Diaspora, diplomacy, and the American dream
Hello hello!
For some reason this week felt quieter than the past few even though it has not been quiet. The Iran-U.S. talk is falling apart, the Prime Minister of India misused our public broadcaster to shit talk to the opposition for an hour during election season, and you know, energy crisis due to the war is being felt globally, and I just finished a 40-episode C Drama in 5 days and now my life feels empty. So yeah, all in all, busy week. But compared to last few weeks this one felt less apocalyptic because I was not on Instagram much. So my wisdom of the week for you is to stay away from doomscrolling. And if you must doomscroll, may you see nothing but the underproduced artsy videos of people's art, food, and home.
With that and not much else to say, I will leave you be with this week's big stories and a warm virtual embrace because I am in a good mood today. 😄
See ya!
Just the gist
Remember the mid 2010s, when you had just gotten a Facebook account and all heartbreaks, clapbacks, proclamation of love used to be through cryptic Facebook posts and everyone knew what was happening without anyone spelling it out?
We are back there. We are back in the good old days with bad old people. Trump reposted a video featuring conservative radio host Michael Savage, who referred to India and China as “hellholes” while criticising America’s birthright citizenship laws. The point he was making was that babies born to immigrant families in the U.S. gain citizenship there and then sponsor their families from 'hellholes' like India. And what do you know, the President of the United States reposted it. Because, you know, diplomacy is dead and all. But of course internet gives as much as it takes. So in a clapback that should have really come from India, Iran's Consulate in Mumbai posted a video of Maharashtra, showing its diversity and modernity on X stating that Trump needed a cultural detox.
India's response was a lukewarm acknowledgement that the comment was inappropriate, uninformed, and in poor taste but that's it. The Opposition has naturally seized the moment to call out the Centre's lack of spine in standing up against the US as it time and again drags us through the mud just for fun.
➡️ What is incredibly confusing about the world we live in is that the standard rules of international relations do not seem to apply anymore. On one hand, the President of the US is taking jabs at whoever, whenever via social media. On the other hand, an ally that India very clearly abandoned as it was dragged into a war by the US and Israel is standing up for India (albeit online and in gest) while India quietly accepts the blow. What is what anymore?
🔗 A voter turnout for the ages
Polling has concluded in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, and begun in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. All states except for Kerala recorded the highest-ever voter turnout. Kerala recorded 78% voter turnout while all other states have recorded above 85% voter turnout.
But there is more to the story than just the vibrancy of the largest democracy in the world. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) undertaken by the Election Commission across 10 states and 3 UTs so far saw the deletion of 5.58 crore names. Names of people who are dead, have moved states, registered in multiple places or illegal migrants. This has led to a reduction in the base number on which the voter turnout percent is calculated. This also means that the voter turnout percent now is more accurate than before.
In West Bengal, both Trinamool Congress and BJP are interpreting the high voter turnout as a support for them. BJP, however, seems very confident of a win this year. Election results across all 4 states and 1 UT will be announced on the 4th of May.
➡️ In other news, Raghav Chadha, true to any Indian politician who is faced with a setback within his own party, is joining the BJP. The press conference is more than just a little to watch because of how he has UNO reversed everything he himself has stood for and claimed in the Parliament. I apologise for having said three issues ago that he had been wronged. The speed with which he turned around and went in the other direction makes me wonder if that had anything to do with AAP's actions.
🔗 Rupee fell down, and broke its crown
At the time of writing this issue (Friday 1PM CEST), the EUR to INR rate is 110INR! I am as shocked as you are. The rupee is having a rough year. It hit a record low of 95.21 per dollar in late March, and on a trade-weighted basis, accounting for inflation differences across economies, it has fallen to its lowest point in over a decade. The technical measure for this is called the Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER). Great for exports (it is cheaper to buy from us) but terrible for imports (stuff's too expensive for us to buy).
The reasons are not mysterious. The Iran war drove crude oil prices up sharply. India imports over 88% of its oil, so it needs a lot of dollars to pay for it. At the same time, foreign investors have been pulling money out of Indian stocks and bonds, which means more rupee selling. Both things happening simultaneously is a bad combination for the currency. Neither the oil bill nor the sentiments of investors is going to change anytime soon. So recovery is going to be a long road.
➡️ If you send money to family in India, your remittances are currently buying more rupees than usual. If you have been putting off a transfer, do it now. If you are thinking about investing in India, the Chief Economic Adviser said this week that the rupee's current level offers an attractive entry point for long-term investors. That is technically true, though worth noting that it is also his job to say encouraging things about the Indian economy.
🔗 The American dream under attack, again
On April 22, Congressman Eli Crane introduced the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026. It proposes a three-year pause on new H-1B visas, a reduced annual cap of 25,000, a minimum salary threshold of $200,000, an end to Optional Practical Training, restrictions on dependents, and a complete block on transitioning to permanent residency.
Bills like this are introduced in the House of Representatives regularly, often more as political positioning than genuine legislation. Most immigration bills require 60 votes in the Senate to pass. That threshold is currently out of reach. Multiple bills restricting H-1B have emerged in recent months. The EXILE Act in February called for eliminating H-1B altogether. This one goes further by targeting OPT and green cards simultaneously. Each proposal, even if it fails, normalises the next one.
If passed, and again, that is very unlikely, it will make the U.S. a less interesting place for students from India to move to for higher education because with OPT gone, you are asking Indian families to spend $200,000 or more on an American education with no guaranteed right to work afterward. For professionals already in the H-1B system, the $200,000 salary threshold would effectively exclude academia, healthcare, nonprofits, and most mid-level roles. It would not select the most skilled workers but the ones backed by the richest employers.
➡️ The American dream is becoming more unpredictable by the day. Add to it the fact that hostilities towards immigrants has increased. Amidst all this, European alternatives are emerging as the go-to for Indian students and high skilled workers. If you are making career choices, take this into account.
Diaspora in focus
🔗 Chai, charcha, and culture in Amsterdam
There is something very cool brewing in Amsterdam. A chai shop with the ambition and actions to become a 'third place'. Wanakam describes itself as Amsterdam's first South Asian culture café. It is a place for cultural exchange where art, food, politics, and uncomfortable conversations about caste and identity happen alongside each other. Co-founded by Jimmy Varghese, Gaurav Singhal, Shanti Voorn, and Manuel Buonamiko in 2025, Wanakam is a way to bring home closer for the South Asian diaspora.
On any given evening, the café hosts vinyl nights with DJs playing funk, soul, and South Asian grooves, pop-up kitchens serving Dalit or Sri Lankan food, photography exhibitions, and intellectual conversations with diverse people.
➡️ There is a version of diaspora culture that looks inward and backward. It recreates home as it was, not as it is, and mistakes nostalgia for identity. If you are ever in Amsterdam, drop by. This is not an ad. I am just really proud that the diaspora is slowly claiming more interesting spaces for itself.
That is all for this week, folks!
See you next week.
Take care,
S.
