Tulsi Gabbard, who speaks up for India & Hindus, new US intel tsar

Her views on Hindus and their plight in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan have earned her a lot of recognition among Hindu Americans.

The 43-year-old will take over from Avril Haines and oversee 17 spy agencies after Trump starts his second term in January.

Her lack of experience in the shadowy world of intelligence reflects how Trump is trying to move away from the conventional wisdom of choosing personnel for key jobs — given the sensitive nature of these positions and their classified nature.

“I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community, championing our constitutional rights and securing peace through strength,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, he said, has for more than two decades “fought for the freedom of our country and the freedom of all Americans”.

In the past, she has been vocal in criticising the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Her statements have been viewed as amplifying the Russian position. Her position that she urged the US, Russia and Ukraine to put geopolitics aside and accept Ukraine as a neutral country without being a member of NATO had sparked criticism even from the Republicans.

She also slammed the pro-Palestine protesters in the US and called them “puppets” of a “radical Islamist organisation” — referring to Hamas.

Due to her first name, Gabbard is often mistaken to be of Indian origin. Her mother converted to Hinduism and chose Hindu names for all her children; her siblings are called Bhakti, Jai, Aryan and Vrindavan.

She wears her Hinduism on her sleeve, and is a popular face among Indian-Americans. Hindu-Americans have supported Gabbard since the start of her political career. In 2015, Gabbard married cinematographer Abraham Williams in Hawaii in a Hindu ceremony, amid the chanting of Vedic mantras. Guests included BJP leader Ram Madhav who flew from India with a special message and gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

She posts on Indian festivals including Diwali. In a post on X, Trump had also extended Diwali greetings and pledged to safeguard the interests of Hindu Americans, vowing to shield them from what he called the “anti-religion agenda of the radical left”.

Gabbard has also spoken up for India on several occasions, and openly criticised Pakistan for providing a safe haven to terrorists. “We stand with the people of India in condemning the terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir, and send our condolences and prayers to the victims’ families. We must all stand up against these jihadists and their ideology,” she said in the wake of the Pulwama attack of 2019 in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

A few days later, in another post on X, she said, “My heart goes out to the families of the suicide bombing victims in India & the many victims of terror from these same groups that have killed hundreds of Indian and Pakistani civilians over the years. It’s time for Pakistan’s leaders to stop giving safe haven to these terrorists.”

Gabbard, who left the Democratic party in 2022, was deployed in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 as a Major in the Hawaii National Guard and is now a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserve. Earlier in 2020, she had unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for that year’s presidential election won by Biden, who she then endorsed. However, after leaving the Democratic Party, she became increasingly critical of Biden and his administration.

Gabbard has always demonstrated a special bond withModi, even criticising the US government’s decision to ban his visa in the wake of the 2002 Gujarat riots, calling it “a great blunder”.

She strongly supported Modi’s call to mark International Yoga Day in 2014. That same year when Modi took over as Prime Minister, she made a 15-day trip to India at his invitation.

“I was delighted to accept the invite of Prime Minister Modi. He is a leader whose example and dedication to the people he serves should be an inspiration to elected officials everywhere,” she had said ahead of her December 15-January 3 visit in 2014-15.

Ahead of Modi’s visit to the US in September 2019 to participate in the UN General Assembly, she welcomed him with a special post, “I’d like to extend a warm welcome to India Prime Minister Modi on his latest visit to the United States.”

They had a meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA and discussed “the situation in Kashmir, civil rights, empowering women and addressing poverty, as well as the concern about escalating tensions with Iran”.