Hello and welcome to TOI Bharat Abroad.
This week: Mathura Sridharan’s appointment in Ohio sparks a fresh wave of Hinduphobia. Arvinder Singh Bahal, 79, prepares for liftoff with Blue Origin. And we honour the late Fauja Singh — marathoner, centenarian, and living proof that faith can outrun time.
Let’s go.
THE BIG STORY
HINDUPHOBIA IN AMERICA
The appointment of Mathura Sridharan as Ohio’s Solicitor General triggered a wave of Hinduphobic backlash, with trolls targeting her name, complexion, and the bindi she wore — a symbol of Hindu identity.
Why it matters: Sridharan’s rise highlights how visible markers of Indian or Hindu identity remain targets of bigotry, even at the highest levels of public service. The bindi, once violently attacked by groups like the Dotbusters, continues to provoke hate online.
Driving the news: Announced on July 31 by Ohio AG Dave Yost, Sridharan’s elevation drew praise for her Supreme Court record — but also racist trolling. Yost defended her forcefully, calling her “brilliant” and saying critics upset by her name or complexion were the problem, not her.
The backlash echoes a familiar pattern for Hindu Americans. From the 1980s Dotbusters to modern-day slurs like ‘dot head,’ the bindi has long drawn violent and rhetorical attacks — a reminder that old prejudices still fester under new platforms.
NRI Watch
LIFT OFF
Arvinder Singh Bahal, a 79-year-old Indian-origin US citizen from Agra, is set to fly to space aboard Blue Origin’s upcoming suborbital mission. A licensed pilot and globe-trotter, Bahal has visited every country on Earth and even skydived over Everest and the Pyramids. He joins a diverse six-member crew for the 11-minute flight from Texas, marking Blue Origin’s 14th human mission.
OFFBEAT
LIFE’S MARATHON
At 100 years old, most people would consider slowing down. Fauja Singh, however, chose to speed up – quite literally. The British Sikh centenarian stunned the world by completing marathons well into his 100s. His story is not just a feat of physical endurance, but a living testimony to the Sikh view of life and death: that both are part of an eternal race, one not to be feared, but embraced with courage, humility, and unshakable faith.
IN THE NEWS
DID YOU KNOW?
SPOTLIGHT
INFOGRAPHIC
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
END OF ARTICLE
Leave a Reply