[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 2, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E490-E491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMENDING THE ALL INDIA SHRI SHIVAJI MEMORIAL SOCIETY (AISSMS)

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 2, 2014

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the All India 
Shri Shivaji Memorial Society (AISSMS) established in 1917 by the late 
His Highness Shrimant Chattrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur and His 
Highness Alija Bahadur Madhavrao Scindia Maharaj of Gwalior, with the 
foundation stone laid by the Prince of Wales on November 19, 1921 in 
Pune, India.
  AISSMS was established for the purpose of ``throwing open to all 
alike the doors of knowledge through liberal education.'' It was 
established to memorialize the great Shivaji, a statesman and warrior, 
a bold reformer who not only founded an Empire, but created a Nation, 
based on a vision of ideals and dreams which AISSMS is realizing.
  From a renowned military school to Day schools to Junior Colleges to 
a foray into higher and technical education, AISSMS now runs world 
class institutions in various disciplines. AISSMS institutions have 
obtained accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation and 
have signed MOU's with Universities from the UK, the USA and Germany to 
run joint programs of global standards.
  I am proud of AISSMS and recognize the importance of its history and 
impact on past, present and future generations. I especially commend 
its Office Bearers--H.H. Shrimant Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj who serves 
as President; Vice President Shrimant Yuvraj Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati; 
Honorary Secretary Shri Malojiraje Chhatrapati; Treasurer Shri Ajay 
Uttamrao Patil; Chairman of the Governing Council Shri Vishwas Bajirao 
Patil; Honorary Joint Secretary Shri Ratnakar K. Jitkar Shri Ajay 
Uttamrao; Chairman of the Managing Committee Shri Sahebrao R. Jadhav, 
the Governing Council, the Managing Committee and other notables.
  I also pay tribute to Captain Shivaji Mahadkar, Managing Trustee of 
the Takshashila Education Trust, who visited my office in Washington, 
DC and personally extended an invite for me to speak to members of the 
esteemed All India Shri Shivaji Memorial Society and to a gathering of 
faculty, staff and students. In my absence, I have entered this 
Statement in the Congressional Record for historical purposes as a 
matter of appreciation for the invitation which was extended to me but 
moreover to recognize and commend AISSMS for the critical role it has 
played in shaping and defining India, and for bringing hope to all who 
are, have been, or will be associated with its noble cause.
  As the former Chairman and current Ranking Member of the U.S. House 
of Representatives' Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific, which has broad jurisdiction for U.S. policy affecting the 
region, including India, I am proud to be associated with AISSMS. The 
U.S. and India are on a path to expanding higher education partnerships 
with a focus to build more purposeful connections. In doing so, it is 
my sincere hope that AISSMS and my alma mater, Brigham Young 
University, and other institutions of learning, will connect in ways 
that bring new hope and new ideas to both countries.
  I thank Mr. Sanjay Puri, founder and Chairman of the Alliance for 
U.S.-India Business (AUSIB) for introducing me to AISSMS, and for the 
good work he continues to do for and on behalf of India and Indian 
Americans. In 2011 and 2013, AUSIB hosted two of the largest U.S.-India 
education conclaves and, on March 13, 2013, Mr. Puri testified as an 
expert witness before the House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, 
calling for enhanced education collaboration as a means to strengthen 
U.S.-India relations.

[[Page E491]]

  Now more than ever, the U.S. and India must be about academic 
collaboration and exchange, and I commend those with the foresight to 
march ahead, echoing the vision of the founders of AISSMS.

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