American Hindu group asks VP Vance to ‘engage with Hinduism’
New York (PTI): An American Hindu organisation asked Vice President J D Vance to “engage with Hinduism” after he said that his wife, Usha, “encouraged” him "to re-engage” with his faith.
Vance is facing criticism over his comments regarding his interfaith marriage after saying he eventually hopes that Usha, who grew up in a Hindu household, “is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church.”
Hitting back at his critics, Vance on Friday said it was his wife who encouraged him to re-engage with Christianity.
“My wife as I said at the TPUSA is the most amazing blessing I have in my life. She herself encouraged me to reengage with my faith many years ago,” he said.
Responding to Vance’s remark, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) issued a statement on Friday calling on him to engage with “Hinduism too.”
“With respect to the Vice President, if your wife encouraged you to re-engage with your faith, why not reciprocate that and engage with Hinduism too?” said the HAF.
“Hinduism doesn’t share the need to wish your spouse comes around to see things as you do in terms of religion,” the HAF added.
The group said that, being a public figure and Vice President, Vance should acknowledge the “rights of Hindus to practice.”
“You are the VP. It’s more than reasonable (and well within precedent) for a Christian public figure such as yourself to acknowledge the positive impact of Hinduism on Hindus and the rights of Hindus to practice,” it added.
The group also criticised some of Vance's supporters for speaking against religious freedom.
"Some of the most vocal voices in your base seem to not actually believe religious freedom, one of the core concepts this nation was founded upon, as you well know, should extend to Hindus," it said.
Vance made the initial comments on Wednesday at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi.
He was confronted by a young South Asian woman over his faith and his inter-religion marriage to Usha as well as over the Trump administration’s policies on immigration.
Responding to her, Vance said that on most Sundays, Usha goes to church with him.
"... I've told her, and I've said publicly, and I'll say now in front of 10,000 of my closest friends, do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church? Yeah, I honestly do wish that, because I believe in the Christian gospel, and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way," he said.
"But if she doesn't, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn't cause a problem for me. That's something you work out with your friends, with your family, with the person that you love,” he added.
However, on Friday, Vance said his wife has no plans to convert. "She is not a Christian and has no plans to convert, but like many people in an interfaith marriage, or any interfaith relationship. I hope she may one day see things as I do. Regardless, I'll continue to love and support her and talk to her about faith and life and everything else, because she's my wife,” he said.
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Prasidh, Kuldeep limit South Africa to 270 after De Kock's hundred
Visakhapatnam (PTI): India fought back gallantly through Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav after Quinton de Kock struck his 23rd hundred, keeping South Africa to a manageable 270 in the third and series-deciding final ODI, here Saturday.
India won the toss after judging the spin of the coin incorrectly 20 times in a row. They had little hesitation in inserting the Proteas into bat, a clear indication of dew factor dominating the thought.
After Arshdeep Singh sent back Ryan Rickelton early, De Kock (106, 89b, 8x4, 6x4) struck his seventh century against India and put on 113 runs off 124 balls with skipper Temba Bavuma (48, 67b) as the visitors moved to a healthy position.
De Kock was severe on Prasidh (4/66), who erred on length continuously in his first spell (2-0-27-0). The left-hander biffed the pacer for 6, 6, 4 in his second over to milk 18 runs.
The 32-year-old quickly pounced on anything that was short, and pacers Prasidh and Harshit offered him plenty of feed on his pet areas.
Bavuma was more sedate, and made runs through those typical dabs and jabs, occasionally unfurling a drive of elan.
De Kock moved to fifty in 42 balls, and never let the tempo down reaching his hundred in 79 balls.
India found temporary relief when Ravindra Jadeja induced a false slash from Bavuma to get caught by Virat Kohli at point.
The tourists got another move on through a 54-run partnership between De Kock and Matthew Breetzkle for the third wicket, and at 168 for two in 28 overs they were in a good position to press on.
But Breetzke's punishment of part-time spinner Tilak Varma forced a rethink in the Indian camp, as skipper KL Rahul brought back Prasidh for a second spell.
What a masterstroke it turned out to be! The Karnataka man broke the back of South Africa’s top and middle order in an exceptional second spell (4-0-11-3).
Breetzke was the first man to go, trapped plumb in front with a straight one and four balls later Aiden Markram uppishly chipped a fuller delivery to Kohli at short covers.
Prasidh soon castled De Kock, whose ugly cross-batted swipe failed to connect a full length delivery from the pacer.
All of a sudden, SA found themselves at a shaky 199 for five, losing three wickets in the space of three overs.
Once Prasidh was done away with the top and middle-order, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep (4/41) took over and mopped up the tail as SA fell short of even a par total on this track.
