From: vijaypai@owlnet.rice.edu (Vijay Sadananda Pai)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.us.asian-indian
Subject: Re: Loyalty to Who (was Dissension...)
Date: 25 Jan 93 15:09:22 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Rice University

In article <1993Jan24.201832.28488@news.vanderbilt.edu>, Maneesh wrote:
|>         I received some very thought-provoking comments the other day, and
|> I believe that they deserve further scrutiny.  I hope that others will provide
|> input on this topic, not so much about specific international issues, but about
|> the larger question: Where should our loyalties lie?
|> 	
|> 
|> In <C19FpC.3C@rice.edu> vijaypai@owlnet.rice.edu writes:
|> 
|> 
|> > Any Indian who would support Republicans is a Pakistani in disguise.
|> > The Republicans have been overwhelmingly pro-Pak and anti-Indian
|> > in their terms in government...[more politics, deleted]...
|> 
|> > So, if you want to support bigots and Pakistanis, that's fine by me,
|> > but you'll be responsible when some Christian fanatic wins the
|> > Presidency here or when Kashmir and Punjab are taken away from
|> > the motherland.
|> 
|> 
|> 	I don't make my voting decisions based on the candidate's attitudes
|> toward India, and I think that if you're a citizen or resident of the US, then
|> your first loyalty must be to THIS nation.  

I don't make my voting decisions on attitudes toward India either. For
me, it was an issue of economy, environment, and health care. Also,
it didn't hurt that hundreds of Si Valley computer CEOs endorsed him.
My first loyalty is to the US.

|> 
|> 	I find it helpful to think of it like this: Our bond with India is a
|> bond of RACE and CULTURE, and not of political ideology.  We must do whatever
|> is necessary to preserve our race and culture (and as some of you have noted, I
|> do my part) but, we must also not become another special interest group.

We are tied to India by race, culture, and political ideology. If
one candidate said that he would do anything possible to insure the
independence of Punjab and Kashmir, it would be our responsibility
to vote against him. 

|> 
|> 	Do you really want to diminish the Indian community to the level of
|> just another special interest, like the Jews, blacks, militant homosexuals,
|> labor unions, etc.??

This is exactly the reason why Indian-Americans must act for India.
If we don't, then the others certainly will act against India. As I mentioned 
earlier, the Pak lobby has already hired the services of the same 
consulting firm George Bush used ... they've got the influence; we
can't let them get the power.

|> 
|> 	By the way, I don't buy your anti-Republican argument.  I know many
|> Republican Indians, and also, the top Republican fundraiser in this country was
|> an Indian surgeon in South Florida (I forget his name). 

Well, that guy (I think his name was Sharma, but I'm not positive) was 
probably just upset about Clinton's national health-care proposal and
wanted to do whatever he could to preserve his own interests. 

|> 
|> 	If we live here, it is our duty to support the Constitution, and
|> believe in the ideals of this great country, while also preserving our race and
|> culture, which most of us cherish dearly.  Let's leave the petty politicking to
|> the folks up in Washington and New Delhi.

I do support the ideals of this country, all of which were
systematically overturned by the Republicans, live on nat'l
TV, in the Houston convention.

|> 
|>                                                   
|> 					Very Truly Yours,
|> 
|> 
|> 						Maneesh
|> 
|> 	
|> 
|> 

Equally Truly,

Vijay