New York [United States]: The Indian Americans for Democrats and Friends of Hillary for President, an advocacy group supporting Hillary Clinton for President have made an impassionate appeal to the public to vote for Hillary. Their media briefing was held at the Chatwal hotel located in midtown Manhattan, New York onWdnesday.
The briefing was addressed by hotelier Sant Chatwal, chairman of Indian Americans for Democrats. He was joined by Dr Bhupi Patel, the former chief of medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, and Mike Patel, hotelier and former commissioner in President Clinton’s White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Dr Bhupi Patel and Mike Patel are patrons of Indian Americans for Democrats.
In his remarks, Chatwal recounted his family’s long association with the Clintons, adding he had good vibes when he first met the Clintons in 1991. “They are good people; very fair and emotionally connected,” Chatwal recalled, adding, “Hillary’s experience as a politician; her love for India and Indian Americans and her conscious effort to do good for America, made her an ideal candidate to receive our vote.”
Hillary’s stand on immigration, healthcare and education were pivotal to America’s future and global leadership,” said Dr Patel. “She’s inclusive. She just did not appear six months ago to ask our vote. It’s better to go with someone we know,” he quipped.
Mike Patel recounted his experience as commissioner in President Bill Clinton’s White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, saying it was out of the ordinary in those days that President Clinton thought of engaging Asians in the political and governing process. “President Clinton did what he did because he cared about new immigrants, who worked hard and paid taxes but never received full benefits,” Patel said, adding “We have to decide what kind of America we want for our kids. That should give you the answer who should you vote for.”
H. R Shah, TV Asia chairman and a long supporter of Indian Americans for Democrats said that in his 45 years in America he always felt this country was conservative in political and gender emancipation. “Even India had a women prime minister 30 years ago, but it’s unfortunate that America is so backward in realizing the strength of women power,” he said.
During the question-answer session, Chatwal said, “Our global leadership in matters of economy, tolerance compassion and equality is in despair, everything that the founding fathers of America held so dear. We need to work collectively to change this. The time is now. We need to tell all our friends and families to vote for Hillary.”
Dr Patel said Hillary was not only the right candidate, she was also a time-tested friend of India and Indian Americans. “Our voting numbers may be small but in close elections, small numbers matter more, so we need to exercise our right to vote in record numbers this time.”
(ANI)