POLITICO
How Indian Americans Got the President’s Ear
After years of trying to build influence, the Indian American political world is starting to feel a sense of actual power and clout in the new administration.
A health worker waits to receive a Covid-19 vaccine at a government hospital in Mumbai, India, in January. | Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo
By RIKHA SHARMA RANI
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Rikha Sharma Rani is a writer in Oakland, California, and a contributing editor at Politico Magazine. Follow her at @rikrani.
Shekar Narasimhan started calling and emailing the White House on a Wednesday the same day India’s Covid-19 death toll reached a record 2,000 people in a single day. News of oxygen shortages, overrun hospitals and depleting vaccine supplies had been trickling in from India all week, and Narasimhan, a longtime Democratic fundraiser who chairs a super PAC focused on mobilizing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, was among the rising chorus of Indian American voices calling for
Indiaspora, a nonprofit community of global Indian diaspora leaders, announced they raised $1 million toward COVID-19 relief efforts within the last 48 hours, and will aim to double the impact of their donations by offering to match funds May 1 during the virtual event, Help India Breathe,â reports ANI. We are proud of our community s response. The outpouring of support from the Indian diaspora has been immediate and overwhelming, said Sanjeev Joshipura, executive director of Indiaspora. We hope Saturday s event will continue to raise awareness and provide another opportunity for all of us to give. This has the potential to serve as a launch pad for additional and much-needed help for relief efforts in India.
There s a COVID crisis in India and New Jersey-based music star Jay Sean is doing his part to help.
Sean, who s known around the world for pop hits like “Down,” is among the South Asian celebs participating in the “Help India Breathe” virtual fundraiser 4 p.m. Saturday, May 1 via facebook.com/IndiasporaForum and the Indiaspora YouTube page.
Lilly Singh, Deepak Chopra, Dhar Mann, Payal Kadakia, Kunal Nayyar, Humble the Poet and more are also appearing in the event, organized by author Jay Shetty. More than 3,500 people died of COVID in India, and there were 400,000 new cases on April 30, the latter a global record.
Non-profit Indiaspora raises more than $1 million for Covid relief in 48 hours newsindiatimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newsindiatimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Indiaspora raises over USD 1 million for COVID relief from diaspora leaders ANI | Updated: Apr 30, 2021 23:21 IST
Washington DC [US], April 30 (ANI): Indiaspora, a nonprofit community of global Indian diaspora leaders, announced they raised USD 1 million toward COVID-19 relief efforts within the last 48 hours, and will aim to double the impact of their donations by offering to match funds Saturday during the virtual event, Help India Breathe. We are proud of our community s response. The outpouring of support from the Indian diaspora has been immediate and overwhelming, said Sanjeev Joshipura, Executive Director of Indiaspora. We hope Saturday s event will continue to raise awareness and provide another opportunity for all of us to give. This has the potential to serve as a launch pad for additional and much-needed help for relief efforts in India.