“We had a very good visit from a US Congressional delegation which consisted of five members of the US House of Congress. They spoke very warmly and positively of the relationship, and the most important message that came out was that a lot of American opinion, including in Congress, is strongly committed to the Indian relationship despite recent setbacks like the H1-B visa issue, the 50% tariff setback and the sanctions on Chabahar Port,” said Congress MP Tharoor, regarding a meeting with a visiting US Congressional delegation in New Delhi recently.
However, he highlighted a lack of engagement by the Indian-American community on certain developments such as H-1B visa restrictions and trade tariffs, which are likely to impact them hugely. He felt that their non-committal stand and silence on these matters must change and that the diaspora must speak up if they truly cared about India. He said, “If you care about the relationship with your motherland, then you also have to fight for it, speak for it and press your political representatives to stand up for India.”
Four of the five-member delegation were Democrats from California. “India is valued, and they remain determined to strengthen the relationship despite the recent setbacks we are familiar with,” added Tharoor.
He noted that the US lawmakers praised the contributions of the Indian diaspora, and the resilience of the Indian economy amid concerns such as the steep hike of the H-1B visa fee and the 50% tariff on Indian goods. – editor@nrifocus.com
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