The organization’s founder M.R. Rangaswami speaks about the DC event.
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M.R. Rangaswami founded Indiaspora in 2012, to act as “a catalyst to transform the success of Indian Americans into meaningful impact in India and on the global stage.” The organization made a big splash in Washington, DC, when it hosted the first ever Indian American inaugural ball in January 2013 during President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.
On January 3, Indiaspora will host a gala in Washington to celebrate the success of Indian Americans in congressional elections. In an interview with The American Bazaar, Rangaswami speaks about the gala.
What can we expect from the Indiaspora gala? Apart from the Indian American congressional delegation, who will be attending the event?
We are sold out and will have a great turnout of over 500 Indian Americans from across the US. This is a bi-partisan gathering where we will have Republicans, Democrats and Independents. Of course the Fab 5 Indian Americans elected to Congress will be honored along with Gov. Nikki Haley and Seema Verma, two women who have been nominated to be in the new administration. We will also have the prominent Indian Americans from the current administration in attendance, as well as leading business leaders and people from all walks of life. We will celebrate the community going from success to significance. Indian Americans are not only doctors, engineers or tech professionals — we are artists, academics, NGO leaders and more.
The last major Indiaspora event in Washington was the 2013 inaugural ball, which featured a number of heavyweights from the community. Will there be a similar turn out of A-Listers for this event?
Since January 3rd is the day the new Congress is sworn in, we expect a lot of Senators and members of Congress to stop by to congratulate their peers. Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, along with Reps. George Holding, Tulsi Gabbard, Carolyn Maloney and Joe Crowley have all confirmed their attendance. The place will definitely be buzzing!
How has the community response been so far?
It was a challenge to get the community together after the election since it was such a partisan affair. We really tried hard to get everyone to honor the successes of Indian Americans as a whole. I think we have begun to heal the wounds. The fact that we have sold out tells us that the community wholeheartedly supports our perspective.
In roughly three weeks, we will have a new Republican president. Will US-India relations continue to grow under a President Trump?
India has always had bi-partisan support. I expect that the new President will strengthen the relationship. Gov. Nikki Haley as UN Ambassador can play a big role. We need to make sure that the US-India relationship becomes the defining partnership of the 21st century.