FOR a Prime Minister who wears his love for every expatriate Indian on his sleeve, Narendra Modi may have been slow in reacting to the targeting of Indians in the US. Perhaps, his foreign policy advisers do not think the three recent attacks on Indian-origin people in different parts of the US add up to a broader trend that needs New Delhi’s intervention. It may well be the case of three semi-literate, bigoted people tanked up on Donald Trump’s racist demagogy having a go at three vulnerable Indians. But there has been an uneasy feeling ever since Trump won the US presidential elections that his fiery hate speeches would spill over into real life. Trump’s uncomfortable rhetoric against recent immigrants, most of whom don’t share the skin pigmentation of the first lot of arrivals from Europe, was waiting to be ignited in America that, as it is, is a violent society. These are anxious times for the 30 million people of Indian origin in the US. The state of mental siege after the three assaults may be worse for the Sikh community. Bigots pay more attention to the Sikhs because their headgear and beards lead to a resemblance with people from West Asia — another ethnic group that Trump, during and after his election, had taught his followers to hate. Denied a honeymoon period, Trump will be disinclined to tone down his inflammatory logic to keep his flock together against relentless attacks from the liberals. The US badly needs a new conversation to stem this rising tide of racism. With the White House politically not well placed to take the initiative, the situation requires Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up. His mediation may be the trigger that the US civil society needs to focus on the rising bigotry against the browns. The US civil society has frequently triumphed in cultural wars against the right wing. It has stood up, fought back and won the battle against black discrimination. If South Block provides the urging, the American civil society is vigorous enough to beat back the latest example of intolerance.