Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: PPROMINENT voices from the Indian American community have urged stronger India-US cooperation and a more active role for the diaspora in shaping policy conversations.
During a panel discussion organised on October 7 by India Abroad, a diasporafocused publication in the United States, Atul Keshap, the President of the US-India Business Council and former Charge d’Affairs at the US Embassy in New Delhi, argued for “quiet diplomacy” in the current challenging times.
“These moments are difficult. I think for the diaspora, looking at these last few months,” he said.
Keshap also spoke about the recent H-1B visa crackdown from the Trump administration, calling it a decision “driven by domestic politics.”
“I think in a country as diverse and as layered as India, a democracy as well, Indians would understand that there are domestic political compulsions that may change how the United States interfaces with the world,” he noted.
The debate over the role of the Indian American community in the US has intensified after Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor recently called the silence of the diaspora “puzzling” even as ties between Washington and New Delhi worsened.
MR Rangaswami, the founder of Indiaspora, a California-based non-profit organisation, defended the role of the community, calling it a “living bridge between the US and India.”
“The diaspora as a whole has remitted last year, $135 billion to India, out of which 30 billion came from the US. The Indian Americans themselves have impacted this country tremendously. We are 1 per cent of the population and pay 6 per cent of the taxes. We are 75,000 doctors in the US who serve 30 million patients. The diaspora lives here, works here, creates its wealth here, but we also help India,” he stressed.
Asha Jadeja Motwani, a Silicon Valleybased venture capitalist, said, “Crudely speaking, really the best thing that seems to work is to write a cheque towards certain things. I think it’s a wise thing to do if you can afford it. Go for dinners hosted by the Republican Party and get to know people, start forming a relationship with the Republicans,”
