FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 02, 2025
The Tyranny of DEI Continues: CasteFiles Condemns Peter Navarro’s Misguided Woke Remarks on “Brahmin Profiteering”
By invoking “Brahmin profiteering” in his recent statement about India, Peter Navarro, senior counselor for trade and manufacturing to President Donald Trump, has not only attacked a country but also transmitted a harmful message against millions of Indian Americans who work tirelessly to strengthen the U.S. economy.
As an official member of the Trump team, Mr. Navarro’s remarks reveal the persistence of “woke” thinking in elite policy circles—despite President Trump’s clear rejection of identity politics and divisive DEI frameworks. On January 20, 2025, within hours of taking office, President Trump issued an executive order to abolish what he called “illegal DEI discrimination,” declaring: “We have ended the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies all across the entire federal government and, indeed, the private sector and our military. And our country will be woke no longer.”
Navarro’s attempt to connect trade disputes with India to alleged “Brahmin profiteering” demonstrates both ignorance and recklessness. Brahmins have no stake in global oil or energy markets and are not identified with corporate profiteering. More importantly, reviving such rhetoric drags America back into the failed culture of DEI, which has already destroyed careers, diminished meritocracy, and damaged social harmony.
Indian Americans are all too familiar with this. As documented in the NCRI report and demonstrated in the now-discredited Cisco case, Hindu American professionals—particularly those labeled Brahmin- have faced false accusations under weaponized DEI frameworks. Many in the community welcomed the administration’s decisive rejection of such divisive policies. Navarro’s remarks, however, suggest that advisors close to power continue to promote the same culture of prejudice.
CasteFiles expresses serious concern that Mr. Navarro’s comments echo dangerous propaganda narratives that encourage inimical forces that seek to malign Indian Americans, weaken the community, and destabilize U.S.–India relations. Repeating their talking points undermines not only Indian Americans but also President Trump’s broader vision for restoring fairness and accountability.
“The claim that Brahmins control oil wealth or trade profiteering is absurd. Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who rose from humble beginnings, nor India’s most prominent billionaires, Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, are Brahmins,” said Richa Gautam, Founding Director at CasteFiles. “Mr. Navarro’s remarks are not only inaccurate but dangerous as they place Indian Americans at risk.”
Abhijit Bagal, Director of Legal Action for CasteFiles, added:
“Indian Americans come to the United States drawn by its culture of meritocracy—not to be subjected to unwarranted slurs. Reviving caricatures crafted by hostile forces is not only deeply offensive but politically reckless. America’s strength lies in reinstating merit, not in resurrecting DEI - the failed politics of identity.”
CasteFiles remains steadfast in defending the integrity of the American merit culture, exposing malicious propaganda, and ensuring policymakers are armed with facts—not falsehoods.
We urge Mr. Navarro to retract his statement, issue an apology, and ensure that his office is not used to perpetuate disinformation that endangers communities at home and undermines U.S.–India relations abroad.
