US lauds Indian Americans for deepening ties

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a video-taped message from Hawaii to a parley titled, "US-India People to People Conference: Building the Foundation for a Strong Partnership," lauded the Indian American community for being bridge builders that was catalytic towards "deepening the partnership between our two countries and people."

She told the participants assembled in the State Department's Loy Hendersen Auditorum on Thursday that "earlier this year, the government of the United States and India opened a strategic dialogue to advance our cooperation on some of the toughest challenges we face -- improving global health, developing sources of renewable energy, educating more children, empowering people to improve their own lives."

"But we know," Clinton acknowledged in her remarks, "the governments alone cannot solve any of these problems. We need your ideas, and we need help from people like you."

She said, "That's why the connections you're forming today are so important. Your leadership across the United States -- along with your connection to communities in India-gives you insights than can benefit all of us."

Clinton hoped that "by sharing your ideas with one another, you can identify new and creative ways to deliver results that will make a difference in the lives of people and communities in India and around the world."

She said this was why the State Department was "proud to participate in this dialogue," and thanked the participants "for helping deepen the partnership between our two countries and people."

The State Department hosted the conference in cooperation with the Indian American Leadership Council and the American India Foundation, as a prelude to President Obama's visit to India, and said that it was aimed at highlighting "the crucial role of Indian Americans in the ever-strengthening US-India relationship."

The conference was kicked off with welcoming remarks by Dr Rajiv Shah, the highest ranking Indian American in the Obama administration, who will accompany the president to India.

The event brought together senior administration officials, Indian American community activists and leading academics and private sector leaders to brainstorm on topics related to the pillars of the US-India Strategic Dialogue--renewable energy, global health, education, and economic empowerment.

The State Department said that the conference was to highlight "the importance of people-to-people ties in 21st century diplomacy and the vast contributions Indian Americans have made to the US-India relationship" and was "designed to identify novel ways in which the diaspora community's talents can be applied in the areas of global health, renewable energy, education, and economic empowerment." 

It said that "President Obama and Secretary Clinton have repeatedly stressed the breadth and depth of the indispensable US-Indian partnership" and that this "People to People Conference represents the shared belief of the United States and India that through a multitude of people-to-people connections between our two countries, the US-India partnership will continue to flourish."

The program consisted of  panel discussion sessions with senior administration officials, subject matter experts, and grassroots diaspora on renewable energy, global health, education and economic empowerment.

India's ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, who delivered the valedictory address, said that with President Obama's visit to India only a little over a week away, there "could not have been a better occasion to showcase the contributions of the Indian American community in realising the extraordinary transformation that India-US relationship has witnessed in recent years."

She said that the conference is a testimony to the "growing presence of the Indian American community members in the United States, the strong influence they bring to bear in strengthening India-US relations, and the great expectations that both countries have in them in taking this important relationship forward."

Echoing the sentiments expressed by Clinton, Shankar also showered kudos on the Indian Americans for their "capability and contribution," which she said "instills great confidence, and their ability to serve their adopted  home in this country and make sterling contributions to its society and economy."

She observed that the Indian American community has come of age, playing rich and diversified roles in almost all walks of US society -- from art and culture to medicine, science, business, education, media, administration, politics and military, to name a few.

Shankar also recalled the "invaluable role the community played in seeing the India-US civil nuclear agreement through the Congress two years ago by creating the right environment." 

The envoy remarked that the growing people to people connections had facilitated a dynamic cultural osmosis in both directions as reflected in the increasing popularity of Yoga, and Indian cuisine in the US, and the impact of American pop music and fast food in India. 

She referred, in this connection, to the example of fusion represented by the vegetarian Aloo Tikki Burger served in India and the vegetarian Indian restaurants in the US, which call themselves Kosher!

Shankar also touched upon the growing economic relations between the two countries and the contribution of the community in this regard in sectors ranging from IT and banking to investments and entrepreneurship.

She then went on to outline the future prospects for engagement of the community through the various schemes that the governments are working on.