Indian American Democrats, Republicans clash

Indian American Democrats and Republicans have started going after each other on the eve of the Congressional elections, this time around sparked by an attack on US Representative Nancy Pelosi -- the likely House Speaker if the Democrats prevail -- by the Indian American Republican Council.

Last month, IARC chairman Dr Raghavendra Vijayanagar, put out a statement expressing shock over Pelosi's recent interview on CBS' 60 minutes that the war on terrorism was solely in Afghanistan.

Vijayanagar, in his statement titled 'Pelosi Shocker: Kashmir and India Not Part of War on Terror,' said: 'As an Indian American, I am appalled that Nancy Pelosi said recently on 60 Minutes that the war on terror is the war in Afghanistan.'

"Did Pelosi miss the train bombings in Mumbai, this summer, when 200 innocent civilian were killed and more than 700 were injured," he asked. "If this is not a terrorist attack, what does Pelosi call it?"

Vijayanagar said: 'Under President Bush and Secretary Rice's leadership, Pakistan-sponsored terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayiba were both designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Is Pelosi now saying they are not terrorist organizations? More than 60,000 Indians have been killed by militants in Kashmir since 1989. Is Pelosi saying their deaths were not at the hands of merciless terrorists?"

'Despite Pelosi's deeply disturbing belief, we know the truth: India is at the forefront in fighting the global war on terror. India's struggle in Kashmir epitomizes the battle we face between freedom-loving democracies and militant fundamentalists coddled by autocratic regimes,' he added.

And then in a pitch for Indian Americans to vote Republican, Vijayanagar said: 'The only way to win this war, is to ensure Republican majorities in Congress and work with President Bush and the Indian government to aggressively wage war on the terrorists.'

He warned that 'any Indian American who votes Democrat on November 7, is casting a vote for a far-left liberal extremist agenda led by Nancy Pelosi, a person who does not even acknowledge that the world's largest democracy is part of the global war against terrorism.'

Indian American Democrats were incensed by Vijayanagar's thrashing of Pelosi, and Toby Chaudhuri, spokesman for the Indian American Leadership Initiative told India Abroad

that Vijayanagar 'is simply out of touch.'

"With the midterm elections around the corner and the GOP splintering, Indian American Republicans sound desperate attacking House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi," he said.

Chaudhuri said, "The 60 Minutes interview was about the president's war in Iraq and had nothing to do with South Asia."

"Leader Pelosi is a true friend to the Indian American community, tested in adversity," he said, and recalled, "Immediately following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Leader Pelosi called the bombing 'despicable,' and declared to defeat terrorism wherever it exists.

She stood firmly with the peace-loving people of India and reminded the world of the global challenge posed by terrorism, calling for an effective international response.

Chaudhuri also noted that Pelosi had 'fought hard to make a historic breakthrough in Indo-US relations by leading her caucus in a vote for the civilian nuclear cooperation deal in the House, while Republican leaders are still delaying a vote in the Senate.'

He also said that Pelosi has also 'worked hard for our community's budding entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout Silicon Valley, where she enjoys broad support from her constituency, largely made up of Indian Americans.'

Chaudhuri said: "Instead of throwing dust in the eyes of Indian Americans by attacking Nancy Pelosi, Republicans should be working hard to find common sense solutions to the problems they have created at home and abroad."

"We all remember the horror of the crimes on 9/11. Americans rallied as one. The whole world stood by our side. Now, all is changed. The failure of this Administration's policies is inescapable. In response, the Administration chose not to change course, but to rouse fears, worried more about saving the president's face than serving the national security.

"Americans are divided, allies are alienated, and the Muslim world's fury has increased. Bin Laden is still at large and terrorist acts are up across the world. Afghanistan is a mess and US troops are mired in an occupation amid a growing civil war in Iraq. We are more isolated, less respected and less safe," Chaudhuri added.

He called on Vijayanagar and the IARC to stop fanning fears to cover up failure, and said that 'the right-wing policies that got us into this mess are not going to get us out.'