‘Indians came to America, and then they became…’: Burt Thakur speaks on ‘Indian takeover’ at Frisco council meeting

As the issue of ‘Indian takeover’ of Frisco rocked the council meeting Tuesday, pushed by influencers on social media, Frisco council’s first Indian-origin member Burt Thakur spoke about the issue and said Indians who came to America upheld American Dream because American Dream needs participation. “Somewhere along the way Indians came to America, and then they became Americans, and then they helped to reinforce the American Dream because the American Dream requires participation,” Thakur said. “People are upset. And I suppose what I’m trying to say to you is this. Look to the left of you and look to the right of you. This is Frisco. … Together we can do amazing things,” Thakur said as he spoke about the first Indians who came to the US, the Punjabis who settled in California, and Indians who served the US.Dallas Observer reported that a dozen speakers flaunting America First hats spoke at the city council chamber and raged against the alleged H-1B visa and the ‘Indian takeover’. But a majority of those who spoke against the apparent ‘Indian takeover’ were not from Frisco.Amit Radjadhyaksha, a Frisco resident, spoke about the assimilation of Indians and said he’s a proud Indian, American and a citizen of Frisco. “I would welcome anyone who has divergent views to come sit down over a beer or a coffee and have a conversation about what we can do to help each other out in these times,” Radjadhyaksha said. “I’m Indian, I’m American. I’m a proud citizen of Frisco, and I’m not going anywhere.”Burt Thakur spoke about H-1B earlier too and said he had no authority over federal immigration policy or visa enforcement and rejected the suggestion that local officials were orchestrating demographic change. “I really would have no problem with any federal agency coming in and doing an audit,” Thakur said earlier. “And if things are found that are illegal … I’ll be the first supporter and the biggest supporter of those agencies coming in and being able to do their job.”“If people have done stuff legally … it’s something that is their right to do,” he said, adding that he takes offense at suggestions that the presence of Indian residents itself is problematic. “Please, feel free to tell me what percentage of the population is allowed to be Indian,” Thakur said.Facing questions over Indian donors, Thakur said he is an American citizen who served during 9/11 and is now focused on local governance in his capacity as a councilman.