Satheesh Nanjan. phone:(650) 607 0244 (off)
Q.A. Engineer. email:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Electronic Commerce. www.cs.orst.edu/~nanjan
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[Feel free to forward this to fellow sympathizers] Folks, The e-mail address of Paul Berkowitz, one of Congressman Benjamin Gilman's (Chairman of the House International Relations Committee) India advisers follows. Please keep this handy because we need your URGENT help --- big time. [EMAIL PROTECTED] The office number of Congressman Gilman is: 202 225 3776 Please ask for Paul Berkowitz or Walker Roberts who are Gilman's aides. Please note that you don't have to be either a citizen or a green card holder to call. Anybody can call and voice your opinion. We want economic punitive damages against Pakistan for the unprovoked attack and occupation of Indian territory. No IMF aide and no World Bank aide to Pakistan. Let's jam up those telephone lines and show them we mean business! Please mention that in various parts of U.S., Indo American community have held huge protests against Pakistan. Rep. Gilman (he's anti-China, because of Tibet, and pro-India) has introduced a House Resolution on the Kargil issue, but it has no spine in it. It simply has no teeth and serves no purpose --- except feel good. Rep. Gilman is a Republican from New York. On the other hand Congressman Gary L. Ackerman, co-Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, has circulated a House Resolution that calls for economic punitive measures against Pakistan unless Islamabad withdraws its forces from Kargil. The language in this Resolution is clear and calls for action from the Clinton Administration. Rep. Ackerman is the most committed pro-India and pro-Indian American voice on the Hill.And he is a Democrat from New York. However, the politics of the House of Representatives is such that because Rep. Gilman is the Chairman of the Committee, his Resolution will get preference for consideration. Therefore we URGENTLY need to ensure that the language of Rep. Gilman's Resolution also includes some of Rep. Ackerman's language so that what would emerge is a Gilman-Ackerman language. In other words, we will respect Rep. Gilman's prerogative as Chairman but also accomplish what we want --- some teeth in the Resolution. This is the way the House operates while making intelligent compromises. It's here you can play a VERY, VERY BIG role: Please ensure that our Indian American community's voice is heard in the drafting of the language. You phone calls, faxes, e-mails, editorials, newspaper ads etc will help put the right kind of pressure on Rep. Gilman. He will listen to the Indian American community and act on it. But you have to let him know that: 1. While you greatly appreciate and admire his pro-India position on Kargil, his Resolution needs to be toughned up in its language; 2. You strongly recommend to him to include Rep Gary Ackerman's language, especially the paragraph that calls for punitive economic action against the Islamabad regime unless Pakistan withdraws its forces from Kargil; 3. The Indian American community deeply feels that it is time for the House of Representatives to send an unambiguous message to Pakistan that aggression will NOT be tolerated and that Islamabad WILL pay a price unless it pulls out; 4. You sincerly feel that a Gilman-Ackerman language will send a clear message to Pakistan that the sentiments of the House are bi-partisan; 5. You feel that by co-opting Rep. Ackerman's language he (Rep. Gilman) would be demonstrating his commitment to not only the Indian American community, but also to the 114-strong Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans and 6. You and your friends in the community are ready to support both Rep. Gilman and Rep. Ackerman in their efforts to pave the way for a new era in U.S.-India relations. This action has to be taken immediately because House International Relations Committe is expected to move quickly --- as early as Monday/Tuesday. So, please take a moment or two from your busy schedule to help the House come up with a sensible resolution. Your participation is vital. Please lobby your friends and relatives in the Indian American community to spring into action --- at this moment of URGENT need. If you need further help, please contact Narayanan Keshavan, an aide to Congressman Ackerman. If you need copies of the two resolutions, please contact him at ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). You can reach him at 202-225-2601 (o) or 202-607-7262 (after 6 p.m.EST).begin: vcard fn: Rajarshi Bhattacharya n: Bhattacharya;Rajarshi org: Oracle Corporation adr: 222, W. Las Colinas Blvd;;Suite#1000, North Tower;Irving;Texas;75039;USA email;internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED] title: Senior Engineer tel;work: 972.409.3933 tel;fax: 972.409.3109 tel;home: 972.910.0570 x-mozilla-cpt: ;0 x-mozilla-html: FALSE version: 2.1 end: vcard
