India abroad

People of Indian origin are increasingly entering politics or are being appointed as key advisors and policy makers, finds out Alia Allana.

Canada

Last week saw the appointment of eight ethnic Indians8212;all Sikhs8212;to the Canadian House of Commons. They were elected from Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. One of them, Deepak Obhrai, is expected to be a minister. The Indian population in Canada stands at 9,50,000 and these MPs are expected to be a decisive voice for the community. Like Liberal MP Gurbax Malhi, who is currently proposing legislation that will facilitate easier Indian visits to Canada.

Israel

In September this year, Indian Jews who migrated to Israel over the years launched a political party, the Shivtei Israel Yachad, to contest the municipal elections in the southern Israeli city of Beersheva. Among several things on their agenda is a 8220;proper cricket ground8221; for its youngsters.

Indians in Britain have traditionally chosen to stay out of politics, though there are a few exceptions. Of 659 members in the House of Commons, only 12 are non-whites, of which six are of Asian origin. But there are some Indians who stand out, like Conservative MP Keith Vaz who was first elected in 1987. His win from Leicester East makes him the first Asian MP. Baron Raj Kumar Bagri, a Conservative member of the House of Lords, was awarded the CBE in 1995. Earlier this month, Gordon Brown dropped Gloucester MP Parmjit Dhanda from his Council of Ministers and was replaced by Baroness Shriti Vadera, a Uganda-born MP of Indian origin.

USA

The financial meltdown on Wall Street has seen 35-year-old Neel Kashkari of Kashmiri origin being appointed to oversee the US government8217;s bailout package. Neera Tanden, who once headed the crack team that powered Hillary Clinton8217;s presidential campaign, is now domestic policy director for the Obama campaign. Sant Chatwal, millionaire hotelier and close friend of the Clintons, is one of the leading Democratic fundraisers. The first elected Indian-origin politician is Republican Piyush 8216;Bobby8217; Jindal. Jindal, Governor of Louisiana, is the first non-white governor of the state.

Navanethem Pillay heads the UN Commission for Human Rights. She was the first non-white woman in the South African High Court. She served as a judge for the International Criminal Court and was President of the international criminal tribunal for Rwanda.

Indians continue to play a role in countries where they originally arrived as indentured labourers. Bharrat Jagdeo, born in Guyana to Indian parents, was Finance Minister and now President. Malaysia recently appointed V. Sivakumar as the Speaker of its Assembly. The President of Mauritius, Anerood Jugnauth, has played a key role in Mauritian politics as its Prime Minister from 1982 to 1995. Singapore President Sellapan Ramanathan and Minister of Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam are both of Indian origin. New Zealand8217;s Governor General Anand 8220;Satch8221; Satyanand is the commander-in-chief of the Army, Navy and Air Force.