Indian Americans for Hillary Clinton will be launched in Maryland on April 24.
AB Wire
GERMANTOWN, MD: Dozens of prominent Indian Americans are joining hands to launch a nationwide grassroots volunteer organization to help elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States.
Indian Americans for Hillary Clinton (IAFHC) will be launched on April 24, with a rally on the Germantown, MD, campus of Montgomery College.
The 4 pm event will feature two Democratic Party heavy hitters and longtime Clinton associates: John Podesta, National Campaign Chair of Hillary for America, and Neera Tanden, a former advisor to Clinton and president of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress.
According to a press release issued by the IAFHC, the organization will be “a network for leaders and advocates who share Hillary Clinton’s values and vision for our country, and a commitment to mobilize the resources and ideas needed to compete and win in partnership with the Indian American community.”
The group will also serve “as a powerful vehicle to demonstrate coalition support for Hillary and move the conversation forward on issues important to our community,” it said.
Devang Shah, a prominent Washington area lawyer and key member of the organizing committee, told the American Bazaar that the IAFHC plans to host a number of events throughout the country with a focus on swing states.
“Our overall numbers may be small throughout the country but in a tight election, our community could make the difference in swing states such as Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina,” he said.
Citing a 2012 PEW study, the IAFHC release noted that “65% of Indian Americans were Democrats or leaned toward the Democrats, making them the Asian American subgroup most likely to identify with the Democratic Party.”
It added: “Therefore, it is important to mobilize the support of the millions of Indian Americans living here in the U.S. for Secretary Hillary Clinton and enable them to go out and vote (GOTV) for electing Hillary Clinton as our next President.”
Dr. Rajan Natarajan, a former Maryland Deputy Secretary of State and another member of organizing committee, said “The IAFHC has been created primarily to achieve this goal.”
In a joint statement, more than 30 community volunteer leaders who are serving on the organizing committee echoed Natarajan’s sentiment, “This is an important and inspiring volunteer platform that provides great access and opportunities for all Indian American grassroots volunteers across the country to get involved in the campaign, election process, raise their voices and provide their support and ideas to elect Hillary Clinton.”
The organizers said they expect more than 600 people to attend the inaugural event.
Besides Shah and Natarajan, the organizing committee includes Frank Islam, one of the largest Democratic Party donors; Dr. Suresh K. Gupta, a prominent Washington area physician; Pratima Dharm and Raj Rajendra, founders of the South Asian Military Families Support Network; Kirit Udeshi, a former president of the local Gujarati Samaj; Balagan Arumugasamy, founder of Balagan Business and Tax Service; and Vikrum Mathur, Legislative Aide to Montgomery County Councilmember Roger Berliner.
1 Comment
very enthusiastic approach,i have started campaigning too earlier, favouring HILLARY.