U.S.A. - Diplomacy
Resolution recognizing contribution of community introduced in House
By Vasantha Arora

Juanita Millender McDonald (D-CA)

Washington - A Concurrent Resolution, sponsored by Congresswoman Juanita Millender McDonald (D-CA), recognizing the contributions of people of Indian origin to the United States and the benefits of working together with India, was introduced in the House of Representatives recently and has been referred to the House Committee on International Relations.

Strongly advocating that India be recognized as a “strategic partner to the U.S.,” the resolution says America’s global efforts could, as a result, become more effective and successful “in combating global HIV/AIDS, pursuing nuclear non-proliferation, promoting democracy, enhancing stability of the world economy, eliminating poverty, fighting terrorism, and expanding and strengthening global trade.”

Complimenting the people of Indian origin in the U.S. on their “extraordinary contributions” to the country, H. Con. Res. 352, introduced recently, notes that Indian Americans have helped to make the U.S. a more efficient and prosperous country. “These contributions have spanned disciplines ranging from science, technology, business development, and public service, to social justice, philanthropy, literature, and the arts.”

It said that generations of doctors and nurses of Indian origin have attended to the sick in large cities as well as in rural regions of the U.S. that are otherwise underserved.

Indian Americans have designed defense systems that protect U.S. naval ships while at sea, and have contributed to engineering, designing, and participating in the U.S. space shuttle program, at great personal sacrifice, the resolution added.

It noted how Indian Americans have invented many of the technologies that power the computer and the Internet, have created and directed laboratories that produced significant breakthroughs in modern medicine, and have taught at, and are leaders of, many U.S. institutions of higher learning.

The resolution made special mention of the Indian Americans’ “invaluable contributions to the vitality and viability of the U.S. economy through creative entrepreneurship and leadership in both large and small businesses” and how they have “shared and integrated their rich culture into the fabric of American daily life.”

The Millender-McDonald resolution says that the common values and common interests that are shared between India, the world’s largest democracy and the U.S., the oldest democracy, could be utilized to the benefit of the two countries working together in promoting peace, prosperity and freedom among all countries of the world.

On India-U.S. trade, the resolution says India, with its more than one billion people, offers the U.S. a large and rapidly-growing market and unlocks vast reservoirs of talent. Being the U.S.’s largest trading partner, India is a major source of foreign direct investment and foreign institutional investment, and U.S. exports to India are growing at a rate of 25 percent annually, making India one of the fastest-growing foreign markets for U.S. goods and services.

It said that India’s industrial tariffs have fallen from 150 percent in 1988 to a peak rate of 20 percent today and U.S. exports to India will accelerate as India continues reducing tariffs and instituting liberalization measures in its trade and investment regime, thereby expanding the trade relationship of the two countries and bringing mutual benefits.

Acknowledging that India has been a key partner in the war against terrorism, the resolution takes note of how the South Asian nation and the U.S. have agreed to increase cooperation in the areas of civilian nuclear activity, civilian space programs, high technology trade, and missile defense.

While such a multi-faceted cooperation between India and the U.S. will strengthen the bonds of friendship and commerce between the two countries, it would also pave the way for the peaceful use of space technology, and increase global economic stability and security, the resolution said.