Kumar Barve

Maryland State’s House Majority Leader Kumar Barve, who was recently elected vice chair of the Democratic National Convention’s Rules Committee, said his party wanted to give Indian Americans prominence in the current campaign for the presidency in the Democratic Party’s effort to oust President George Bush.

“It’s a position of prominence. The Democratic Party wants to give prominence and wants to acknowledge the importance of Indian Americans,” he told News India-Times. “I have been to 2 other conventions in the past. This one is going to be important because we are all very interested in making sure to present our views on how to run the government.”

The Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) unanimously elected the largest number of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans to serve on 2004 Democratic National Convention Standing Committees, according to the Democratic Party. Seven Asian Americans serve on the Platform, Credentials and Rules Committees as chairpersons, vice chairpersons, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEO). Barve is 1 of 8 vice chairs, the highest position any Indian American has reached in the party hierarchy.

“The active participation of Asian Pacific Isla-nder Americans in the 2004 Convention represents the strength and diversity of the Democratic Party and, together, we will all win in November,” said DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe.

Earlier this year, Senator John Kerry selected Democratic Assemblywoman Swati Dandekar of Iowa to be co-chair of his campaign committee for that state, and she played an important part in securing his victory in the critical Iowa Caucuses, a victory that played a part in pre-determining his presidential candidacy at the July convention.

The Platform Committee is responsible for drafting and recommending a proposed National Platform for approval at the convention. Newly-elected San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris will serve as a PLEO member of the Platform Committee. California Congressman Bob Matsui was elected chair of the Rules Committee, and Barve was elected as a vice chair. Smita Shah, Rashid Chaudry, and Washington State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos were elected as a PLEO members of the Rules Committee.

The Credentials Committee is charged with resolving any disputes over the selection of delegates and alternates to the Convention. Minnesota State Senator Mee Moua was elected to serve as a PLEO member of the Credentials Committee.

Barve said that while he did not know the exact number of Indian Americans who will be chosen as delegates to the upcoming convention in Boston July end, “I am sure it will be a healthy number.”

“A lot of Indian Americans are involved in the Democratic Party. It is no longer a novelty in contrast to the Republican Party,” Barve said. “I don’t think the party takes us for granted.”

“At the Democratic Convention, we do have high-dollar donors, but also those that work in the trenches,” he said, taking a dig at the high-dollar donors and fund-raisers among Indian Americans, that have been selected to attend the Republican Convention Aug. 30-Sept. 2.