Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Drishtikone

Home
Hindu
Tulsi Gabbard – a gritty and inspiring lady – the First Hindu American Congressional Leader in US takes oath on Bhagwad Gita

Tulsi Gabbard – a gritty and inspiring lady – the First Hindu American Congressional Leader in US takes oath on Bhagwad Gita

Last updated on: January 4, 2013 at 7:05 pm by Desh Kapoor

Tulsi Gabbard – a gritty and inspiring lady – the First Hindu American Congressional Leader in US takes oath on Bhagwad Gita 2013-01-04T19:05:32-06:00 Desh Kapoor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

She is 32. A woman. A Hindu by choice. A War Veteran already. And yesterday, she became the first Hindu American Congressional Leader to be sworn in. On her own copy of the Bhagwad Gita.

Tulsi Gabbard. That is whom I am talking about.

A month and a half back, I had the privilege of meeting her and sitting next to her at the lunch table as we discussed her take on Hinduism and its relevance in the modern US society, but more importantly, in her own life. She was in Houston to meet friends who have always supported her and I was lucky to know them as well.

Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo in her Uniform as Second Lieutenant in the Hawaii Army National Guard

In 2002, at age 21 – when most of us cannot even figure out our direction in life, Tulsi ran for Hawaii’s 42nd House District and won the elections defeating Republican Alfonso Jimenez. With that she became the youngest legislator ever elected in the history of Hawaii. In 2004, she again filed for re-election. But she decided to volunteer for National Guard service in Iraq. Against all prevailing political wisdom, she left her campaign for re-election and left for Iraq.

She was there for 18 months.

A vegetarian and teetotaler, Iraq was – let’s just say – not quite “friendly” a place. Yet she survived and did well. “Eating frozen peas and corn and bread” is how she described her survival strategy, when she narrated her experience to us. She would sleep with her Bhagwad Gita and wake up with its wisdom in her mind. Her life was being fashioned along the “Karma yoga” that was inspired by Bhagwad Gita.

She won the several distinguished honor graduate titles and awards at Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training as well as Meritorious Service Medal at the end of the 12-month combat tour of Iraq.

In 2009, she was again voluntarily deployed to Middle East. This time as the primary trainer for the Kuwait National Guard.

A woman – a Hindu at that – training those burly Kuwaiti Guards in an Islamic country was certainly not the easiest of jobs. Yet, her steadfastness intact, she worked hard on using all she had learned to engage with difficult situations. At the end of her tenure there, she became the first woman to ever to be awarded and honored by the Kuwait National Guard

When she took oath yesterday on her copy of Bhagwad Gita, it was quite fitting. Bhagwad Gita is a treatise which is an instruction in many ways to transcend the human limitations. In the political and public service arena in the US today, I find no better torch bearer of that sentiment than Tulsi Gabbard!

Meanwhile, an Indian was also sworn in to Congress – Ami Bera. Although he classifies himself as a “Unitarian Universalist”. Which is as politically fuzzy a speak as Mitt Romney’s claims on just about everything.

Given the religious convenience – indicative of the biases and prejudices in the society as well as political leaders’ attempt as opportunism – of Ami Bera, and of Nicky Halley (a Sikh turned Christian) and Bobby Jindal (a Hindu turned Christian) – Tulsi Gabbard’s stand on what inspires her and fighting for that during her symbolic gesture of taking her oath on Bhagwad Gita is indeed refreshing.

I personally see Tulsi Gabbard as the inspiration and a guide for many Second Generation Hindu kids to take a plunge into Congressional politics without any discomfort or having to convert, just to stay “normal” in this American society.

Tulsi Gabbard taking Oath on Bhagwad Gita

Related articles from External Sources

Achievement and Leadership

Previous Post

January 4, 2013

Woman Power, Business and Economy: Interesting Insights

Next Post

January 4, 2013 Why even have relationships?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Aarti Achievement and Leadership AfPak Africa Annual and Year-end Asia Audio Australia Behavioural Sciences Bhagwad Gita Bhagwad Gita Blogging Blogs Business Business Intelligence Business Strategy Cannes Careers Chanakya China Conservation Corruption Creative Daily Links Desh Poems Development & Welfare Devotional Audio Devotional Songs Drama Earth Economics Education Entertainment Environment Europe Everyday Quotes Featured Articles Featured Songs Finance Flickr Pictures Food Geo-Political Global Warming Globalization Health & Medicine Hinduism Historic History Humour India Indian Culture Indian music Indian Weddings Israel Issues Legal Link Love Minorities Misc Motivation and Personal Development Movie Lists Movie Reviews Movies Mumbai terror attacks Natural Disasters Nature News Outsourcing Pakistan Parenting Personal Philosophy Poetry Politics Poverty Quotes Recipe Regular Blog Post Relationships Religion Religious/Spiritual Audio Sciences Showcase Slideshow South Asia Special Stories Spiritual Quotes Spirituality Sports Stories Strategy Technology Technology Terrorism Travel Uncategorized US Video Women Women_s Rights Worship Yoga

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 June 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 September 2014 August 2014 January 2014 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which empire destroyed the First Temple in Jerusalem?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Assyrian Empire Persian Empire Roman Empire Babylonian Empire