anti Muslim and anti poor.

Three years after that in 2023, we also won a historic legislation banning caste based discrimination city wide in Seattle. This is the first law of its kind outside of South Asia. That news went viral. Among the public opponents of this bill were Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Hindu American Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus of North America. So it was very openly opposed by Modi supporters and Modi aligned organizations. So it is not surprising to me that there is this retaliation.

Q: Tell us about the hate mongering you are getting since then, especially on Twitter (Now, X)

A: There is a torrent of hate on X in response to our messages about how the Modi regime is retaliating. It is extremely disturbing to see the kind of hate and vitriol that is being spewed out by the supporters of Narendra Modi and the BJP. It is a grim reminder for us that the fight against the right wing and against reactionary politics and in India’s case, against Hindu fundamentalism has to be waged by working people coming in solidarity against oppression.

Q: What can you tell us about your mother? How old is she? How’s she doing and when did you see her last time?

A: My husband and I saw her last in June of 2022. Since then her health has dramatically declined. She has lost an enormous amount of weight and she is mostly skin and bone now. She is 82 years old and very frail and her doctor has said that she is not in good enough health to travel. So she is not able to travel to see me somewhere else. The only way I can see her now, would be when I am allowed into India. 

My question is what kind of government carries out such an inhumane agenda? Where somebody who is 82 years old, is a mother, who has worked as a teacher and principal, served her community for over 55 years is now being denied the right to see her daughter. 

Mother of Kshama Sawant talking about her situation

Q: What are your hopes or apprehensions with your visa situation right now?

A: I am extremely apprehensive that I will not be allowed to see my mother at all. And I know that such things are happening to others who have had the courage to speak up against Modi and the BJP, so my appeal to everybody who is listening is that we have to remind ourselves of the old saying from the labour movement that an injury to one is an injury to all.