WHY I CRASHED THE WHITE HOUSE'S GARDEN PARTY FOR NARENDRA MODI

On June 22, the White House held a "welcoming ceremony" for visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the South Lawn of the White House, where members of the public could register to attend.I signed up, along with my friends Keya Chatterjee and Apoorva. Our goal was not to welcome Modi, but rather to be a visible presence as dissenting voices. We wore t-shirts with the hand-painted message "Modi=Fascist" under our outer garments and smuggled in printed signs denouncing the Modi government's human rights violations and persecution of religious minorities.An overwhelming majority of the crowd of more than 1,000 were Indian American, and judging by their chants and their visible symbols, many were Modi supporters.It was an intimidating experience, the enormity of which didn't hit me until after the adrenaline rush had worn off. We had managed to enter one of the most secure places on earth with materials that were expressly forbidden, surrounded by a crowd that included many hostile people.Why did we take this risk?