Indian American Leaders Rally for Voter Engagement at “Diwali Day of Action” in Northern Virginia

The Indian American (IA) Impact and the AAPI Victory Fund came together to host the “Diwali Day of Action” an event focused on civic participation, voter turnout, and community empowerment, on October 26, 2025, in Brambleton, Virginia.

**PHOTO: T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman, SAH**

The gathering brought together key Virginia leaders including Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, State Senators Ghazala Hashmi and Kannan Srinivasan, and State Delegates JJ Singh and Atoosa Reaser. They were joined by Chairman and Founder of the AAPI Victory Fund, Shekar Narasimhan; Managing Director of AAPI Victory Fund, Nick Rathod, and Executive Director of IA Impact Chintan Patel; among others.

Throughout the event, speakers underscored the urgent need for Asian American voters to turn out in record numbers, particularly in support of progressive Democratic candidates who represent inclusive values. They referenced the recent nationwide protests against autocracy as a reminder of what’s at stake for communities of color and immigrant groups.

Calling the upcoming November 4 elections a defining moment for the nation, participants urged the community to stand united in defense of democracy and shared values. This election is not just about political preference, several speakers emphasized, it’s about protecting democracy, ensuring fair representation, and upholding the ideals that define America.

Suhas Subramanyam: “The Beginning of the End of Donald Trump”

Congressman Subramanyam (VA-10) called on voters to maintain their energy in the final days before the election. “We are going to work as hard as we can these next eight days to get the entire ticket elected,” he said.

He urged residents to ensure everyone in their circle has a plan to vote: “We’re on the right side of history. We’re on the right side of the issues, but we need to make sure that every single voter knows that.”

Subramanyam also framed the Virginia races as nationally significant. “Republicans are certainly going to look at what’s happening in Virginia come November,” he said. “Let’s send a message that if they keep following Donald Trump, that will be the end of their careers.”

He concluded with a rallying call: “This week and next week is the beginning of the end of Donald Trump – and it’s going to happen right here in Virginia.”

Ghazala Hashmi: Channeling Energy and Hope

Senator Hashmi, who is the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor, urged the audience to channel frustration into action. “You’ve heard a lot about what’s at stake,” she began. “There is a need to mobilize so many of our minority communities.”

Unlike most states, she noted, Virginia voters have an immediate opportunity to take action. “Every single time someone goes to the polls, they are making their voice heard,” she said. “Instead of feeling frustrated or despondent, let’s remind Virginians that they can take the next step – and send a loud, loud message to the Trump administration and the Republican-led chaos in Washington.”

Hashmi reminded attendees that America has faced dark times before. “This nation has struggled with its identity and core values, but time and time again, the people have responded and come out through that darkness.”

She ended on a note of inspiration: “We are fighting for our community members, for the arts, for culture – for everything that makes life beautiful. There is so much beauty in this world, and we need to counteract the ugliness we’re seeing with the reminder of what we’re actually living for – fighting for those values that sustain every single one of our communities.”

Kannan Srinivasan: Flipping the Final Northern Virginia Seat

Senator Srinivasan acknowledged local officials and community members before making a direct appeal for support for John McAuliff, the Democratic candidate for House District 30.

“He will be our next delegate,” Srinivasan said confidently. “It’s the last Republican seat in the entire northern Virginia area. We can flip that seat.”

Calling it one of the closest races of the election cycle, Srinivasan urged attendees to “call their friends, encourage early voting, and show up on November 4.”

JJ Singh: From School Bullying to Civic Belonging

Delegate JJ Singh shared a personal story that illustrated both the progress and promise of inclusion in Virginia.

“I was born and raised in Fairfax County,” he recalled. “When I was in eighth grade, I was getting bullied daily.” Seeking help from a senior member of the Sikh community, Singh recounted how the student confronted the bully, asking, “Do you believe that we’re all sons and daughters of God?” When the bully said yes, the senior responded, “Then why are you picking on your own little brother?” The bullying stopped that day.

“That was in the 1990s, when there weren’t that many of us in schools,” Singh said. “Fast forward 30 years later, Diwali is now a holiday in Loudoun County Schools. How far we’ve come in that 30 years is all because of the work that all of you do, your activism, raising money, knocking on doors, staying engaged.”

Shekar Narasimhan: “We will not be othered”

Narasimhan reflected on the recent No Kings Protests held nationwide on October 18, where more than seven million Americans took to the streets. Despite widespread fear, Narasimhan said the movement was marked by “joy in being together with our neighbors and standing up for what we think is right.

“What they think is right,” he explained, “is freedom, opportunity, and the value systems that brought us to America.”

He cautioned that in today’s climate, especially for people of color, belonging can no longer be taken for granted. “There’s a question that has been raised by the other side – frankly – about whether we belong in this country. We will not be othered,” he declared.

Narasimhan urged everyone to turn their convictions into action by voting. “The way to change it is for us to come out and vote – for candidates who stand for principle and American values of freedom, liberty, and justice for all,” he said. Calling democracy a “continuous process,” he reminded attendees, “If you care about having a republic, you do have to fight for it.”

He called on voters to send an “overwhelming message” by electing Abigail Spanberger, Hashmi, Jay Jones, and JJ Singh on November 4.

Chintan Patel: A Decade of Growing Representation

Patel, representing IA Impact, highlighted the transformation in South Asian political engagement over the past decade. “Our focus is on increasing representation for Indian and South Asian Americans in political office across the country,” he said.

“No place is more evident than here in Brambleton,” Patel added, noting that after this election cycle, “we’re going to have four Indian Americans representing people who live here.”

When IA Impact began ten years ago, he said, “the idea that a community could be represented by many Indian American leaders at different levels of government would have been impossible.” He pointed to a surge in representation, from around 50 Indian and South Asian elected officials in 2016 to over 300 today, as evidence of that momentum.

Nick Rathod: Virginia Can Serve as the Light

Rathod said Diwali is about “light over darkness, and good versus evil,” adding “I think in this moment, especially for myself, it feels very dark in the country.”