Viewpoint: Vote To Expel Shri Thanedar From Metro Detroit DSA

by Micah Johnson

The following article represents the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Detroit Socialist Editorial and Writers’ Collective or Detroit DSA as a whole.

Comrades, our national convention voted overwhelmingly in support of the resolution “Act Like an Independent Party.” The obligation to act like an independent party took effect immediately, and it is up to us now to take concrete steps towards making that ideal a reality. Parties have standards. They have a code of conduct. A socialist party is no different, and any true socialist party has an obligation to serve the working class. Shri Thanedar, congressional representative of most of Wayne county, and many in this room, including myself, has not only failed in this, but has stood in flagrant opposition to our goals and principles, and openly stood in support of our class enemies.

On June 22nd of this year, Representative Shri Thanedar personally escorted the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to the Capitol to give an address before Congress. The point of this address was to affirm solidarity between the US and India in the face of heightening tensions with Russia and China. Now, if this were all you knew of the affair, I would understand skepticism towards these expulsion proceedings.

Two days before on June 20th, Rashida Tlaib tweeted this out, “It’s shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nation’s Capital — his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. I will be boycotting Modi’s joint address to Congress.” Ilhan Omar of Minnesota likewise boycotted the address. But why? What is so bad about PM Modi?

Modi is an open Hindu nationalist, and is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, a Hindu nationalist party. As is typical with nationalists, he has a preferred minority to cast his ire on: Muslims. During his tenure as Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat, in 2002, he oversaw a violent crackdown on mostly Muslim protestors. Roughly 2000 people were killed. His prime ministership, while not as overtly violent, has been no less systematically oppressive. He has overseen repression in Muslims’ rights to express themselves, to practice their religion freely, and to live as co-equal citizens with the Hindu majority. In 2005, he was denied entry into the US under an obscure ruling from the Commission on International Religious Freedom, on the grounds of his handling of the 2002 massacre. Imagine that! The US Government, in 2005, said that this guy is too extreme of an Islamophobe!

When asked by India Today about his then upcoming meeting with Modi, Thanedar said “It is a great honor.” He was proud to be associated with such a man. And this, when he is the national representative for the city of Hamtramck, a city which is notable for having one of, if not the, highest proportions of Muslim residents in the US; a majority, even, by some estimates.

Thanedar’s meeting with and open support of Modi is entirely indefensible. There was no crisis, no disaster should he refuse. This was pure and simple careerism, to associate himself with a major world leader. In doing so, he has associated us with that leader. In lending his support to Modi, we, implicitly, have done so as well. Now we have a chance, not to right that wrong, but to correct it. Comrades, vote to expel Shri Thanedar, and show that Metro Detroit DSA holds its electeds to the highest standards.

The Detroit Socialist is produced and run by members of Detroit DSA’s Newspaper Collective. Interested in becoming a member of Detroit DSA? Go to metrodetroitdsa.com/join to become a member. Send a copy of the dues receipt to: membership@metrodetroitdsa.com in order to get plugged in to our activities!