Meet Vivek Ramaswamy, the Trump challenger whose Hindu faith is front and center in his Republican campaign – Times of India
Ramaswamy, who wears his Hindu faith on his sleeve, has carved a distinct niche in a party traditionally dominated by evangelical Christians.
In several polls, he is in third place behind Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis, and is one of the six candidates to who have qualified for the first GOP presidential debate on August 23.
So who is Ramaswamy and how did he climb up the GOP ladder?
Ramaswamy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Indian immigrant parents and hails from a family of Tamil-speaking Brahmins. They were originally from Kerala.
Ramaswamy grew up immersed in the Tamil language and Hindu rituals, offering daily prayers and attending temples.
He heard stories from Hindu epics, offered daily prayers to deities and attended temples in Dayton and Cincinnati. He and his wife, Apoorva, a physician, plan to raise their two sons as Hindus.
However, he was also exposed to Christian influences through his education at St Xavier Catholic High School, which notably shaped his staunch anti-abortion stance.
He has said that his Hindu values seem to resonate with Christian and Jewish audiences too.
“The lessons learned being Hindu were similar and in many ways overlapping with Judeo-Christian values like sacrifice, performing your duty without attachment to the results and believing that your work on this Earth is not being done by you, but through you,” he said.
Presidential campaign
Ramaswamy’s faith-driven journey took a political turn as he entered the GOP presidential race, making him only the nation’s second Hindu presidential candidate after Tulsi Gabbard.
His campaign message emphasizes the alignment of his Hindu values with the Judeo-Christian foundation of US.
He asserts that his belief in a singular divine force resonates with the notion of the nation being founded on strong religious principles.
Central to his campaign are ten core beliefs, with “God is real” and “There are two genders” leading the list.
Ramaswamy’s prominence surged following the release of his 2021 book, “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam,” a scathing critique of corporations exploiting social justice for self-interest.
His subsequent appearances on conservative media platforms solidified his position as a commentator championing capitalism, meritocracy and traditional values.
He became a regular commentator on Fox News and other conservative outlets, backing capitalism and meritocracy, and criticizing affirmative action, mask mandates and open borders.
Besides his anti-abortion views, Ramaswamy also believes that gender dysphoria should be treated as a mental illness.
Support base
Ramaswamy’s unique approach is drawing support from influential Christian leaders, including Bob Vander Plaats, who had a front-row seat for Ramaswamy’s recent campaign visit to Iowa.
He said Ramswamy’s “common sense values and shared virtues” are the reasons he is being “very warmly received by audiences of faith.”
Not all feedback from Christians has been favorable though. Hank Kunneman, a pro-Trump pastor in Nebraska, attacked Ramaswamy’s faith during a recent sermon.
Though Ramaswamy’s faith may not be ideal for some Christian voters, it comes down to making the best choice available, said Vander Plaats, president of a conservative group, The Family Leader.
While he does have considerable draw on the Republican side, the Indian-American community, which usually leans Democrats, is divided on Ramaswamy’s candidature.
Most Hindu Americans and Indian Americans hold progressive views on social issues like abortion, immigration and LGBTQ rights. Some are particularly irked by Ramaswamy’s eagerness to equate Hindu and Christian teachings.
“He is taking great care to show a certain aspect of Hinduism without talking about mysticism and polytheism, which are core aspects of the religion,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder of AAPI Data and a public policy professor at the University of California, Riverside.
For other Hindu Americans who may disagree with Ramaswamy’s views, his candidacy still represents an important shift in American politics.
“I don’t share his politics by a mile,” said Sumit Ganguly, a political science professor at Indiana University. “But he is gutsy for not hiding his faith or converting to Christianity for political gain. This might not have been possible 10 years ago.”
Ramaswamy still has a steep hill to climb because most Americans know little about Hinduism, Ganguly said.
Ramaswamy is “feeding a certain need in the Republican party” and is getting attention because he is a novelty in ways that Andrew Yang was for Democrats in 2020, Ramakrishnan said. “He is among those candidates who may not have all those expected attributes or the experience … but through the power of their ideas, are able to get into the conversation.”
(With inputs from AP)
