An Indian Ambassador addressed a US State legislature and used the occasion to highlight manner in which individual States in both countries are engaging in active partnership, adding to dynamism of India-US relations.
“Today, a new dimension is being added to this relationship. These are ties between States in US and States in India,” Indian envoy Nirupama Rao said in an address to the Maryland General Assembly at Annapolis. “Maryland has been one of the pioneers in this regard and we admire and are completely supportive of the initiatives you have taken in this regard,” Rao said and dwelt on Governor Martin O’Malley’s six-day India visit in November 2011.
Rao addressed both chambers of Maryland General Assembly, which happens to be first legislature set up in the United States, predating Capitol in Washington, DC. She also met Speaker of the House of Delegates, Michael Busch.
In the House of Delegates, Speaker Michael Busch introduced her In the State Senate, Senator Jim Rosapepe, introducing ambassador, described her as envoy of the world’s largest democracy.
Maryland has three Indian-American lawmakers — Kumar Barve, Majority leader in House of Delegates, Delegate Sam Arora and Delegate Aruna Miller. Barve is one of the earliest from the community to make a successful political debut on the US East Coast.
“Sam Arora, Kumar Barve, Rajan Natarajan (Maryland’s Deputy Secretary of State), and Aruna Miller are all proud Americans who are also proud of their Indian heritage,” said Rao. “They play a very important role in bringing our two countries together. They are bridge-builders of friendship between India and Maryland particularly.”
lauding role being played by the Indian-American community “in advancing the progress and well-being of US”, Rao said: “They epitomise strong family values, educational excellence, creativity, innovation, high standards of professionalism, and dedication to your core democratic principles and traditions.”