Jindal’s candidacy has set the Indian American community abuzz and for the past several weeks

WAHINGTON, May 15 (IslamOnline.net) - Bobby Jindal, a Republican candidate for Governor of Louisiana, who has received more than 25 percent of contributions from out of state, probably from the Indian American community, which is always beaming with pride for the next generation, is really a Christian.

The front-running candidate collected over half-million dollars in the first month of his campaign, more than a quarter of Jindal's 274 total contributions came from out of state.

Jindal’s candidacy has set the Indian American community abuzz and for the past several weeks, Indian American newspapers and organizations have been boasting about this young achiever who resigned a White House position to run for governor in the October 4 Primary Election and November 15 general elections.

Indian newspapers are, however, omitting a significant detail from Jindal's impressive biography: during college, Jindal, a Rhodes scholar, converted from Hinduism to Catholicism.

While the Indian American press reports do not discuss this fact, his supporters in Louisiana emphasize Jindal's conversion. Jindal who has the support of Gov. Mike Foster, was born and raised in Baton Rouge, LA, lists himself as a member of St. Jude Catholic Church in Baton Rouge.

Billy McCormack, a leader of the Christian Coalition, has said most members of this Right-wing group will back Jindal's candidacy. Former Congressman Bob Livingston heads the Jindal gubernatorial campaign

It is apparent that in addition to his numerous achievements, his Christianity helped him gain acceptance in the unabashedly evangelical Bush administration.

Jindal who was appointed by President George Bush as Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, returned to Louisiana in late February to run for governor.

He has also served as president of the University of Louisiana System, executive director, National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare (Breaux-Thomas Commission), and secretary at the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.

Indian Americans newspapers and groups like the U.S.-India Political Action Committee are so keen to support an Indian American that they are ignoring the political consequences of supporting a hard-line Christian.

Understandably, Jindal does not mind about the non-mention of his new faith when reaching out for dollars from wealthy Hindus and Muslims from India.

Souvik Banerjee, an Indian American, cautions that Jindal's religion does matter.

“If he wins, it will be largely from the votes of Right-wing evangelical Christians--the same people who openly talk about how Hindus and Muslims are going to hell,” Banerjee told India Abroad, an Indian ethnic weekly newspaper based in New Yok.

Bobby Jindal is neck-deep in affiliation with such conservative evangelicals. The members of the Religious Right have a political agenda that is different from many Indian Americans, warns Banerjee, adding that they have no respect for eastern spirituality.

As governor, Jindal would support the agenda of his most powerful supporters, the Christian Coalition. Conveniently for him, his new religion will get him many votes in

Louisiana. Thus, Banerjee cautions that Indian American media and political activists should change their policy of simply supporting any Indian seeking office.