Washington - Ambassador Lalit Mansingh, who remitted office on April 30, urged the Indian-American community to sink their regional, linguistic and other differences to come together to achieve bigger goals.

“You have to come together for a cause which is higher than our subregional loyalties in India. Remember that you are Americans –– 100 percent Americans –– and you have to get involved politically for the sake of the future generation,” he said at a reception hosted at the Indian Embassy after the inauguration of the Senate India Caucus.

Mansingh, who turned 63 on April 29, has had a long and distinguished career as a diplomat and is returning to India on May 1. Deputy Chief of Mission Rakesh Sood will be acting ambassador till the next envoy is named by New Delhi after the new government takes over.

Mansingh said: “Mahabharata would not have taken place if people did not have big egos and never cooperated with one another... We don’t have to enact the Mahabharata war generation after generation. Let us for heaven’s sake have a sense of unity and solidarity. Since you have proved that you can create a Caucus in the House and the Senate, you can install people from amongst your own in the United States Congress.”

Obviously put off by the internecine quarrels that marked organizations started by Indian Americans, Mansingh noted the Jewish community, which is six million strong, has about five major associations. “But the Indian Americans, who are less than two million, have at least 5,000 associations.”

“You are entitled to have any number of organizations because that represents the diversity of India, but there are occasions where we must get together like in this group.”

He urged the community to let their children take to politics and aspire for political office and not just insist on them becoming doctors or engineers.

“Political involvement is very important for any immigrant community and this has to be underscored for the well being of the future generation,” the outgoing ambassador added.

Before the start of the reception, Mrs. Sen Gupta and Indu Jaiswal sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to the Ambassador, much to the delight of those present on the occasion.