Tips on Successful Indian Activism

[Guest guest]

Friends:

 

Please note with care the following long but very

lucid note circulated by my friend Ram Narayanan.

yes">  In terms of content, clarity and strategic vision the

epistle below is among the best that I have seen on lobbying strategy.  Please

do circulate this to your

friends.  Those among you who are

activists or have friends who are activists, please develop specific local

contact and communication strategies based on the guidelines below. 

 

There will be a lot of attention paid to US

international relations in the next several weeks with the commencement of the

UN Genera Assembly session next week. 

Most of the power structure of the world will be represented there at

high levels – Presidents, Prime Ministers et.al.

 

Community activists and Indian lobbyists should read

the note below in full, paying particular attention to the section ACHIEVING

OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS/REACH.  For others who do not have the time or

inclination to peruse the complete document below, please note the following

extracts:

 

tab-stops:list .5in">For tips on writing

and publishing effective letters to the editor and op-eds and how to take

action to the airwaves, visit: http://www.usindiafriendship.net/media/media.html.

 

tab-stops:list .5in">If your Congressman/woman is not a member of the

India Caucus in the House of Representatives, ask him/her to consider

joining the Caucus immediately or, at least, support the stands taken by

the India Caucus, (if he/she cannot join the Caucus for the time being).

He/she needs to send a letter to either co-Chairmen of the Caucus, Jim

McDermott (D-WA) or Edward Royce (R-CA). (For a list of members of the

Caucus, log on to the US-India Friendship website at

http://www.usindiafriendship.net, scroll down and click:

'Congress').

 

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;

tab-stops:list .5in">C.   Invite your

Senators/ House Rep to community functions. This point can never be over-stressed.

 

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;

tab-stops:list .5in">D.   Your lawmakers need

to be informed that the overwhelming proportion of the so-called freedom

fighters in Jammu &; Kashmir are foreign nationals brought in by

Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

 

tab-stops:list .5in">Congressional statements on India sometimes tend

to focus on developments in a purely South Asian context, which normally

means India and Pakistan. India's relations with the US are independent of

Pakistan's relations with the US. This is no longer a

"hyphenated" relationship. The lawmakers should, therefore, be

persuaded to focus on the US-India relationship rather than on the

India-Pakistan relationship. Comparisons between India and Pakistan are

not relevant.

 

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;

tab-stops:list .5in">F.   

The focus should be on US capitalizing on

the brain power of India to design new products (high tech, biotech,

engineering design etc.), and expanding two-way trade

yes">   .  (India is currently

the fourth largest economy in the world, based on purchasing power parity

(PPP))

color:blue">.

color:blue;mso-color-alt:windowtext">

 

tab-stops:list .5in">The growing naval cooperation between the United

States and India in the Indian Ocean Region with the India Navy protecting

US ships in the Malacca Straits should be stressed.

 

0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;

tab-stops:list .5in">H.   India, is committed

to peaceful resolution of its differences with Pakistan through dialogue. India

will, however, not tolerate terrorism as a legitimate vehicle to resolve these

differences.

color:blue;mso-color-alt:windowtext">

 

Have a nice day now.

12.0pt;color:blue"> 

color:blue">Nagendra Rao

12.0pt;color:blue"> 

 

-----Original

Message-----

Ram Narayanan

[ramn (AT) adelphia (DOT) net]

Friday, September 06, 2002

1:02 PM

Shri Nagendra Rao

**Political Action Agenda

for the Indian American Community (Revised Edition)

 

Dear Shri Nagendra Rao:

Following is a revised and enlarged edition of

color:blue;font-weight:bold">**POLITICAL ACTION AGENDA FOR THE INDIAN AMERICAN

COMMUNITY**

color:black">

The document has been compiled by the members of the GRNET to serve as a

reference guide for Indian American activists at the grassroots level in

promoting and strengthening US-India relations by building indestructible

bridges with their lawmakers and the media.

You may recall that the first edition of this document was circulated a little

over three months ago and was well received by the community.

Elections to the US House of Representatves (and some Senatorial

constituencies) are just TWO months away.

It is hoped that community activists - those who are in touch with their House

Representative and Senators, including campaign fund raisers and volunteers -

will find this POLITICAL ACTION AGENDA particularly useful in the next few

weeks as they get working on their lawmakers and the media to enhance the

community's political influence in the US political system.

Best wishes,

Ram Narayanan

PS: If you know of other community activists who may find this document useful,

please let me know so that I can send it to them.

color:blue;font-weight:bold">POLITICAL ACTION AGENDA FOR THE INDIAN AMERICAN

COMMUNITY (REVISED EDITION)

color:blue;font-weight:bold">DEVELOPING STATE AND LOCAL NETWORK:

1) Select members of the community should periodically meet with their

Senators/House Reps at the State capitals and in their Congressional districts.

Periodicity of such meetings could vary with circumstances.

Fundraisers/campaign contributors should be active participants in such

meetings. The participants should select by consensus one team coordinator or

leader and one alternate team coordinator or leader from amongst themselves. He

or she should more or less be the one contacting the office of the

Senator/House Rep so that it is easier for the aide to connect with the

community.

2) If your Congressman/woman is not a member of the India Caucus in the House

of Representatives, ask him/her to consider joining the Caucus immediately or,

at least, support the stands taken by the India Caucus, (if he/she cannot join

the Caucus for the time being). He/she needs to send a letter to either

co-Chairmen of the Caucus, Jim McDermott (D-WA) or Edward Royce (R-CA). (For a

list of members of the Caucus, log on to the US-India Friendship website at

color:red">http://www.usindiafriendship.net, scroll down and

click: 'Congress').

3) If your Congressman/woman is already a member of the Caucus urge him/her to play

a more active role, whenever and as much as he/she can, by speaking out

publicly through Congressional statements etc. about US-India relations. All

statements made by members of the India Caucus on issues relating to India or

US-India relations, since June 1999, are uploaded on the US India Friendship

website at http://www.usindiafriendship.net

color:black">4) Keep regular track of the activities/statements made by your

Congressman/woman, so that these could be reviewed and commented upon when you

next meet him in his/her Congressional district. Contributions should be based

on the overall judgement of the group regarding the lawmaker's performance and

his/her attitude and activity on US-India relations. Likewise, your Senators.

5) Invite your Senators/ House Rep to community functions. This point can never

be

color:blue">

13.5pt;color:black">over-stressed.

6) Recalling former Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O' Neal's 

famous dictum that "All politics is local", it's important that the

community works and interacts with lawmakers and officials at the state and

local levels.   State Governors, State Senators and  State

Assembly Legislators provide critical support to US Senators and

Congressmen.  They are in close touch with the people at state and local

levels and listen carefully to their views and opinions.   This could

add another dimension to the strategy of making Indian Americans politically

more visible and influential.

7) Arising from the previous point, frequent interaction of local Indian

American community with the local American community and politicians via mixing

cultural and sports activities with political action has been successfully

tried by  Indian American groups in some areas. The idea is to bring into

their fold Americans and American politicians through cultural programs and

organizing tournaments (tennis, ping-pong, carrom, even cricket -yes,

cricket!). And this approach of bridging diversity through cultural shows and

social activities has worked.

8) Take advantage of extensive networking and broader community opportunties by

joining  local chapters of organizations such as Lions Club, Rotary Club,

Kiwanis International, International House, etc. which will help raise the

Indian American community's profile and thus gain  a stronger voice that

can influence public policy on US-India related as well as other issues. 

color:blue;font-weight:bold">AGENDA ISSUES:

color:black">

1) US-India relations are passing through a unique phase in the sense that

perhaps, for the first time since the independence of India, there is a

positive attitude both within the Administration and Congress toward relations

with India. House Reps and Senators should use this opportunity to speak out

publicly through statements on the Congressional record, resolutions etc. commending

various initiatives in advancing the relationship. These include initiatives in

defence cooperation, counterterrorism, economic activity, science and

technology, etc.

2) After September 11 and December 13, the campaign against terrorism has emerged

as a major area of convergence of interest between the two countries. India has

been a victim of cross-border terrorism for over two decades. Pakistan's

alliance with the US in the campaign in Afghanistan has been purely tactical.

There has been no let-up in Pakistan-sponsored terrorism against India, which

if not stopped completely, will ultimately hurt other countries including the

US. Congressmen should be urged to make this distinction clear in their

statements. There can be no moral equivalence between a sponsor of terrorism

and a victim of terrorism.

3) While highlighting the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Indian

Americans should not come across as being anti Pakistani per se. They need to

let the lawmakers know that we understand that it is in the interest of America

to work with Gen. Musharraf as long as he cooperates without any reservation in

America's worldwide war against terrorism. But the lawmakers need to be

informed about Pakistan's perfidious role in creating terrorist groups (and in

having conceived and patronized the Taliban rule in Afghanistan). They also

need to be advised that the overwhelming proportion of the so-called freedom

fighters in Jammu &; Kashmir are foreign nationals brought in by

Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

4) While US economic assistance to Pakistan is understandable, supply of

military equipment and spares to Pakistan would impact on India's security as

defence supplies from the US in the past have only been used against India.

India's security concerns resulting from supply of arms and military equipment

to Pakistan should be highlighted to Congressmen (and Senators).

5) In all that Indian Americans do, the point needs to be emphasized and

re-emphasized that it is in America's vital interest to have India as an ally.

When Indian Americans lobby they lobby as Americans in the interest of America

and since both India and America are muliti-religious, multi-cultural secular

democracies facing a common threat from terrorism, the interests of both the

nations converge.

6) Congressional statements on India sometimes tend to focus on developments in

a purely South Asian context, which normally means India and Pakistan. India's

relations with the US are independent of Pakistan's relations with the US. This

is no longer a "hyphenated" relationship. The lawmakers should,

therefore, be persuaded to focus on the US-India relationship rather than on

the India-Pakistan relationship. Comparisons between India and Pakistan are not

relevant.

7) Another favourite subject of some lawmakers is the nuclear issue, in which

again India and Pakistan tend to be bracketed. Recent examples are Sec. 601 of

the Senate version of the Security Assistance Act and attempts to extend the

Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction programme to India and Pakistan. China,

which is a major source of proliferation to Pakistan, is hardly mentioned.

India's security concerns are likewise addressed within the very narrow

framework of India-Pakistan relations. The China factor must not be ignored.

Congressmen should be briefed on India's larger role in the Asian and Indian

Ocean Region, its record of strictly civilian control over nuclear assets, the

democratic framework of its decision-making structures, its record of

responsible governance and its reputation for peace and stability in the

region. Also the growing naval cooperation between the United States and India

in the Indian Ocean Region with the India Navy protecting US ships in the

Malacca Straits.

8) The Jammu &; Kashmir issue is another one that features frequently in

Congress, often at the instance of Pakistan. Congressmen should be sensitised

to the fact that Jammu &; Kashmir is an integral part of the Indian Union

and Pakistan has been in illegal occupation over a part of the State for over

five decades. India, at the same time, is committed to peaceful resolution of

its differences with Pakistan through dialogue. India will, however, not

tolerate terrorism as a legitimate vehicle to resolve these differences.

9) Some lawmakers (Dan Burton, Edolphus Towns, John Dolittle, Major Owens and

Cynthia McKinney) have regularly been slandering India in the House of

Representatives at the instance of separatist organisations like the so-called

Council of Khalistan. Only a few Representatives friendly to India have been

rebutting these statements. These have not so far stopped the Representatives

named above from raising these clearly false concerns. It would be useful for

them to receive a blunt message from the community about discontinuance of

support.

10) Whenever the few India-unfriendly lawmakers (such as those mentioned in the

previous para) take to the floor to make repetitive, wild and slanderous

statements about India, that are clearly in opposition to Indian and Indian

American interests, have a negative impact on US-India relations and otherwise

jeopardize the reputation and goodwill of India and Indian Americans, the

Indian American community should encourage their lawmakers (especially if the

latter are members of the India Caucus) to get on the record statements that

effectively rebut the unfounded allegations. A point that can never be

overstresed is that India has been and will always remain a tolerant and

secular society like the United States.

11) A flexible approach needs to be our hallmark. Some of the unfriendly

lawmakers are not virulently anti-India like the ones mentioned above, but are

still not that well disposed toward India. Indian Americans should try to win

them over by developing personal friendships and helping them on local issues.

This approach has worked for Indian Americans with Rep Dana Rohrabacher. He is

not as vocal as before.

12) Congressmen, State Governors, State Legislators and Mayors should be

encouraged to lead trade missions to India to take advantage of the huge

untapped potential in the economic and commercial fields. In the final

analysis, it's economic cooperation and trade that's going to make the US-India

relationship unassailable. It will help build the most powerful constituency

ever in favor of India in the US. The focus should be on US capitalizing on the

brain power of India to design new products (high tech, biotech, engineering

design etc.), expanding two-way trade, highlighting India's economic strengths

and reminding the Federal and State lawmakers and other important functionaries

where India is heading (India is currently the fourth largest economy in the

world, based on purchasing power parity).

13) In the final analysis, he who pays the piper calls the tune. The more funds

Indian Americans generate for the lawmakers, the more they will listen to us.

While many Indian Americans do it on their own, not all mention the Indian

cause. This is where there is a need to lay down common objectives.

14) In addition to or apart from funding, volunteering and other ways of

extending help are becoming important and well appreciated by pro-India

congressional candidates.

15) A close watch should, of course, be kept on print and audio-visual media,

both regional and national, to ensure a balanced projection of India.

Maintaining regular interaction with editors/journalists/radio and TV show

hosts and program producers to convey the community's perspective on issues of

concern will prove to be helpful in the long run. Commendatory/corrective

action should be initiated immediately by writing letters and meeting the

concerned media personalities whenever any thing good or distortions come to

notice.

16) Equally important, with reference to the media, is for Indian Americans to

be pro-active in developing letters to the editor (perhaps, also pieces that

may be considered by newspapers/magazines fit enough to be published as

op-eds/articles) that will initiate an idea favorable to US-India relations to

be followed up by others. For tips on writing and

publishing effective letters to the editor and op-eds and how to take action to

the airwaves, visit: http://www.usindiafriendship.net/media/media.html

color:blue;font-weight:bold">ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS/REACH

color:black">

1) In some parts of the country, Indian American activists' groups at the

grassroots level have set up a mechanism to instantly reach the local Indian

American community and Friends of India by developing "a telephone contact

pyramid"   It works in the following manner: Five of the

prominent activists will each have the numbers for 10 people whom they know,

who in turn have

13.5pt;color:blue"> numbers for 10 they know and so on.. Just

imagine, if one takes this process just three or four levels deep, how many

thousands can be reached with just 10 telephone calls per person.That's how

networks can be efectively developed. Similar mechanism will enable rapid

gathering of signatures on petitions, letters etc.

2)  Many US cities (and their suburbs) have multiple Indian American community

organizations, each with mailing lists of their own. How does the grassroots

activists' networks tie in affiliations with the community organizations in

order to be able to react as needed in a pinch? The members of the activist's'

network will each take the responsibility of meeting and cultivating the

leaders of just two or three organizations. If there are five activists that

would make 10-15 organizations. That way they are able to reach most of the

community for a rally or a townhall meeting with a House Representative or

Senator.

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