[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 115 (Thursday, September 4, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            TRIBUTE TO INDIA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 4, 1997

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the nation 
of India on the golden anniversary of her independence. At the stroke 
of midnight on August 15, 1947, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru awoke 
India to life and freedom after a long and valiant struggle against 
colonialism and oppression. Fifty years hence India stands as a 
triumphant example to the world as the world's most populous democracy 
of 950 million people.
  Throughout this period of uninterrupted democratic self-rule India 
has maintained a multi-party system, a free press and an independent 
judiciary that guarantees human rights and the rule of law. In 1996 
half a billion Indians reaffirmed their commitment to democratic 
governance in the most participated free elections in world history.
  To the people of India, to all those who compose the multi-ethnic, 
multi-linguistic and multireligious tapestry that is India, and to all 
the Indo-Americans gathered in my home State of California and across 
America to commemorate this great anniversary I extend to you my 
congratulations.
  We here in the United States share a special kinship with India. We 
too gained our independence from British colonialism. Our Presidents 
Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt championed Indian 
independence. We have also learned much from India; in our own struggle 
for civil rights, Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by and used the 
teachings of Mahatma Gandhi as a model of civil disobedience and 
nonviolent resistance.
  Today as the two greatest democracies in the world, India and the 
United States are bound by common democratic values and have a strong 
interest in continuing to build mutually beneficial relations. As a 
member of the International Relations Committee of the United States 
House of Representatives, I will continue my strong advocacy of 
humanitarian and development assistance to India. I look forward to 
working toward the goal of improving cooperation between our two 
countries in the areas of trade, diplomacy, and security from which we 
both have much to gain.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize 
our debt of gratitude to the Indo-Americans who have made such profound 
contributions to American society. Indo-Americans represent a growing 
political force in southern California and across the United States. I 
applaud the community's efforts to embrace the mainstream of the 
American political process, while keeping alive here in the United 
States the culture of India. America has been enriched by the hard 
work, determination, educational achievement and cultural, contribution 
of the Indo-American community.
  I am proud to join the Indo-American community in celebrating 50 
years of Indian independence and democratic self-rule and in looking 
forward to the next half century and beyond.

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