Even as US presidential hopeful Donald Trump continues to prove he's a force to reckon with, the Republican frontrunner faces stiff opposition from a small, but powerful ethnic community - the Indian-Americans. Azamgarh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam doesn't mince words when he says: "Trump is the ugly face of America, which the world doesn't want to see... He is not America." Many members of the community who are contributing to the coming election as backroom strategists are in the opposite camp and want Trump to lose. From political advisers to media strategists, backstage directors to fundraisers, from those in their early 30s to the ones in their mid-40s, Indian-Americans are participating in full force in this election. According to recent poll surveys, 72 per cent of Indian-American voters are with the Democrats. And if Trump becomes the face of the Republicans, the number will go up. Indian-Americans say they want to bring down the wall against immigrants which Trump "desires to build as President". Trump's comments against minorities, including Muslims and Sikhs, and the way a Sikh protester was thrown out at one of his rallies, have not gone down well with the Indian-American community. Rising Indians Trump is the talking point wherever members of the community meet. Community members have realised that their representation in the US political offices is not at par with the status they have attained in such a short span of time. Barring South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Congressman Ami Bera, not many names come to mind of American politicians with Indian origin. "This is the time to expand community roles in the political process,'' says entrepreneur, philanthropist and IIT-Kharagpur alumni Vinod Gupta, who like Frank Islam, is close to the Clintons. As their roles are getting more defined in the run-up to the US election, Indian-Americans are uniting against Trump's 'tyranny' to safeguard their identity as "immigrants who built America". Says Gupta: "Indians are getting recognised more in different important positions as backroom strategists in this electoral battle.'' The Chanakyas Not all desi strategists are against Trump, though. The recent Republican onslaught against Hillary Clinton was based on sound research done by Raj Shah, the Research Director at the Republican National Committee, whose only expertise is to dig out "anything against the Clintons". He is currently running the "Republican Campaign against Clinton and Sanders". But they are in a minority. Almost 80 per cent Indian-Americans were found to be on the Democrat side. Many like Neera Tanden and Shefali Razdan Duggal are getting involved as "shadows" behind Hillary Clinton. The young Huma Abedin, for instance, is Clinton's media and communication adviser. Fund raising comes naturally to most of them, as they have a wide donor network. Islam has already raised half-a-million dollars for Hillary's campaign in this election. Their goal: Do whatever it takes to make Trump lose! Poll position Frank Islam This Azamgarh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist from Uttar Pradesh is known as the "man with a 16-bedroom mansion" among his Indian-American community. A recipient of Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for international service in 2015, Islam is committed to creating sustainable opportunities in America. A Clinton insider since 2005, he has been entrusted with fund raising and rallying public support for the Democratic campaign. A popular figure among the Indian-Americans, including the 2,00,000 Indian Muslims, Islam has raised more than half-a-million dollar in fundraising and about four dozen meetings in places like Virginia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New Hampshire. Shefali Razdan Duggal The US media refers to her as "a powerful woman with influence." A Kashmiri Pandit known for her proximity to President Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton, her presence in the upper echelons of American politics is steadily on the rise. However, what endears her to many is her love for South Asian community, which cuts across political affiliations. "I think that a person, whether Democrat/Republican/Independent, as long as engaged with the political process, is helpful to South Asians in the US," she says. "I have been working in politics completely on a volunteer basis. I love it and am very grateful for the opportunity to be involved, in some small way," says Duggal. She is also a presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Neera Tanden She is arguably the closest to Hillary Clinton from the Indian American circle. A former policy adviser to the Democratic nominee, this 45-year-old is the president and chief executive of the Centre for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organisation.
13 Mar 2016
BREAKING!! INDIAN-US IN 2016 US ELECTION
Even as US presidential hopeful Donald Trump continues to prove he's a force to reckon with, the Republican frontrunner faces stiff opposition from a small, but powerful ethnic community - the Indian-Americans. Azamgarh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam doesn't mince words when he says: "Trump is the ugly face of America, which the world doesn't want to see... He is not America." Many members of the community who are contributing to the coming election as backroom strategists are in the opposite camp and want Trump to lose. From political advisers to media strategists, backstage directors to fundraisers, from those in their early 30s to the ones in their mid-40s, Indian-Americans are participating in full force in this election. According to recent poll surveys, 72 per cent of Indian-American voters are with the Democrats. And if Trump becomes the face of the Republicans, the number will go up. Indian-Americans say they want to bring down the wall against immigrants which Trump "desires to build as President". Trump's comments against minorities, including Muslims and Sikhs, and the way a Sikh protester was thrown out at one of his rallies, have not gone down well with the Indian-American community. Rising Indians Trump is the talking point wherever members of the community meet. Community members have realised that their representation in the US political offices is not at par with the status they have attained in such a short span of time. Barring South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Congressman Ami Bera, not many names come to mind of American politicians with Indian origin. "This is the time to expand community roles in the political process,'' says entrepreneur, philanthropist and IIT-Kharagpur alumni Vinod Gupta, who like Frank Islam, is close to the Clintons. As their roles are getting more defined in the run-up to the US election, Indian-Americans are uniting against Trump's 'tyranny' to safeguard their identity as "immigrants who built America". Says Gupta: "Indians are getting recognised more in different important positions as backroom strategists in this electoral battle.'' The Chanakyas Not all desi strategists are against Trump, though. The recent Republican onslaught against Hillary Clinton was based on sound research done by Raj Shah, the Research Director at the Republican National Committee, whose only expertise is to dig out "anything against the Clintons". He is currently running the "Republican Campaign against Clinton and Sanders". But they are in a minority. Almost 80 per cent Indian-Americans were found to be on the Democrat side. Many like Neera Tanden and Shefali Razdan Duggal are getting involved as "shadows" behind Hillary Clinton. The young Huma Abedin, for instance, is Clinton's media and communication adviser. Fund raising comes naturally to most of them, as they have a wide donor network. Islam has already raised half-a-million dollars for Hillary's campaign in this election. Their goal: Do whatever it takes to make Trump lose! Poll position Frank Islam This Azamgarh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist from Uttar Pradesh is known as the "man with a 16-bedroom mansion" among his Indian-American community. A recipient of Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for international service in 2015, Islam is committed to creating sustainable opportunities in America. A Clinton insider since 2005, he has been entrusted with fund raising and rallying public support for the Democratic campaign. A popular figure among the Indian-Americans, including the 2,00,000 Indian Muslims, Islam has raised more than half-a-million dollar in fundraising and about four dozen meetings in places like Virginia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New Hampshire. Shefali Razdan Duggal The US media refers to her as "a powerful woman with influence." A Kashmiri Pandit known for her proximity to President Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton, her presence in the upper echelons of American politics is steadily on the rise. However, what endears her to many is her love for South Asian community, which cuts across political affiliations. "I think that a person, whether Democrat/Republican/Independent, as long as engaged with the political process, is helpful to South Asians in the US," she says. "I have been working in politics completely on a volunteer basis. I love it and am very grateful for the opportunity to be involved, in some small way," says Duggal. She is also a presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Neera Tanden She is arguably the closest to Hillary Clinton from the Indian American circle. A former policy adviser to the Democratic nominee, this 45-year-old is the president and chief executive of the Centre for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organisation.
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