A record five Indian-American lawmakers from the ruling Democrat Party, including Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Ami Bera have been elected to the US House of Representatives, while several others were elected in state legislatures, in one of the most polarised midterm elections in the country.
Indian-American attorney Ro Khanna, who served for two years in a senior position in the Obama administration, has raised a record $1.2 million (around Rs 6.24 crore) in one single quarter for his Congressional bid in 2014.
With Ro Khanna defeating eight-term incumbent Mike Honda, for the first time in history the Indian Diaspora has three of its own in the US Congress.
'As a member of Congress, it was important to meet with Prime Minister Modi. Promoting the India-US relationship is a priority. It is important to have a constructive dialogue with the biggest democracy in the world,' US Congressman Mike Honda tells Ritu Jha/Rediff.com
Obama's winning will underscore that in America anything is possible. My hope is that young Indian Americans will see Obama and say, 'I can go into public service as well'. My hope is that Obama will inspire Indian Americans to see politics as something noble, as something that can make a difference in people's lives, says Ro Khanna
Khanna, an attorney who is perhaps one of the most articulate spokesmen of Indian Americans in the Democratic Party, argued political mobilisation is the final step for the community.
'I will be one of the most impactful players in Washington from day one because of the constituency I represent, which is the greatest, most influential constituency in the country, in the world. The only majority Asian district, with a huge Chinese-American and Indian-American population in a world which is going to be dominated by the United States, China and India -- the heart of the high tech innovation economy.' Ro Khanna, whose election campaign has America buzzing, speaks to Rediff.com's Aziz Haniffa.
Two more senior Indian American Obama administration officials have flown the coop.
"China creeps towards hegemony in Asia, threatens India's borders, and treats other countries as junior partners, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said.
California State Attorney General Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez battle each other to become California's next United States senator, after winning the top two spots in an open primary on Tuesday, reports Ritu Jha from California.
Ro Khanna, 32, has been appointed by President Barack Obama as the new deputy assistant secretary of commerce for domestic operations of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service, International Trade Administration at the US Department of Commerce.He is the first Indian American to be named for a senior position in the Department of Commerce in the Obama administration, whose portfolio will have a direct impact on US-India trade and commercial ties.
The "Samosa caucus" comprises of five Indian-American lawmakers, including four members of the House of Representatives and Senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
The legislative amendment was passed on Thursday by voice vote as part of an en bloc (all together as a single unit) amendment during floor consideration of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA).
Not only does the new US Congress have the first Indian-American US Senator, for the first time in history it also has four Indian Americans in the House of Representatives! Glimpses of the change of guard.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nearly hour-long address to the United States Congress evoked multiple standing ovations, applauses and cheers from American lawmakers and chants of 'Modi, Modi' from members of the diaspora community sitting in the grand House Chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
Modi was addressing the State Dinner hosted in his honour by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the North Lawn of the White House.
A PTI journalist was verbally intimidated and physically assaulted by Khalistan supporters protesting outside the Indian embassy in Washington, DC, drawing a strong reaction from the Indian mission which said such activities underscore the violent and anti-social tendencies of these separatists.
The Biden administration has assured the Indian government of a quick investigation into the incident and bring to justice the police officers who were responsible for it.
Nearly 100 Indian-Americans are on the ballot for the midterm elections and have emerged as strong contenders.
He is among several leaders of Indian heritage who have ascended to the highest echelon of public service globally.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and a Republican presidential aspirant have called his fellow rival Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy a guy who sounds like ChatGPT and described him as an "amateur" Barack Obama.
It's not just wrong. It's dumb. Mr President, would America really be greater without us?" he asked in a tweet.
"Make no mistake: this ban does not keep us safe. It puts American lives at risk while isolating the Muslim community at a time when we need to address the threat of homegrown extremism. No matter the changes, this executive action remains immoral and fundamentally un-American," California Senator Kamala Harris said.
"This is something to be proud of," said Raj Panjabi, who is currently serving as Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefence on the White House National Security Council.
'This is a dark day for our country'
Indian billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Anand Mahindra, Apple CEO Tim Cook and corporate leader Indira Nooyi were among the guests. CEOs of Google, Microsoft and Adobe -- Sunder Pichai, Satya Nadella and Shantanu Narayen -- also attended the event.
The resolution was introduced by Senator John Cornyn, Republican Senate Majority Whip, and Senator Mark Warner, ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
"We value our partnership with India, and we've been increasing it and doing a lot more, over time. They have the same security challenge, primary security challenger that we do, and it's real on their northern border," Admiral John Christopher Aquilino, commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command, told members of the House Armed Services Committee during a hearing on Indo-Pacific National Security Challenges.
It was a historic moment for California's Hindu American community, when the senate floor at the Capitol unanimously passed the resolution on Monday designating October 2013 as Hindu American awareness and appreciation month.
This is the highest number of Indian-Americans in the history of the US Congress.
The four incumbents -- Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal -- are likely to be re-elected. All four are from the Democratic party.
Chanting slogans of "Modi Modi" and India-US friendship, Indian Americans walked in a procession for over an hour towards the historic Lincoln Memorial where the participants busted into an impromptu dance.
Biden's reference to the hate crime against Asian Americans was welcomed by Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna.
Top Pentagon officials have shown an understanding of India abstaining at the UN on resolutions against the Russian aggression against Ukraine but had a hard time pacifying many US lawmakers during a Congressional hearing on the Indo-Pacific on New Delhi's repeated abstention at the world body in New York.
The legislator was taken into custody under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after he was detained by agency officials from a public meeting he was holding in Malerkotla, they said.
A group of Khalistan supporters gathered in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC and many of their speakers tried to incite violence, but timely intervention by an alert United States Secret Service and local police prevented a repeat of London and San Francisco incidents of vandalism at the mission.
Bera now leads Scott Jones by over 2 per cent, increasing the prospect of him being elected for the third time.
'I told President Obama, "Mr President, do you realise that the person who is likely to become the prime minister of India in two weeks, does not have a visa, and you are talking about having great relations between India and the USA, how are you going to do it?".'' 'His answer was that this is not right and that he'll have somebody from the White House and the State Department reach out to me.'
"I am deeply proud and excited to call Kamala Harris our next Vice President, the first woman, first South Asian American and first Black woman to ever be elected to the position," Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said.
The leadership of the powerful Congressional India Caucus has urged the Indian government to ensure that the norms of democracy are maintained.
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