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For more than two years. The Association of Indians in America (AIA) has been striving hard to cultivate a spirit of cooperation among various Indian organizations as working together is the only way these organizations can serve the Indian Community and our society at large in any meaningful manner. The first successful event was a "People-to-People" conference held at the US Department of State on September 15, 2000, during Indian Prime Minister Vajapai's visit, jointly sponsored by The Association of Indians in America, Indian American Leadership Council and the National Council of Asian Indian Associations. Norman Minneta, the then Commerce Secretary was the keynote speaker. And, again, at the initiative of The Association of Indians in America (AIA), a jointly sponsored Congressional Lunch and a White House briefing took place on March 21,2002. This indeed was an unprecedented display of unity among the three national grassroots organizations. The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), the Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE), and The Association of Indians in America (AIA), jointly hosted a luncheon for U.S. lawmakers at the Capitol Hill. The event attracted over two dozen members of the House of Representatives and The Senate. Despite the fact that the Congress had already adjourned a day before, the show of so many political leaders at the luncheon was a clear evidence of the growing clout of the Indo-American community with the U.S. lawmakers. Every member of the Congress who attended the event paid a glowing tribute to the community and pledged to work with it in helping to strengthen Indo-U.S. relations. Nearly 200 people coming from all over the United States were present to listen to these political leaders. In his opening remarks, AIA President Dr. Piyush C. Agrawal welcomed the guests to "a historic event for the Asian Indian Community." He noted that it was the first time since the inception of the three major grassroots organizations to have ventured into joining hands to promote the interests of the Indian Community. While pledging an unwavering commitment to the country of our adoption (USA), he expressed a great pride in the Indian heritage. Though it was extremely important for USA & India to cooperate to fight the menace of terrorism, Agrawal suggested that American support for India's entry to the UN... (continued on page 4)
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