Congressional Caucus on India to raise India's stock in US

The Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, a group of 80 US Congressmen, proposes to undertake an aggressive campaign to ensure India a central place in America's foreign policy, says Caucus founder and co-chairman Frank Pallone.

"The end of the Cold War, India's ongoing economic liberalisation and the instability in Pakistan," Pallone told the press on Thursday, "all argue in favour of a major US reassessment of how our interests in Asia can be best served."

The Caucus, he added, had so far been busy defending India against attacks in the US Congress. It was high time to make known to Congressmen India's potential in various fields, particularly in trade and commerce, Palone added.

"While working to reverse the pro-Pakistan tilt on the part of the US state department," he said, "I hope we can build on the modest ties that have begun in terms of a security partnership through such activities as joint training exercises and military training efforts."

Pallone said there had been so much misinformation about the situation in Punjab. The new coalition of the Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party was a sign that Hindus and Sikhs could work together and want to work together to promote political stability and economic growth. "I am determined to spread the world about the remarkable progress being made in Punjab," he added.

The Congressman, who visited India recently, said the Caucus would also help spur major US investment in basic infrastructure. The agriculture sector offered many opportunities for co-operation and joint partnerships, he said, adding that there were many opportunities for smaller-scale partnerships involving academic institutions and sister-state and sister-city relationship between India and American entities.

He pledged to work with the Indo-American community to build a bridge between the US and India. He made out a strong case for sister-state relationship between Punjab and New Jersey, both are agricultural states. Pallone represents New Jersey in the US Congress. His constituency has a fairly large population of Indian immigrants from Gujarat.