The mention of Silicon Valley brings the images of the glass buildings nestled in the midst of large open spaces filled with highly-skilled ‘educated’ professionals.

Silicon Valley also portrays the overwhelming presence of the Indian community. A community that I belong to. At least, legally, I still belong to.

Today, I witnessed a shattering. A demise of my expectations from the Indian community I was born into.

Trikone, the oldest South Asian LGBTQ organisation with its roots in Silicon Valley, was peacefully taking a stand to bring forth the attention to the missing LGBTQ rights.

All I, being the chairperson of Trikone, did was to peacefully take a stand on the public grounds of the city of San Jose holding the sign – “377” The old British law still haunts Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Maldives, Myanmar and more… #LGBTQ Rights.

I was attacked. My fellow comrades holding equally neutral messages were attacked.

My sign was snatched, broken and thrown. I was dragged, pulled out by my collar, held on my neck and was yelled at – you don’t belong here.

The attackers were my fellow Indians. The attackers asserted their Indian majority status.

Being a minority is not new for me. I was born in India. I was raised in India. I grew up in towns where I was taught not to mention my name out loud. I was told not to ask for what’s my worth. I was instructed not to question what’s been told. To add to the mix, I am homosexual. In addition to all of the above ‘not’s I had to add a whole lot of silence clouts.

Setting foot in the United States of America, I assumed that I was away from all of Indian hypocrisy.

The Indian majority set it right for me today. I was, am and will be a minority.

Collecting myself off today’s moments, I am left with a haunting question – If the Indian majority, the ‘educated’ lot, standing on non-Indian grounds, can resort to such means to drive their point across; what is the plight of the minorities on the Indian soil?