With the sun splashing down on New Mother India in Waltham, MA, a significant group of members and friends of the Indian American Forum for Political Education, gathered to honor Life Members with a special luncheon on August 26th.  Life Members serve as the essential core of IAFPE, are strong and faithful supporters as well as an inspiration to others.  They were joined by Congressman James McGovern (3rd District, MA) to discuss issues of significance to the Indian American community.

Life Members, members, interns and volunteers enjoyed excellent conversation over superb appetizers before Forum President Ravi Sakhuja introduced Congressman McGovern.  The Congressman began by praising the IAFPE’s political college internship program.  For many years IAFPE has placed at least one intern in his office for work both in Boston and Washington, DC.  McGovern commented that the young people who participate are well regarded and an asset to any community.  He also praised the efforts and effectiveness of the Forum in voicing Indian American concerns about the Indo–US Nuclear Accord.  Congressman McGovern explained that his initial negative response to the Indo–US Nuclear Accord was changed in part due to a meeting he had in his Worcester office with IAFPE members; Ravi Sakhuja, Pradeep Sharma and Ramesh Kapur.  “Not to support the Accord would be a slap in the face to India, a responsible partner that has earned the trust and respect of the US government.”

On immigration, Congressman McGovern said, “We need a fair and orderly Immigration process that works.” and “Immigrants are good for the economy.”  He suggested we all see the documentary “A Day without Mexicans.”  He noted that all of the September 11 terrorists were in this country legally and the problem was a lack of communication between government agencies.

During the question and answer period, the Congressman was told that tourism in Europe from India has increased five-fold since September 11, while decreasing dramatically in the USA.  Visiting relatives and friends from India usually stay up to three months and spend an average of ten thousand dollars.  The reason given for this precipitous drop is the problem of getting a tourist visa and the lack of respect shown to applicants by the USA Visa offices in India.  Others are actually afraid to visit the USA.  This loss has cost the American tourism business billions in the last five years.

On the problem of outsourcing and job loss often being blamed on Indian Americans, Congressman McGovern cited an earlier engagement where he was asked about outsourcing as a problem.  At that meeting he told the audience that only about ten percent of computer related jobs are outsourced to India and that the many highly skilled jobs that are not being filled by native born Americans, but instead go to immigrants, is because we are not graduating enough PhD’s in sciences & math.  “However,” he said “Americans are scared of losing their jobs and need to blame someone, so they blame immigrants.”

McGovern also commented that, “Americans who watch CNN give more credulity to reporter Lou Dobbs who spews outsourcing opinions, not facts and totally unchecked.”  McGovern went on to discuss the ideas of Michael Porter, an internationally respected economist at Harvard, who has said the way to preserve manufacturing jobs in USA, is to focus on quality, on producing the best products.  The Congressman reflected on a conversation he had with the CEO of Jostens Jewelry, USA’s largest class-ring maker, why they returned to Attleboro, MA after moving to Mexico for cheaper labor.  His reply was that they couldn’t find the skilled labor to produce the quality product Jostens’s is famous for.

McGovern spoke about the Global Food for Education Program, the bipartisan Emerson-McGovern initiative, which reaches 9 million children in 38 countries.  Under the guidelines of the program, children only get the food if they attend school. In many communities, the program has more than doubled the number of girls who receive a basic education.  When the Congressman was visiting one of the programs sites, a woman asked him to thank the American people for the food.  “I will tell you why” she said, “in the morning one group of fighters comes through, and a different one in the evening.  They try to recruit my eleven-year-old son, saying , you can’t feed him, but we will, this program feeds him and for this you must thank the American people.”  

“Less hunger and more education lead to more political stability”, McGovern said. “And that means a less welcoming breeding ground for terrorism.  What we've been trying to do is make the case that world hunger is very much about combating terrorism.  If we can be known as the country that is feeding hungry children in many parts of the world, that creates a lot of goodwill."

Continuing on the subject of national security, Congressman McGovern said that since the British reported a terrorist plot to use some type of liquid bomb on air flights to the USA, confidence in the Bush administration improved over fourteen points.  “Democrats back away from confronting the Republicans on security issues, he said “thus the Republicans pretty much have their way and we are no safer now than we were in 2000.  Military strength is only arrogance.  People around the world want food and education, not bombs.”  McGovern, a Democrat, has consistently opposed and voted against funding the war in Iraq.

The New Mother India fabulous lunch buffet slowed down the political discussion and shifted to the theme of Indian food.  Asked if he would like to visit India, Congressman McGovern gave an enthusiastic yes, but with his duties as a Congressman, husband and father, he doesn’t think he will be going soon.

The Indian American Forum for Political Education is a non partisan, non profit organization with the mission to empower Indian Americans politically by raising civic consciousness and increasing participation in community affairs and the mainstream political process.

The National organization of the Indian American Forum for Political Education will be holding its annual conference in Boston this year on Dec. 2.  All are welcome to join both local members and participants from across the USA in a day of workshops, panel discussions and a gala dinner with a distinguished speaker and entertainment.  Final details and registration information will be forthcoming soon.  For more information email to iafpe@yahoo.com.

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