Ken Mathew makes history as first Indian-American sworn in as Stafford Mayor

by Hind Himalaya Staff | Jul 1, 2023 | Indian-American

Mathew, a former Stafford City Council member, won the race defeating incumbent Mayor Cecil Willis by 16 votes in a run-off race this month, crediting his victory to his faith in god, the Fort Bend Star reported.

: Kerala native Ken Mathew has become the first Indian-American and the first person of colour to be sworn in as the Mayor of Stafford in US state of Texas.

Mathew, a former Stafford City Council member, won the race defeating incumbent Mayor Cecil Willis by 16 votes in a run-off race this month, crediting his victory to his faith in god, the Fort Bend Star reported.
He was administered the oath of office by Missouri City Mayor Robin Elackatt, also an Indian-American, at a special event attended by his family members and top officials.

Indian-American Fort Bend County Judge, K.P. George, who was present on the occasion, tweeted: “Congratulations to Stafford Mayor-elect Ken Mathew! It was an absolute pleasure to attend his swearing-in ceremony this evening. Wishing him all the best as he embarks on this important role.”
Texas representatives, Ron Reynolds and Suleman Lulani, and former Missouri City Mayor Owen Allen also graced the occasion.

Back home, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, also congratulated Mathew in a tweet.

“Congratulations to Ken Mathew from Kerala for becoming the elected Mayor of Stafford, US. He is the first Indian to be elected to the post, in 67 years’ history of Stafford,” Chandrasekhar wrote.
Mathew served on Stafford Council since first being elected in 2006, and served on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission for several years before then.
He immigrated to the US in the 1970s after earning a degree from the University of Bombay, the Star reported.
An MBA, Mathew worked as an accountant and financial executive for several corporations, including Toshiba in the Houston area. He has lived in Stafford since 1982.

Why Americans, including Obama, are in awe of Indian-American attorney Neal Katyal

by Hind Himalaya Staff | Jul 1, 2023 | Indian-American

An Indian-American attorney is being hailed as a “national hero” and “true patriot” in the US after he successfully argued a case before the US Supreme Court against a legal theory being promoted by conservatives, especially those who support former US President Donald Trump. The US-born attorney, named Neal Katyal, was representing the watchdog group ‘Common Cause’ and won the judgement 6-3, with support from three liberal and three conservative judges.

Such was the significance of the case that one legal expert labelled it as the most important constitutional case in US history, while it helped the attorney earn rare praise from former Democratic president Barack Obama himself.

What was the legal case?
The case, Moore v. Harper, was about overhauling the US election system altogether while giving state legislature primacy over courts to set election rules.
Had conservatives won the case, state legislatures would have become immune to interventions by courts on state election rules. However, the theory was rebuffed by six Supreme Court judges, maintaining that the power of state legislature was restrained by federal and state courts.

America’s top legal and constitutional experts heaved a sigh of relief as the judgement came, with Obama himself tweeting on the issue. “Today, the Supreme Court rejected the fringe independent state legislature theory that threatened to upend our democracy and dismantle our system of checks and balances. This ruling rejects the far-right theory that threatened to undermine our democracy, and makes clear that courts can continue defending voters’ rights—in North Carolina and in every state,” Obama wrote in his tweet.

‘Single most important constitutional case for American democracy’

The case was hailed as the “Single most important constitutional case for American democracy” by Judge Luttig, a distinguished jurist who was also associated with the fight. He also lauded Katyal for being “masterful” while arguing the case before the court. He said Katyal made “the single best oral argument I have ever heard made before the Supreme Court of the United States.”

Who is Neal Katyal?
Neal Katyal is the son of Indian immigrants, and his mother is a paediatrician while his father is an engineer. He attended Dartmouth College and pursued his law degree at Yale, where he had the opportunity to learn from Akhil Amar, a renowned Indian-origin constitutional scholar in the United States.

Presently, Katyal holds a position as a partner at the prestigious law firm Hogan Lovells. Additionally, he serves as a professor of National Security Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he holds the distinction of being one of the youngest professors to have achieved tenure and a chaired professorship in the university’s history.

Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar Announces Formation Of ‘Hindu Caucus’ In US Congress

by Hind Himalaya Staff | Jun 15, 2023 | Indian-American

Thanedar, an Indian-American Congressman, has announced plans to form a ‘Hindu Caucus’ in the United States Congress.

This initiative aims to bring together like-minded members of Congress who share a common goal of protecting the Hindu community in the country from hate and bigotry.

The announcement was made by Thanedar, who represents the 13th District of Michigan, at the inaugural Hindu American Summit at the Capitol Visitor Center on Wednesday (14 June).

“It is important that every person has a right to choose a religion, pray (to) a God that he or she chooses without persecution, without discrimination, without hate or for those who may choose not to pray to a God. These are freedoms that are fundamental. These are fundamental human rights,” Thanedar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Thanedar said that the purpose of the Hindu caucus is “not only to ensure that there is no hate against Hinduism, to ensure that there is no bigotry and no discrimination towards (the) Hindu religion and those who practise Hindu religion”.
Congressional caucuses are groups of members of the US Congress that meet to pursue common legislative objectives.
Caucuses are formed as Congressional Member Organisations through the US House of Representatives and governed under the chamber’s rules.

When asked about how far the caucus has progressed, Thanedar said it is at the early stages and they are inviting all members of the Congress to join.

Originally from Belgaum in Karnataka, Shri Thanedar immigrated to the United States in 1979. He obtained his PhD in polymer chemistry from the University of Akron (1982).

Thanedar then worked as a post-doctoral scholar at the University of Michigan. Shri also worked as a Polymer Synthesis Chemist and Project Leader at the Petrolite Corporation in Saint Louis.
He then ventured to entrepreneurship building several companies.
Thanedar entered politics when he ran in the 2018 Michigan gubernatorial election as a Democrat