Indian-Americans have made a mark for themselves in the US and under President Joe Biden the community members are throughout the administration, a top White House official has said.
“We have such a strong person-to-person, community-to-community leader relationship based on the strength of the diaspora,” Neera Tanden, the Director of the United States Domestic Policy Council, said on Saturday at an event held at India House – the official residence of India’s Ambassador to the US.
“When I first came to Washington, there were just a few people in the Clinton administration who were Indian-American, and today Indian Americans are throughout the administration. When we’re talking about AI issues, the Office of Science and Technology Policy is run by Arti Prabhakar, an Indian American,” she said
“When you hear the President’s words in his amazing speech on democracy just two days ago, those words are written by Vinay Reddy. In fact, you can’t throw a stone in the White House and not hit an Indian American these days,” Tanden said amidst applause from the several hundred Indian Americans who had gathered at the India House.
“That is really because, over so many years, this community has widened its span to think broadly about contributions to our country. As an immigrant, when I first came to Washington, most people asked me why I was here and not working in medicine or business or some other area and I don’t get that question anymore because of how much our community has honestly matured and recognised that we can participate and contribute in so many ways,” she said.
“I think it is the strength of that relationship and the strength of the democratic participation that we are part of that builds on the US-India relationship,” Tanden said.
Sethuraman Panchanathan, the 15th Director of the National Science Foundation, said science and technology innovation make possible robust democracies.
“But more recently it has been challenged again, science and technological innovation will be the way in which we will ensure robust democracies. Science, technology, innovation is the method by which we will guarantee development both in the US as well as in India,” he said.
“What better way of exemplifying the friendship between the United States and India, than the amazing science, technology and innovation people that transcend between the US and India? You look at all the CEOs of all the technology companies, you look at the great scientists, you look at the great leaders in the industry, entrepreneurs like our Congressman here. This is truly an expression of the full frame and the full expression of what science, technology, innovation can do,” Panchanathan.
Nisha Desai Biswal, the Deputy CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, said the India-US relationship is not just a government-to-government relationship.
“It is far, far more than that. It is a people-to-people, a business-to-business, an academic institution, scientific collaboration, and it’s most importantly an indication and a result of the investment of this very large and active Indian-American diaspora that has been persistent over decades in building that relationship as well,” Biswal said.
The Development Finance Corporation is looking to create important, impactful ways of financing infrastructure, energy, health, and food security around the world.
“Nowhere are we more active than in India, our largest portfolio of investments. It is such a critically important relationship because India is a driver of growth. India is a driver of development not only in its borders but around the world. So, this partnership becomes critically important,” she said.
“We’re working in India and with India to diversify solar supply chains so that we are not all globally dependent on one country for the renewable technology that we need on our planet today,” she said.
“We have two large solar manufacturing projects in India today. We are working with India to advance global vaccine manufacturing, working with Indian companies, working on food security and economic inclusion targeting women entrepreneurs and so many more,” Biswal said.
Dr Vivek Hallegere Murthy, the US Surgeon General, said the friendship between India and the United States will be one of the defining friendships and partnerships of the 21st Century.
“It’s a partnership, and I’ll tell you why it was so essential because there’s key progress that we need to make on many areas that you’ve heard about today. But I want to focus in particular on the partnership around health, the importance of our collaboration around future pandemic preparedness and on addressing infectious diseases which know no border,” he said.
“It’s also essential for us to address the growing threat of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart disease, which continue to take millions and millions of lives each year, but which we could together help address. But it also requires collaboration on one last front, which we don’t talk about often enough, which is addressing mental health, which has become a global struggle in the US and across the world as we’ve seen rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide, particularly among young people,” he said.
Dr Rahul Gupta Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Speaker said that it becomes important to reflect upon the core values of the Mahatma truth, non-violence or ahimsa compassion and kindness.
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