California’s new anti-intimidation bill would require the state to train officers in recognizing and responding to “transnational repression” – attempts by foreign governments to target diaspora communities. California bill against foreign hits on diaspora splits Indian Americans
The legislation was authored by Democratic State Senator Anna Caballero and co-authored by California’s first Sikh Assemblywoman, Jasmeet Bains and Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria. The California Assembly has passed the bill, and it will now return to the California Senate for another vote this week. California bill against foreign hits on diaspora splits Indian Americans
The bill has created a clear split within Indian American communities along religious and political lines. Major Sikh advocacy groups have backed the legislation. They’re joined by some Hindu groups like Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council, and the California Police Chiefs Association.
However, opposition has emerged from other Hindu American organisations, including the Hindu American Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus of North America. Surprisingly, the opposition also includes the Bay Area Jewish Coalition, one Sikh group called The Khalsa Today, and law enforcement offices in Santa Clara and Riverside County.
The division stems from fundamentally different perspectives on the bill’s purpose and potential consequences. Supporters view the legislation as a necessary response to genuine security threats. Many Sikhs see the bill as addressing safety concerns following “a spate of attacks and threats against community activists in North America over the past two years, which United States and Canadian officials have accused India of orchestrating” California bill against foreign hits on diaspora splits Indian Americans.
Critics have raised concerns about potential overreach and discrimination. Critics argue the bill “risks targeting sections of the diaspora – such as Hindu Americans opposed to the Khalistan movement” and “could end up deepening biases against India and Hindu Americans” A California bill against foreign hits on diaspora splits Indian Americans. They worry that the legislation could institutionalise biases against specific communities and suppress legitimate political opposition to separatist movements.
The bill emerges against a backdrop of escalating diplomatic tensions and alleged transnational crimes. In 2023, Canada officially accused India of masterminding the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, California bill against foreign hits on diaspora splits Indian Americans.
This was followed by similar allegations from the United States, where US prosecutors accused Indian intelligence agencies of plotting the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a New York-based Sikh activist .
The controversy also reflects deeper, ongoing divisions within the South Asian American community. This marks “the second major legislation in recent years that has split South Asian diaspora groups in California,” following a 2023 caste discrimination bill that Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed after opposition from Hindu-American groups California bill against foreign hits on diaspora splits Indian Americans .
The fundamental tension appears to be between those who see the bill as necessary protection for vulnerable diaspora communities and those who view it as potentially discriminatory against specific ethnic or religious groups within the Indian American community. This divide reflects broader geopolitical tensions around the Khalistan separatist movement and concerns about how anti-terrorism and security measures might affect different segments of the diaspora.