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United States Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, the new Democratic co-chair of the re-constituted US Senate India Caucus, feels that he has impossible shoes to fill, that of erstwhile Senator and now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Dodd, one of the senior-most members of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told an overflowing audience of Indian Americans from across the country in the ornate Mansfield Room of the US Capitol, "I can't begin to tell you how honoured I am to be filling the impossible shoes to fill of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, now Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton."
He said that it was Clinton "who came up with the concept and the idea of a US-India Caucus and working with (Republican Senator) John Cornyn, who, with her departure from the Senate, asked me to step into those shoes and become the co-chair."
Dodd, obviously humbled by the enthusiastic crowd of Indian American community leaders who mobbed him as he walked to the podium, congratulating him and wishing him the best, said, "This is a great opportunity for us to re-forge and to strengthen the relationship between the two greatest democracies in the world."
"And, if there's any doubt about it," he said, "the largest democratic elections in the world were held in India -- and with a remarkable turnout."
Dodd had taken charge as the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee last year after then Senator and now Vice President Joseph Biden was named running mate by then presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama in his campaign, and managed the debate on the Indo-US nuclear deal first in the Committee and then on the Senate floor.
He recalled, "What a great day it was when the Senate voted overwhelmingly to support that accord that was so critical."
Recognising several Senators who made cameo appearances to meet and greet Indian envoy Meera Shankar, Dodd said, "I am very grateful to many people here who played such an important role in all of that."
He said on that particular day, "we passed two other pieces of legislation -- we passed legislation dealing with mental health parity and the Emergency Economic Stabilisation Bill."
"Now what does that teach me? Anytime, there is a difficult vote around here, I am going to include India one way or the other to make sure we get our votes passed on a major bill," he quipped.
To much laughter and sustained applause, he said, "India is a good luck charm for the US Senate in moving things forward."
Dodd also was lavish in his praise for the Indian American community, declaring, "How grateful and enriched our nation is because of our fellow citizens of Indian descent that plays such an important role in both the economic and cultural life of our country enriching the United States every single day."
He told the several hundred Indian Americans present that "with your involvement, you keep reminding us of the importance of the relationship between our two countries."
Dodd acknowledged, "There are many challenging issues in the world and I think with the participation and the cooperation between India and the United States, while we can't solve every problem known to mankind, we can make a significant difference together -- whether it's climate change, illness and disease, poverty -- issues that worry all of us every single day."
"You bring a wealth in tradition and history that is unsurpassed in the region and we need to do everything we can to work even more closely together in the coming years," he told the Indian American community.
Dodd reiterated, "I can't begin to tell you how thrilled I am to be the co-chair of this Caucus and what it means. So, I am excited about the coming year -- the opportunity John (Cornyn) and I will have to work with you to fashion ideas together."
He said that he plans to convene "forums and gatherings so that we can listen and communicate with each other about the important issues -- not only bilateral issues, but also global issues in which both our countries can play that kind of constructive role for many years to come."
Thanking the Indian American community profusely "for coming here today to celebrate our Caucus, our coming together,' Dodd said, "these are the kinds of matters where we come together, not as Democrats or Republicans or demographically from one part of the country or another, but as Americans who care about emerging and strong democracies and India helps us lead the way given the history and strength of democracy in India."