IAFPE meet highlights value of political engagement

Toby Chaudhuri and Varun Nakore receiving Trailblazer Award

MILPITAS, CA: Well known Indian American leaders have exhorted the community to get politically engaged and involved in order to make issues heard in the mainstream. They were participating in the Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE) meeting here on September 12.

The IAFPE, founded in 1982, held its first political forum in the SF Bay area after nearly 15 years. The all day event was held at the India Community Center and was titled, 'Building a Politically Effective Community'. Conveners for the IAFPE forum were Yogi Chugh and Fremont City Councilmember Anu Natarajan.

The event hosted by the national organization drew several office bearers past and present and also many local politicians and civic leaders of the SF Bay area. Among the keynote speakers were newly appointed officials of the current US Administration under President Barack Obama, US Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) Vivek Kundra and Deputy Assistant Secretary of US department of Commerce Ro Khanna.

Also attending the event were US Congressman Mike Honda (D 15), who addressed the group on current issues and leadership in the Indian-American community and US Congressman Pete Stark (D-13), who spoke on the current Health care reform debate.

Indian-American and State representative from Kansas Raj Goyle also spoke.
Some of the attending national leaders included IAFPE National past Presidents Dr. Krishna Srinivasa, Dr Dinesh Patel, Dr Romesh Japra and Jayarama Komati, President, TANA, Entreprenuer Kanwal Rekhi, DNC Member at large Kamil Hasan, Democratic Strategist Ramesh Kapur and several local politicians and community leaders.

The IAFPE was formed with the goal to empower Indian Americans politically by raising civic consciousness and increasing participation in community affairs and the mainstream political process, including civic duties like voter registration and encouraging Indian Americans to exercise their rights to vote and to run for public office.

The panel sessions ran the gamut with the kickoff on current issues on Healthcare and Immigration with panelists Dr. Ami Bera, Clinical professor of Medicine UC Davis; Corporate attorney Inderpreet Sawhney and Asian law Caucus Staff attorney Veena Dubal, while the moderator was attorney Kalpana Peddibhotla.

The interesting topic of the day was on Political Engagement and Empowerment by panelists Toby Chaudhari, Communications Director for the Campaign for America's Future and Varun Nikore, founder of Indian American Leadership Initiative. The activists and community organizers were animated and brought in a wealth of experience to share and inspire on the need for political engagement and traced successes of the community both as a result of strategic engagement and grassroots and vision planning.

Both the speakers were also awarded a special IAFPE Trailblazer Award, which was well deserved according to the many past office bearers of the IAFPE.

Democratic Activist Ramesh Kapur brought in his extensive experience and acumen to give a keynote address on "A Politically Engaged Community" just before the lunch break. Kapur's illustrious achievements include a stint as the National Chair of the Indo-American Leadership Council for Democratic National Committee; Member of the Board of Directors, Indian American Council, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (2005-06); National Finance Board member, Democratic National Committee (2006-08).

Following lunch, Democratic National Committee trustee, member at large Kamil Hasan spoke on 'the Importance of being Heard", exhorting the community to get engaged and involved and making issues heard. The following session by guests Vivek Kundra US Federal CIO and US Deputy Asst. Secretary Ro Khanna was moderated by Yogi Chugh.
Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15) was his entertaining self as he outlined his commitment and support for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) causes and evoked the name of the first Asian American Congressman Dilip Singh Saund of Sacramento- who also happened to be the only Indian-American Congressman in the state.

Encouraging several potential candidates from the Indian American community, representative Mike Honda displayed his 'rock star; qualities as he drew a crowd of attendees after his speech.

Dr Subroto Kundu led the brief Health Care discussion followed by a presentation by representatives of the California Nurses Association.

Giving a boost to the potential candidates in the fray, the topic of candidacy proved very interesting with speakers Raj Goyle, State representative from Kansas who has announced a bid for US Congress and recently elected San Jose City Councilmember Ash Kalra, and Attorney Harmeet Dhillon, the sole Republican and candidate for Assembly from San Francisco and attorney Ash Pirayou.

The moderator was Anu Natarajan of Fremont, the first Indian-American to be elected as City Council member in the SF Bay Area. The afternoon session rounded off with an address by the outgoing IAFPE President Ravi Sakhuja, who traced the achievements of IAFPE and the way forward.

The banquet session saw a series of awards of distinction being conferred on attendees and past officials and also the installation of new IAFPE national officers, The elected officials were Yogi Chugh, President (CA), Sampat Shivangi, MD, President Elect (MS), Dwarika Agrawal, Senior Vice President (MA), Prasad Vanguri, Vice President (NC), Rajesh Verma, Treasurer (CA), Alex Abraham, Jt Treasurer, (AL), and Ravi Sakhuja, Past President (MA).

Talking to India Post, new President Yogi Chugh said, "My tenure will focus on stabilizing the IAPFE and building new chapters. The ideals of the IAFPE have always been to empower the community to be politically engaged.  Rather than predictably participating in politics without a clear and concerted focus, our IAFPE Leadership team will focus on building a strategy of political engagement and empowerment that better reflects our interests, values, and dreams of a collective  community. It will also be our focus to continue to be at the forefront in dealing with the issues that are important to the Indian American Community.

Building a broad based consensus on these issues and working with some of the leading National Indian American Organizations in ensuring that we speak with one voice will be a significant opportunity for us to pursue. Additionally in the year of the Census, it will be our leadership's desire to ensure that we can educate our community on the importance of being counted. With that goal in mind we will ask each chapter to work with the US Census in ensuring that our community focuses on making outreach on this issue one of our highest priorities."

India Post News Service