“Obhangra”: In pursuit of the desi voter

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I’d been waiting for this Evite from SAFO-DC for over a month now because I’d been tipped off that it was coming:

Host: South Asians for Obama (SAFO)
Location: Karma, 1919 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC
When: Friday, May 18, 8:30pm
Phone: 202.331.5800

South Asians for Obama (SAFO) would like to invite you to our first official OBHANGRA!!

As you may have guessed, Obhangra is a clever combination of Obama and Bhangra! Bhangra fever has taken over the country and we want to give you an opportunity to learn and dance at Obhangra! So whether you support Senator Obama or are still undecided, we hope you will join us and many others to learn some Bhangra moves and dance the night away!

I must say that I am REALLY worried about the appropriation of bhangra for use in overtly partisan politics. In the same manner that K-street lobbyists are corrupting our political process by lavishing money on politicians, I believe that soon our desi customs and food will be used as a cheap tool to battle for the attention (and money) of the pivotal South Asian vote. Let me just give you all a glimpse of the future. It is scary:

Jalebis for Giuliani: A fundraiser organized by “Law-and-Order” browns.

Henna for Hillary: A fundraiser organized by feminist browns.

Raas for Romney: A fundraiser organized by Gujarati Mormons.

Bindis for Biden: A fundraiser organized by 7-11 and Dunkin Donut employees.

Katha for Kucinich: A fundraiser organized by religious browns who want a “Department of Peace.”

Masala for McCain: A fundraiser organized by Independent (maverick) browns who love good curry.

PLEASE, let’s not participate in any attempts to use our culture, traditions, or food to raise money for politicians.

Hmmmm. I wonder if there will be any cute, politically active, single women at the Obhangra. Balle Balle.

105 thoughts on ““Obhangra”: In pursuit of the desi voter”

  1. The goals were the same…free labor…but yes there were philosophical, ideologic differences too and possibly that led to differences in day to day experience (I don’t know).

    I disagree somewhat. One had assigned a temporary nature towards it, the other did not. The US slave system never acknowledged the humanity of the slave, in any form. But, in the short term, yes, free labor was the goal.

  2. That casteism (and child slave labor etc) continues to be an issue in India is because India is a failed nation-state that is too weak to enforce its laws.

    Pathetic. Break India up into egalitarian shudra republics! Reviving Dravdastan I suppose? 🙂 The fact is that since Mandal it is OBC dullards who have been running the Indian state apparatus. This is why India has made negligible progress on the Human Development Index while demonstrating outstanding private-sector growth. The OBC shudras don’t care for literacy or for the Dalits, its all about filling up their suitcases with as much loot as possible.

  3. Kalavai, do not take the anti-hindu bait.

    Just look at all the upper caste fuktards who populate SM. \”Upper caste\” scum such as Nehru, Basu, Buddhadeb, all fall in the same category of looters. In contrast the performance of \”lower castes\” such as Modi and Bharati has been more than exemplary.

  4. The site also serves to address current trends in American politics, for example with articles focusing on Bobby Jindal, the Republican senator from Louisiana, Bharat O’Bama(sic) as well as other prominent politicians in the Western world.

    In the Wikipedia entry for Sepia Mutiny.

  5. “Hmmmm. I wonder if there will be any cute, politically active, single women at the Obhangra. Balle Balle.” soo cute