Congressional Statements
Cochairmen of the India Caucus Witness
Ahmedabad Ruins
McDermott/Royce Press Release
February 19, 2001
Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), the
cochairmen of the India Caucus met today with Sri Keshubhai Patel, the
Chief Minister of Gujarat. The 90-minute meeting took place at Circuit
House in Ahmedabad today after the Congressmen toured the devastated earthquake
ruins of Ahmedabad.
The Congressmen are in India with the Democratic Whip, Congressman David
Bonior (D-MI) and International Relations Committee member, Congressman
Joe Pitts (R-PA). The purpose of the Congressional Delegation was several-fold.
Primarily, the Congressmen came to India to assess the immense destruction
caused by the recent earthquake in Gujarat. The trip's itinerary also
includes a visit to the International Fleet Review in Mumbai, and trade
and security meetings in Delhi.
Chief Minister Patel expressed his sincere thanks to the Congressmen
for the efforts of not only the United States, but also the many Indian-Americans
who have sent aid, and their thoughts and prayers to Gujarat. The meeting
quickly dispensed with formalities, and the Chief Minister asked his cabinet
to brief the Congressmen on the devastation. The ministers of Gujarat
stressed that the chief concern was to move the 800,000 plus families
who have been rendered homeless by the quake into shelter before the June/July
monsoons start. Over half of the villages in the Kachchha district were
affected, several of which no longer exist. The Chief Minister, in an
effort to impress upon the Congressional Delegation the severity of the
quake said that one out of seven Kachchhans were either killed or injured.
Congressman Royce expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister on behalf
of the Delegation for the meeting. "We have been sent by the Speaker
of the House to show Congressional support for America's relief and reconstruction
efforts in Gujarat. We also want to assess our aid effort. That is the
role Jim and I are playing here in India." He went on to comment
on the connections that his home state of California and Gujarat share,
"Gujarat and California were recently made sister states. From own
earthquake experiences, California has gained unique technical data helpful
to earthquake reconstruction. I plan on working to see that we share that
information with India." Royce also expressed his support for US
AID efforts saying, "The next step is reconstruction. USAID needs
to be involved, as do other US government agencies. America needs to do
more. So does the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. They should
be making soft loans to India." In a statement to press, Royce mentioned
the Indo-American community. "I represent many sons and daughters
of Gujarat. They have been leaders in the Indo-American community's outstanding
efforts to help Gujarat."
McDermott told the Chief Minister, "I have seen a tremendous response
by the Indo-American community from Seattle and all over the United States.
They have truly driven America's response to this earthquake. Ed Royce
and I wrote and passed H.Con.Res 15, expressing our sympathy and support
for India. However, I do not believe that a resolution is enough. The
U.S. Government must do more. I will definitely push very hard for increased
aid for the rebuilding and rehabilitation of Gujarat, now that you have
told me what it is you need."
After the meeting, Congressman McDermott, in talking to Shri Vajubhai
Vala, Gujarat's finance minister, said that, "I am truly saddened
by not only what we have seen today in Ahmedabad, but also what Mr. Patel
has briefed us on. I badly want to help Gujarat and India in any way possible,
and I have been thinking of how to best do that." McDermott went
on to say that "I sit on the Budget Committee, and hopefully I can
add an amendment to this years' Budget Resolution in the House" which
will provide the basis for what will be a substantial aid package to India,
he concluded.
The Congressional Delegation will proceed from Ahmedabad onto Bhuj in
the Kachcha district where the earthquake's damage was most severely felt.
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