As a child growing up in New York City in the 1970s, I was the only non-Catholic in a church-run school on the Upper East Side. It was mandatory to attend church every morning before classes began. Soon I was totally conversant with every aspect of Catholic rites and liturgy and still remember most of the hymns. My parents were asked if they wanted me to skip church attendance; they saw nothing wrong with their daughter starting the day by remembering God—any God.

I joined a Catholic girls school when we returned to India too. Church attendance was not mandatory for non-Christians at that school, but I would invariably take a detour through the adjoining cathedral before going to class. I have many icons of Mary and baby Jesus in my home and Christmas trees remain an important tradition for me. Yet I am a devout Shakta Hindu, with nary a waver in my faith no matter how deeply I was immersed in Christian customs as a child.

Most people don’t understand that we Hindus are the most ecumenical people in the world. We can be part of any religious ceremony in the world without weakening our own faith and belief or belittling that of others. We appreciate others’ gospels as corroborations of the timeless and universal truths of our own ancient scriptures and pray in any house of worship without fear of offending our own gods and goddesses. So, JD Vance knows Usha will never convert.

Unless she does so to help him win the MAGA vote in a future Presidential run or quell the hurtful and ignorant comments from all sides of the ideological divide in the US.........

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