Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans

A conversation with India Caucus co-chairs Crowley and Wilson

By Vasantha Arora
New India-Times
January 24, 2003

Joseph Crowley (D-NY): “India is a very important (country) in South Asia because it is the largest democracy unlike other countries in that region.”

The 10th anniversary of the founding of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans will be celebrated this year and prominent members of the Caucus who did a “tremendous job” of promoting Indo-U.S. bilateral relations would be honored at a special function, according to Rep. Joseph Crowley (NY-D), the newly-elected Democratic co-chair of the Caucus. Those to be honored include founder-member Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Jim McDermott, (D-WA), Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Rep. Benjamin Gilman (R-NY), said Crowley, who has succeeded McDermott as co-chair of the Caucus.

In an interview with News India-Times, Crowley said McDermott, who has visited India more than 20 times, had tried to expand trade ties with India, especially in the high-tech areas, as well as to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS in India, while Pallone did pioneering work to put the issue of Kashmir and the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community in perspective. Crowley said Ackerman and Gilman worked “very hard” on many issues of interest to India and the United States. The improvement in the U.S.-India ties could be seen as fruition of their hard work, he added.

He said a number of seminars on India-U.S. cooperation in various fields are also being planned to mark the occasion. This, he hoped, would help increase awareness about the Caucus and attract more members. These events, planned for sometime in spring, he hoped, would help the 130-member Caucus become an effective instrument in promoting India-U.S. relations as well as better understanding of India and its stand on several world issues.

The India Caucus is the largest of its kind in the U.S. Congress, with over 140 members in the 107th Congress.

Crowley represents the Queens and Bronx-based seventh Congressional district of New York, which is home to a large number of Indian Americans. He thinks very highly of the community whom he describes as very “hardworking, educated, enterprising and family-oriented.”

He said he happened to visit New Delhi in 2001 around the time the terrorist attack took place on the Indian Parliament, and that trip helped him comprehend how India has been coping with terrorism for the past 20 years. He could also now understand why India was the first to offer its cooperation to the U.S. in fighting terrorism worldwide. “I deeply appreciate India for this,” he said, adding that it also showed how the tragic events of 9/11 brought both the nations closer. Asked how he plans to achieve a more significant role for the Caucus, he said there were certain proposals and plans on reinvigorating it to play a greater role for the vibrant Indian American community and for fostering better relations between India and the U.S. He agreed that a lot more needs to be done to make the two countries better partners. “India is a very important (country) in South Asia because it is the largest democracy, unlike other countries in that region.” He said greater communication is the key for the two governments to cultivate a better understanding.

On Kashmir, he said: “This is a byproduct of India’s... colonial past. India has a multicultural, multiethnic and culturally diverse population. The people of Kashmir are no different” and added that India and Pakistan should begin a dialogue to find a peaceful solution. “I am extremely pleased that I have been elected to co-chair the Congressional India Caucus,” Wilson said. “It is of utmost importance that closer ties are forged between the largest democracy and the oldest one.” He said the Caucus helped facilitate more Indian American connectedness and involvement in the U.S. Congress.

Joe Wilson (R-SC): “I want to see the U.S. develop a deeper military relationship with the people of India, as they are a crucial ally in the War on Terrorism.”

An evenhanded approach to India and Pakistan would help ease tensions in the region as well as promote better understanding between the two South Asian nations and the United States has a significant role to play in this regard, said Rep. Joe Wilson, the newly-elected Republican Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

In an interview with News India-Times, Wilson (R-SC) said it would be beneficial not to have any regional tensions in that part of the world because any conflict in South Asia could prove to be disastrous, especially because both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons.

Wilson said he would contact all the Caucus members --- 130-140 in all --- to work on setting up regional CO-chairs of the Caucus, not just to increase membership, but also to achieve a very significant role for the congressional body.

The Congressman said he would also encourage the exchange of parliamentary delegations between India and the U.S. in a bid to foster better understanding and appreciation of each other’s views. Wilson, who also represents a large Indian-American population in his home state of South Carolina, made no bones about his admiration for the community. “My appreciation for the people of India began when my father spent time there as a member of the Flying Tigers during World War II, where he gained a great admiration for the people and their culture. As a colonel in the Army National Guard and member of the House Armed Services Committee, I want to see the U.S. develop a deeper military relationship with the people of India, as they are a crucial ally in the War on Terrorism,” Rep. Wilson said.

Wilson said he grew up with a great image of India because of his father’s experience and he admires the Indian Americans for their entrepreneurial zeal, hard work, professionalism, work ethics and family values. But most of all, he admires them for their assimilation into the U.S. society. He said he has known Indians who are well-respected for their work in civic organizations. “In fact, they excel in several fields to leave their mark,” he added.

In this context, he mentioned that there is an active initiative in the University of South Carolina to compile a Hindu encyclopedia.

Asked how he would steer the work of the Caucus to make it a more effective one, he said: “I look forward to following in the footsteps of my predecessor, Ed Royce, the outgoing CO-chair, and working with cochairman Joseph Crowley in bipartisan efforts to reach out to the Indian American community and to continue transforming the U.S.-India relationship in every way --- politically, economically, and strategically.”

He also praised Royce for providing invaluable leadership in strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and India.

Wilson welcomed India’s wholehearted support to the U.S. in its fight against terrorism. On Kashmir, he hoped that a peaceful solution could be negotiated to avoid any regional tensions or future conflicts.

Asked about Sen. Trent Lott’s (R-MS) recent remarks that cost him his job, Wilson, who has previously served on the staff of former senator Strom Thurmond, said “this was an unfortunate thing. Actually, Sen. Thurmond had ‘reformed his position’ and he had clearly indicated his views about segregation. In fact, he even hired an African-American on his staff. “All that one has to learn from this very unfortunate incident is how careful people in public office have to be in phrasing what they have to say.”

On being able to serve on the Caucus, Wilson said, he was honored, excited, proud and to play a role in promoting better relations between India and the U.S.