Congressional Statements

Crowley Statement on the Election of Pratibha Patil

The Honorable Joseph Crowley
On the floor of the House of Representatives
July 25, 2007

I rise to congratulate President Pratibha Patil on her historic election.

On July 19, 2007, delegates from the Indian Parliament and various state legislatures elected Pratibha Patil the new president of India. She is the first female elected to the office of the presidency since India gained independence from the British in 1947. This is a monumental achievement for this emerging democracy, and it demonstrates the progressive ideals and forward-thinking ways of the people of India.

President Patil represents the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the present coalition of ruling political parties that has had a strong and lasting presence in the Government of India since 2004, and she is a member of the Indian National Congress, which led the nation to Independence.

She won by nearly two-thirds of votes cast by the election body, representing the overwhelming support that President Patil has garnered while being a member of the UAP.

She has had a long history in elected office, her first vistory coming in 1962 when she was elected the state of Maharashtra’s legislature. Since then, she has demonstrated great skill in governing on both the state and national level. The turning point in her political career came in 2004 when she was elected the first female governor to the state of Rajasthan.

As President, Patil will not only serve as the First Citizen and Head of State of India, but she will be the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army and hold all executive powers of the Central Government.

The election of President Patil represents the merger of diversity and equality within the Government of India. She is not only the first woman president elected in the country, but also the first Maharashtrian to hold the position.

As a strong advocate of India-U.S. relations, I believe the election of President Patil signifies the pluralism that drives and provides efficient functioning of democratic systems.

I wish President Patil great success. She is a role model for all women around the world, and I hope her presidency helps to diminish some of the lingering discrimination against women in India. I also look forward to working with her and the Indian government on further developing a strong and lasting relationship between our two great democracies.

Thank you.