India Post News Service
Indian Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Congressman Bradley James Sherman jointly hosted a reception April 27 for the Indian American community in the Greater Los Angeles Region. The reception was held at The Odyssey Restaurant, Granada Hills. Indian Consul General in San Francisco Sanjay Panda was also present on the occasion besides various community leaders.
The program started with a welcome address by the Deputy Consul General Rohit Rathish. Next, Panda addressed the gathering. He mentioned about the visa camps which will be held in the Los Angeles area every three months. He said the San Francisco Consulate is the largest Indian Consulate in USA and covers more than one million Indian Americans and has jurisdiction over 11 states. He also said that Los Angeles is home to a large and vibrant Indian population and his first visit, after taking charge, was to Los Angeles. He mentioned about the various services provided by Consulate. He said the Gadar Memorial renovation is underway and is expected to be completed by 2022 and restored to its original form
Ambassador Shringla said that this was his first official visit to California. He welcomed the community and appreciated its great contributions and success that has helped in enhancing the India-US relations. He felicitated Harry Sidhu, Mayor of Anaheim, who is the first person of color and of Indian Origin to be the mayor of a large city. The Ambassador said he was elated that Congressman Brad Sherman of San Fernando Valley is a co-chair of the India Caucus in the US Congress. He mentioned that Congressman Sherman is “our first point of contact in the US Congress”. Sherman has cosponsored a bill with Congressman Joe Wilson for a stronger defense partnership between India and US, said the Ambassador.
The Ambassador reminded the gathering that this year India is commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and said Congressman Joe Lewis has taken the initiative to pass a resolution to recognize the great leader since the anniversary also coincides with Marten Luther King’s 90th birth anniversary.
Shringla told the audience that the February 14 terror attack on Indian security personnel in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, was condemned in very strong terms by US Congressmen. He re-enforced the view that India will no longer tolerate militant attacks, He said, even though our policy is “Vasudhev Kutumbhkam” – World is One Family – “we cannot compromise our national security”.
Talking about the Indian economy, Shringla said that in the last five years India has moved from being the 11th largest economy in the world to the seventh largest economy. Amid thunderous applause, Shringla declared that this year India is expecting to become the fifth largest economy of the world. In five years, India’s economy will grow to $5 trillion and five years after that it will be worth $10 trillion. India has sustained its rate of growth and currently growing at 8 per cent and is the fastest growing large economy in the world.
The Ambassador said India is involved in major transportation infrastructure and housing projects the government encourages investments. He concluded his remarks by thanking the Indian community of Los Angeles area for their presence, friendship, and partnership. It s the home turf of Congressman Sherman, and was home of the first Indian American, first Asian and first Sikh Dalip Singh Saund to be elected to the US Congress.
Congressman Brad Sherman thanked Ambassador Shringla for beinging the community members together and, in a lighter vein, thanked him for buying the dinner. To the cheers from the audience, he suggested that the Indian Consulate office should be in Los Angeles, and not in San Francisco. He said Indian Americans are four times more likely to graduate from college than other migrant communities. He said the India-US relationship is strong and getting stronger and is based not on convenience but on a shared dedication to democracy, to freedom, and to a community that treats equally people of all religions. He said India-US business has grown 560 per cent in first 17 years of this century and is growing further.
Sherman also expressed the need to fight terrorism together. He bilateral military ties are growing and joint military exercises are taking place. He said, if the India-US enhanced relationship act is passed, India will be treated the same as NATO members. He assured the audience that he will continue to work for strong relations between the US and India and looked forward to improving nuclear cooperation between the two countries
