Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans

A+ for Crowley

But the Congressman must maintain his grade to remain on the Dean's List

by Aziz Haniffa
India Abroad
July 25, 2003 print edition pg. A28

You got to hand it to Congressman Joe Crowley, who since taking over the reins of the Congressional Caucus of India and Indian Americans as Co-Chair, has shown the kind of activism missing from the Caucus beyond the first four years when its founder and former CO-Chair Congressman Frank Pallone catalyzed its proliferation from its original eight members.

In the six months he has been in the saddle, Crowley has responded positively to this columnist's criticism at the time he and Republican CO-Chair Joe Wilson took over about the lethargic malaise the Caucus found itself in. I have written how the Caucus was content to just bandy its growing numbers and send out press releases about what it was doing to promote US-India relations, but hardly doing anything substantive or tangible with regard to the growth of US-India relations, and more importantly to help address the Indian-American community's issues and concerns, but taking them for granted.

Crowley has energized the Caucus as never before even if it means activating the dozen or so founding members of the 163-member Caucus who were in slumber for so long. This is saying a lot for a relatively junior member of the House of Representatives -- Crowley is only in his third term in Congress -- who has had to diplomatically deal with egos and agendas and pulling of rank of other members but do it without treading on the toes of those who always think they know better and have delusions of being legends in their minds.

In this regard, probably one of his strengths has been that he has never eschewed seeking the guidance of mentors like Pallone -- who has often declared that Crowley is 'doing a great job' -- and Sherrod Brown, the Ohio Democrat, and the foreign policy expertise, particularly when it comes to US-India issues, of the likes of Congressman Gary Ackerman, a former CO-Chair of the Caucus.

Crowley has been fortunate to have indefatigable aides -- his chief of staff Chris McCannell and legislative aide Gregg Sheiowitz -- who have often gone beyond the call of duty in pushing forth the India Caucus agenda and have never failed to attend Indian American community events or any others that deal with US-India issues. They, along with their boss, have made it a point to even attend functions put together by organizations like the Indian American National Foundation, which many would argue is comatose, even when other Indian American groups have advised them against it, because as Crowley says, "I don't want to get into the politics of organizations, I tend to believe that coming from an ethnic group myself (Irish as they come), we have been known to have similar squabbles within our ranks."

"But I believe that if I am invited to an event, and it's a legitimate organization, and legitimately represents groups of people," he argues, "I will make every effort to attend and that's why I'm here this evening."

Why this columnist gives Crowley an A+ in his first six months as CO-Chair is because he took up the challenge I threw the Caucus in the right spirit that it had got bogged down more as a body promoting US-India relations and simply hosting Indian leaders visiting the US, and seemingly had forgotten the Indian American part of its mandate.

Crowley attempted during his tenure to balance promoting US-India issues and simultaneously move on domestic issues of concern to the Indian American community.

Two recent examples have been his lobbying on the Caucus' behalf in helping to push through the Faleomavaega amendment to condition US aid to Pakistan on the basis of a certification by the Bush Administration that Islamabad stopped fomenting cross-border terrorism in India and halted proliferation of nuclear weapons technology, while at the same time drafting a resolution to honor Dalip Singh Saund, the only Indian American to be elected to the House of Representatives.

He is also drafting a Dear Colleague letter to be circulated in Congress to hold hearings on hate crimes against South Asians, the most recent being the horrendous beating and stabbing of Saurabh Bhalerao (India Abroad, July 11) in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and the attacks against several Sikhs that has continued in the aftermath of the 9-11 xenophobia.

Crowley's logic behind the Saund resolution makes eminent sense.

He told a recent Indian American function that "many members haven't a clue there was already an Indian American," in the House. "So in many respects, you have already crossed that threshold."

While acknowledging it happened quite some time ago, "the fact is Indian Americans did have a Congressman in the House of Representatives and it's something to be very proud of, and it needs to be known by everybody and the next generation of Indian American leaders."

But Crowley cannot get this resolution enacted alone. He needs at least 100 cosponsors to get to first base and garner the momentum necessary to make it permanent.

As of July 7th, the resolution had only 33 original cosponsors, and mind you, the India Caucus now numbers 163 members, maybe even more. There is absolutely no reason why the other 130 members cannot sign this resolution. They have nothing to lose. It is basically a harmless resolution honoring the only Congressman the Indian American community can boast of.

There is no horse-trading or quid pro quo needed by any lawmaker to sign this resolution. It will not adversely affect them in any way to lend their signature to this bill.

But the community has to help Crowley in his endeavor. In terms of resolutions like this, constituents have a much better chance of persuading their respective Congressman/ Congresswoman to sign the resolution than a fellow colleague in the House does. It is time for political activists in the community to take out the most updated lists of the India Caucus and ask those who have not signed on as original cosponsors why they have not. And if they do not, or don't want to, hold their feet to the fire as to why not?

If the Indian American community wants to model itself after the Jewish American community and how they lobby those on Capitol Hill and have absolutely no problem in garnering support for whatever bill or issue of concern they have, this is the way to do it. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.

Let me make your job a little more easier by providing you with the list of the original cosponsors who joined Crowley: Albert R. Wynn, Tom Lantos, David Wu, Adolphus Townes, Carolyn Maloney, Michael M. Honda, Rush Holt, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Frank Pallone, Chris Bell, Eni Faleomavaega, Grace Napolitano, Jim McDermott, Robert C. Scott, Neil Abercrombie, Juanita Millender-McDonald, Michael McNulty, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Barbara Lee, Howard Berman, Steve Rothman, Sam Farr, Elliot L. Engel, Sherrod Brown, Jim Cooper, James T. Walsh, Zoe Lofgren, John Conyers Jr., David Price, Jan Shakowski, Major Owens, Bob Filner.

Meanwhile, dear Congressman Crowley, notwithstanding the kudos, please be warned that praise from a journalist can often be the kiss of death! So be on the ball and let us not have the opportunity to say your slip is showing. If I remember correctly from my college days, you have got to maintain an A+ to remain on the Dean's list.