IndiaPost - Voice of Indians Worldwide: Cruz Bustamante next Ambassador to India?

Cruz Bustamante next Ambassador to India?
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Greg Heffernan on 24/03/2009 10:55:00
 
India Post News Service
SACRAMENTO: If the Motion Picture Academy's nod to Slum Dog Millionaire is any
indication that America has India on it's mind, the same could be said among
Indo-Americans in the US who are gathering support for the former California
Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante as possibly the next ambassador to the
largest democracy on earth.
The first Latino elected to California office since 1872, Bustamante brings an
array of popularity and experience guiding California's eighth largest economy
in the world not only as Lieutenant Governor but also as president of its senate
and speaker of its assembly. Though it's rumored he recently turned down the US
Secretary of Agriculture post, his excellent credentials could translate into
global politics and business when one is talking about America's rising
interests in South Asia.
Bustamante, who narrowly missed becoming California's governor four years ago,
is also admired as a mentor for numerous other Latin and African American
political leaders. Among his powerful prodigies in Washington DC are current US
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Hispanic Caucus Chair US Congressman Joe Baca
along with Bustamante's former assistant US Congresswoman Laura Richardson. L.A.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa considers Bustamante a model and guide for his own
career along with numerous other members of the Hispanic Caucus and the Black
Caucus. Even the hugely popular India Caucus with 187 congressional members
finds major support for Bustamante.  When asked why, Bustamante's reputation as
a charismatic communicator, who can bring diverse elements together, seems to
emerge from any discussion.
"He's very interesting to watch, because he's probably one of the most effective
individuals I've seen in small group gatherings where he uses everyday language
to get his point across," says Ron Loveridge, mayor of Riverside, California and
vice president of the National League of Cities, an 18,000 US city advocacy
group in Washington DC.
Loveridge gives Bustamante high marks for his ability to make people like him
and a master of the diplomatic use of power. "California is an extraordinary
state made of diverse people and complex businesses, and it's difficult to move
into leadership sometimes, but Cruz is one of the best at it," he says.
"Cruz has always been a dedicated and hard working public servant and would be
an excellent choice as the next U.S. Ambassador to India," reports US
Congressman Joe Baca, chairman of the Hispanic Caucus on Capitol Hill who served
with Bustamante in California's State Assembly. "I know he would bring the same
sense of public service and passion to ensuring US/India relations remain strong
as we head full bore into the 21ST Century."
US Congresswoman Laura Richardson, a member of the Black Caucus echoes Baca's
supportive words, praising Bustamante's world trade vision and his ability to
reach out to diverse constituents and political leaders while effectively
managing the plethora of demands of public office. "Cruz worked tirelessly to
restore economic relations with numerous countries and California in
particular," she says. "He'd make a great ambassador to India."
America's relations with India are globally strategic given its challenging
neighbors of Pakistan, Afghanistan and China, but also economically driven with
India's GDP set to eclipse Japan's in the next few years, on its way to becoming
the second largest economy in the world. Numerous American companies are also
vying for India's vast emerging markets where in some regions over one million
cell phones a month are still being sold.
It's no secret California with its fourth busiest port in the nation stands to
gain substantially with trade in India and why Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa
openly endorses Bustamante: "If the Indo-American community is behind him, I
support their choice," he says. "I know Cruz personally and he could be a major
asset in US trade relations with India."
US Congressman Ed Royce, co-chair of the India Caucus, sees those trade
relations as being key. "The U.S. and India will need to do more together on the
economic front," says Royce who has been a facilitator of past US Presidents
visiting India. "As the November attack on Mumbai again showed, the two
countries are fighting Islamist terrorism, but our next ambassador to New Delhi
will have an important role in building momentum.  The Obama Administration,
therefore, needs to show interest in promoting trade, which is more important
than ever, with the protectionist threat looming," he says.
As Chair of the California Economic Development Commission Bustamante helped
create 12 international trade offices in Asia, Latin America and even Africa,
including several delegations from India for agriculture and education
demonstrating his global understanding of US business on world market level.
Currently US imports from India have been rising at a remarkable 11 percent per
annum to 26 billion in 2008, while US exports to India have also jumped six
percent per annum to nearly 18 billion a year.  America is also one of the
largest foreign direct investors in India at 9 billion a year.
"I see all sorts of growth in international trade between the US and India, in
high tech, bio tech, education, and agriculture," says Bustamante, who grew up
in California's Central Valley from very modest origins, yet a region that
produces nearly one twelfth of the world's agriculture. "It would be my pleasure
to work with the Obama Administration and my friend Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, to pursue those strategic goals for both nations if I was privileged to
be selected as India's next ambassador."
Perhaps the most common denominator of reports on Bustamante are his ability to
relate to a wide variety of individuals and his gift at moving groups to
dialogue.  "We don't need guys who have a bunch of experience doing theoretical
studies on India.  We need a new attitude," observes Mike Mallapa, a two-time
India Parliament candidate who is also a successful US entrepreneur and big
political contributor to the DNC. "Cruz has a practical approach on national
security, terrorism, and the economy and he's supported by many members of the
India Caucus.  That's what we need," he says.
Effective alliances were also the major demands of America's previous
ambassadors to India, who did not always generate warm relationships with its
leaders in Delhi or its people. "We don't need more of what I call 'Boston
Brahmins,'" says businessman and a key-west coast Democratic fundraiser, Nadadur
Vardhan. "So often past ambassadors to India have been intellectuals who
specialized in geopolitics but lacked the ability to engage national leaders in
authentic dialogue without being patronizing to India's people, its culture and
its value as America's strategic ally," he says.
Dr Sudhir Parikh, MD, New Jersey publisher of the national Indian American
magazine feels Bustamante has excellent qualifications as a future Indian
Ambassador. "Being able to work with diverse groups is fundamental to Indian
politics," says Parikh, the recipient of the two most prestigious civilian
awards in both the US and India: the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman.  "Bustamante can do just this-work with a variety of
individuals and agendas and that literally can make all the difference in the
world.  I think he's just what the doctor ordered."
Dr Ram Roy, emeritus professor of political science at Cal State Northridge and
of native of Hyderabad, sees Bustamante as a potential bridge builder based on
his work in California. "America's ambassador to India always represents a super
power in India, and most ambassadors use calculated words to express foreign
policy.  But Cruz has the unique ability to communicate across racial, ethnic
and economic lines, among whites, Hispanics, Latinos, and yes, even Indians," he
says.
Professor Roy also points out that as former Lieutenant Governor Bustamante was
a regent and trustee of California's prestigious Cal State and University of
California colleges. "In India it is a common practice that many universities
will invite the American ambassador to speak on their campuses.  The fact Cruz
has served on the prestigious UC and Cal State boards as Lieutenant Governor
gives him an excellent introduction.  He also comes from a state that is on the
cutting edge of international high tech industries and he can speak with
authority about the global green tech revolution which California is leading in
America," he says.
"The next ambassador to India will need to be able to represent American
interest and obviously security issues in South Asia, but also be willing to
listen to India's own national interest as a rising economy and military ally of
America," explains Dr Krishna Reddy, founder of the IAFC (Indo American
Friendship Council) and who helped organize the India Caucus which currently has
the largest number of congressional members of any caucus on Capitol Hill. "I've
been to fundraisers with Cruz and he's a good man, a good family man and as an
ambassador I think he'd represent that.  Part of the current problem in South
Asia is that India is going to be key for support with the Afghanistan situation
Obama has inherited.  Without India there is really no regional support," says
Reddy.
Professor Roy agrees.  "India is a key strategic partner in South Asia because
of the tremendous pressure from China, and with Japan playing very cool. So
India and the US are natural allies. Vice President Biden knows Pakistan very
well; he's been to Pakistan several times, and Secretary Clinton knows China
very well," says Roy. "So a lot of responsibility will be in Bustamante's hands
if he's chosen to be ambassador."
Kevin Kaul, chairman of the FOSAAC (Friends of South Asian American Business
Communities) that sponsors major trade delegations to encourage commerce between
the US and India likes Bustamante's popularity with the people.  "He'd be a
great ambassador to India. They like him here, he's always been supportive of
our attempts to encourage trade between the US and India.  He knows our
community and respects it.  He's a good man to represent the US in Delhi."
Bustamante himself sees his role as a facilitator should he be asked to serve.
"Secretary of State Clinton clearly has a vision and the moxie to handle the
alliances and interests that India and China represent to the United States in
Asia," he says, echoing the idea that developing trade and dialogue with both
countries is one of the best ways to insure better relations for the good of all
in the region.
"I look at the world like I do my own family.  I come from a family where we sat
down and had dinner together every night.  Sometimes I had strong words for my
brothers, but at the end of the meal we were still family," he emphasizes,
adding that sometimes family don't always agree with each other and in a similar
way nations don't always agree.
"There are times when family members won't even talk to one and other because of
their differences.  And until they resolve those issues they can seem pretty
distant, but I want to emphasize they are still family," he says punctuating
that there are regional issues in South Asia that America will have to contend
with in which India will play a major part.
"Clearly the Obama Administration and Secretary Clinton will be the primary role
players in the arena, but a good ambassador can be a key element of
collaboration and cooperation to insure that the US remains a strong ally to
India," he says. "One of the things both the Obama administration and even our
Governor Schwarzenegger push is the mantra of 'build … build.' I call this
'strategic assets' and I think we need them in India, here and around the
world…."
David Lang, an authority on US/Asian politics and one of the founders of the
Indo-Chinese political action committee, IAPAC, agrees that Bustamante has the
charisma to pull together diverse Asian elements on a ground level as an
ambassador.  "I've met Cruz several times and he came to one of our IAPAC
meetings and spoke to us, and we liked him a lot and endorsed him as Lieutenant
Governor.  In fact some of our members who were Republican also endorsed him
even knowing he was a Democrat so you can see Cruz can cross party lines and
different agendas," he says.  Lang also feels an Indian ambassador with ties to
California would probably represent the nation well given the substantial trade
that is generated with Asia from the US's west coast.
Known for his humility Bustamante openly says he was surprised at first by his
growing popularity to represent the US to India among thousands of NRIs
(non-resident Indians) where nearly 400, 000 already reside in California.  "I'm
honored and humbled by the respect and support I'm getting from the
Indo-American community with regard to this position," he says, reflecting on
the fact that his very first run for public office was spear-headed by a few
Indo-Americans in California who saw in Cruz a unique ability to represent them
and their needs.
"I was the first Latino in Northern California to be elected, and at the
beginning of my very first campaign fund raiser I was with 30 or 40
Indo-American's from Yuba and Bakersfield, and Fresno. I was so touched they had
all come to support this "Latino gentlemen" from the Central Valley. We've
maintained a close relationship ever since.  I hope I can return the favor one
day."
BU Patel, probably one of the most influential NRI's in California's hotel
industry agrees with Mayor Loveridge's assessment.  "I've met with Cruz in his
office, along with many members of the Indian community and he has a gift of
speaking to Indians in a way that we feel we're listened to.  This is integral
in doing business or politics in India where I spend a lot of time."
Bustamante, himself, admits he was never a high profile speaker, "I've got the
face for radio," he says modestly.  Yet this native Californian seems to have
friends everywhere and he sees parallels in his past work in California with
work in India.  "We have had substantial trade with India, and I want to set up
more trade delegations with India because India's imports and exports with the
US are only going to expand over the years," he says.
Bustamante also gets high marks for his understanding of how important India and
Indo-Americans have been to US history. "At some point our school history books
will require chapters appended to explain how the Indo-American community helped
the US become a power house for the last 150 years. Some of the largest
landowners, agriculture business leaders, physicians, IT experts in the Silicon
Valley and analysts on Wall Street were or are Indo-Americans. Their
contribution has been substantial."
Bicky Singh, whose California business generates 200 million a year in sales,
praises Bustamante's ability to engage people on a personal level.  "I'm a Sikh
businessman and I wear a turban and I will never forget right after 911 I called
Cruz in the Lieutenant Governor's office and left a message and he called me
back thirty minutes later.  One month from that date we had a meeting between
local Sikhs and Cruz and he was one of the very first politicians to come out
and say there was no place for discrimination against Sikhs or any Americans
after 911."
Bustamante says he well remembers those weeks after 911. "As Lieutenant Governor
I was able to quickly organize meetings through Hindu Temples and Sikh
Gurudwaras to show the diversity of California and the major press was there:
CNN, Reuters, the LA Times, and local television channels.  We wanted to show
that America stands for certain values.  We couldn't desecrate the memory of
past immigrants who were WWII veterans and had served our nation."
Congresswoman Laura Richardson recalls Bustamante's courage as a political
leader in those tense post-911 days.  "Cruz was one the first politicians to
visit a Mosque and he has always advocated for other ethnic groups other than
his own like Native American, Chinese and Armenian long before even talking
about diversity was popular," she says--actions that apparently also resonated
with the Indo-American community.
"We met with national leaders after 911 around the country because I wanted to
be sure politicians were standing firm," punctuates Bustamante. "I remember
saying: 'what do you call an American who eats with chopsticks or speaks Hindu
… or listens to a different kind of music? There's no difference. They are all
Americans and we should all stand together.' Like I said, it's as if we're one
big family."
As the Obama Administration decides who will represent the US in New Delhi,
America's NRI families are hoping and praying for someone like California's
former Lieutenant Governor to bridge the two great democracies of the world.
If Cruz Bustamante does receive the nod from Washington then he will become part
of a global family whose trade, security, and markets will influence not only
America but also the world for years to come.  That's no small responsibility to
ponder around the dinner table, and certainly something to really chew on.