The House of Representatives has passed a resolution lauding the contribution of Americans of Indian origin in the US and the importance of working together with India to ‘‘promote peace, prosperity and freedom among all countries of the world’’. It cleared the resolution with an overwhelming margin of 412 to 2.The two members voting against were Ron Paul and Sam Johnson, both Texas Republicans. Another Congressman, Peter Defazio (D-Or), while a member of the India Caucus, abstained. He was of the view that the broad message of the resolution was unbalanced in presenting a picture of Indo-US relations, especially in view of the concerns on account of US ‘‘job exports’’ to India and consequent unemployment problems here.Congressman Douglas Bereuter, who moved the resolution, said ‘‘India is the largest democratic country in the world and enjoys a close and mutual friendship with the United States based on common values and common interests.’’ The resolution noted that ‘‘people of Indian origin who have for decades immigrated to the US have made extraordinary contributions to the US, helping to make the United States a more efficient and prosperous country.’’ India has also been a key partner in the war against terrorism, the resolution said. —(PTI)
