In honor of the Indian Ambassador to the US.
By Global India Newswire
POTOMAC, MD: If his first public interaction with the Indian and Indian Americans in the Washington, DC, area is an indication, the partnership between the new Indian Ambassador to the United States, S. Jaishankar, and the community will be a formidable one.
Speaking at a reception hosted by the National Council of Asian Indian Associations (NCAIA) here on Saturday evening, the ambassador effusively praised the community for helping India and the United States transform their relationship and promised to continue to tap its support in further advancing the ties.
“When an American today thinks of India, I think the image of India that comes to people’s mind [is] their Indian American neighbors, their Indian American colleagues at workplace, the people who provide them services and advise of various kinds,” Jaishankar, who took charge in late December, said. “This is a community which is regarded as the best-educated community, the highest income [earning] community and extraordinarily responsible community. And I must tell you that I am extremely proud to come here as ambassador and when I travel around been seen as a reflection of that community.”
The ambassador also lauded Indian Americans for being comfortable in their identity. “At no point of time in our history” has the Indian Americans’ “loyalties of India and the loyalties of America” pulled them in different directions,” he said. “This is very, very remarkable because our ties has [not been as good as it is today]. So even through difficult times, I think one of the commendable aspects of the community has been you have all been good Indians, you have all been good Americans, and consequently you have all been good Indian Americans.”
In his nearly nine-minute speech, the ambassador also advised the community to give back more to its adopted land. “Our hope [is] that the community will step forward much more in public life and that the coming generation would see in public life an opportunity to pay back to America what American has done for [the community],” he said. “I hope to see more people running for office, more people in office, more people aspiring for office.”
Jaishankar, who succeeded Nirupama Rao as the ambassador, cited education and energy as two areas that will drive the Indo-US relations in the coming years. “I see incremental change happening in other areas: defense and security and our ability to engage each other across a very, very wide [spectrum of areas.] I am very hopeful, very optimistic [about] the relationship.]”
The ambassador said he knows that he can count on the Indian Americans to deliver. “I do know that, as in the past, what I can do depends on the support I get from all of you. Because it is your ability to shape the view of policy makers in the United States… Your activity, which will in a sense define the image of India in the eyes of people who are not Indian Americans. So to me, when you speak of India-US partnership… the important partnership is between the community and its ambassador.”
At the reception, the ambassador was presented with a citation by Maryland Deputy Secretary of State Rajan Natarajan. For his role in strengthening the US-India relations, Gov. Martin O’Malley proclaimed February 15th as the S. Jaishankar Day.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, NCAIA leaders Suresh K. Gupta, Pavan Bezwada, Benoy Thomas, Sambu Banik and Har Swaroop Singh also spoke on the occasion.
The ambassador was accompanied by his wife, Kyoko.