US polls: Bengalis in America lean towards Democrats, others divided
Times of India | 6 November 2024
123 Kolkata: A cross-section of Bengalis residing in the US and working in the IT industry or in universities voted for Democrat candidate Kamala Harris, with many opting for mail-in and early in-person votes before D-day. However, many of their non-Bengali friends and acquaintances, most of whom are in businesses, cast their ballots in favour of Republican candidate Donald Trump.
It also emerged that younger Indians connect more with Democrats' liberal policies, while older Indians may favour Republican policies, specifically around fiscal control, smaller govt and lower taxes.
"This time, Indians are split between the two candidates. Bengalis working in the IT industry are wary that Trump will reduce H1-B visas, while Harris may continue with the current policy. Some Indians believe Trump will maintain a better relationship with PM Narendra Modi and that Harris may not help India," said Dibyendu Kundu, the IT director at the state of Connecticut Judicial Branch, who grew up in Lake Town and still visits his parents, who live here, annually.
"The other issues where Indians may favour Harris are laws on more background checks for gun ownership and limits for automatic weapons. Also, most Indians, and perhaps all Bengalis, would not side with the Republican abortion ban and are pro-choice," he said.
Jyotirmoy Sarkar, who went out to vote with his wife Madhumita and daughter Nimisha at the community centre in Tampa, Florida, said most of his friends were inclined towards Harris, though there are some who do not support her. However, he is quick to clarify that it does not mean they support Trump. "The election this year is very crucial, and the lesser of the two evils must win," said Sarkar, a technology leader who migrated from Howrah to Trump's home state Florida in 2000 and became a voter a decade later.
Manas Dey, who lives in swing state Georgia, from where Biden won by a razor-thin margin in 2020, says that if Trump wins, his anti-immigration policies could make stamping and restamping of work visas difficult for Indian immigrants.
"Incidents involving immigrants might also increase, including the Indian community during the Trump govt because of his views and provocative remarks on them. On the other hand, Harris will be lenient to lawful immigrants, including Indians, for sure," said Dey, director of IT in a private company. Originally from East Midnapore, he studied at IIEST Shibpur, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Delhi before migrating to the US.