E-Paper
Indian Americans getting prominence in Democratic Party
The executive committee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) unanimously elected the largest number of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans ever nominated and elected by the DNC to serve on 2004 Democratic National Convention standing committees.
Indian American Kumar Barve, recently elected vice chair of the Democratic National Convention's Rules Committee, has said his party wanted to give the community prominence in its current US presidency campaign.
"It's a position of prominence. The Democratic Party wants to give prominence and to acknowledge the importance of Indian Americans," Barve, also the Maryland State's House Majority Leader, told IANS.
The executive committee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) unanimously elected the largest number of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans ever nominated and elected by the DNC to serve on 2004 Democratic National Convention standing committees, according to the party.
Seven Asian Americans serve on the platform, credentials and rules committees as chairs, vice chairs, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEO). Barve is one of the eight vice chairs, the highest position any Indian American has reached in the party hierarchy.
"The active participation of Asian Pacific Islander Americans in the 2004 convention represents the strength and diversity of the Democratic Party and, together, we will all win in November," said DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe.
Earlier this year, Senator John Kerry selected Democratic assemblywoman Swati Dandekar of Iowa to be co-chair of his campaign committee for that state, and she played an important part in securing his victory in the critical Iowa caucuses, a victory that played a part in pre-determining his presidential candidacy at the July convention.
The platform committee is responsible for drafting and recommending a proposed national platform for approval at the convention. Newly-elected San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris will serve as a PLEO member of the platform committee.
California congressman Bob Matsui was elected chair of the rules committee, and Barve was elected as a vice chair. Smita Shah, Rashid Chaudry, and Washington State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos were elected as a PLEO members of the rules committee.
The credentials committee is charged with resolving any disputes over the selection of delegates and alternates to the convention. Minnesota state senator Mee Moua was elected to serve as a PLEO member of the credentials committee.
Barve said that while he did not know the exact number of Indian Americans who will be chosen as delegates to the upcoming convention in Boston July end, "I am sure it will be a healthy number."
According to him, "A lot of Indian Americans are involved in the Democratic Party. It is no longer a novelty in contrast to the Republican Party," he contended.
"I don't think the party takes us for granted."
"At the Democratic convention, we do have high-dollar donors, but also those that work in the trenches," he said, taking a dig at the high-dollar donors and fundraisers among Indian Americans, that have been selected to attend the Republican convention from August 30 to September 2, by the Republican Party.
