Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP, is worried that the Indian-American community isn’t doing enough to help fix problems in ties between India and the US. In his speech in Delhi, he said that not a single American lawmaker had been called or pushed by Indian-American supporters to change policies to help India.
The Diaspora’s Lost Chance
Tharoor said that while they were talking, a US lawmaker admitted that no Indian-American had ever called her office to ask for help. For him, this silence shows that people from a group known for its power and success in the US are not involved in politics, which is a cause for concern.
He made it clear that people who live outside of India can’t just watch without doing anything if they care about it. They should instead actively work to protect India’s interests and be heard in political settings.
A Call for More Powerful Lobbying
Tharoor talked about how important it is to lobby and reminded the Indian-American community that they have the power to change policy decisions in Washington. They risk not hearing India’s side of the story if they don’t speak out, especially now when global relationships are more important than ever.
He told them that this duty was not just a matter of national pride, but also of duty to the country they had moved to. “If you care about your motherland,” he stated, “you must also fight for it and speak for it.”
Ties between India and the US are still friendly
Even though Tharoor was critical, he admitted that the American politicians who had met with him and his group already liked India. They were happy about their relationship with each other and respected India’s place in the world order. He did say, though, that kindness alone isn’t enough; the diaspora also needs to strongly support the cause and take action.
The Road Ahead
Tharoor made it clear that Indian-Americans should not be quiet. With a growing population and more power in the US, their views can have a big impact on how India and the US work together. He said that India’s position on important problems would get weaker if people kept quiet.
