Diaspora Dilemma: Non-Indian but India's pride

INDIAN ICONS? Bobby Jindal and his wife celebrate after he was elected as Louisiana Governor.

      

Other stories in the section:

Jindal sworn in as Louisiana governor, makes history

36-year-old Indian American is youngest governor of a US state.

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• Jindal sworn in as Louisiana governor, makes history
• Fallout of divorce: LS Speaker's future in question
• Left-UPA flashpoints since May 2004

Keywords: Bobby Jindal, NRIs

Indians celebrated when Bobby Jindal, the son of Indian immigrants, was on Sunday elected the Governor of the southern American state of Louisiana. Yet another American desi had made India proud, they said.

But should Indians really be taking credit for Jindal’s success? His parents moved to the US 40 years ago and he was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Going by the track record, it’s really not the first time this year that Indians are celebrating the success of the 'Global Indians'. Sunita Williams, the woman who spent the longest time in space, was quickly declared ‘India's Pride’.

So should India be celebrating Indian-American achievements at all? That was the question discussed on the CNN-IBN show Face The Nation on Monday, hosted by Bhupendra Chaubey.

On the panel to debate the issue were CPI National Secretary D Raja, Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan and Farokh Balsara, Partner, Ernst and Young President, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce.

CNN-IBN correspondent Jyoti Kamal, reporting from Bobby Jindal’s hometown Maler Kotla in Punjab, reported on the show that there were mixed reactions from the town. While some were celebrating the big win, many were not even aware of who he was. But the intense media focus did make them realise that someone from Maler Kotla had made it big in the West.

Responding to suggestions of India’s growing proximity to the US, D Raja said, “We are approaching the nuclear deal keeping national interest in mind. Nobody is opposed to having relations with the US. But the nuclear deal will impact out independent foreign policy.”

Adressing Farokh Balsara, Bhupendra Chaubey asked whether the growing Indian community in the US was concerned about Indian interests at all?