On an evening with all the elements needed to make it a wonderful time for a lovely Californian outing, there was something more prominent in the minds of hundreds of NRIs headed to the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple on May 23rd. The gathering constituted of people from all walks of profession, age and region who were united by the theme that brought them all together – Rejuvenate India.! Yes, for a change it is a talk about political reforms rather than an agenda with gold, god, or entertainment as the speaker pointed out, that led to this special moment of national integration miles away from their motherland.
The occasion was the maiden visit after getting elected to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh by the president of the Lok Satta Party, Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan to the San Francisco Bay Area region and LA. As part of the series of talks and discussions held by People for Lok Satta the NRI wing of Lok Satta Party, Dr. JP has been addressing gatherings of inspired and rejuvenated audiences all over the U.S. *The voice for political reforms raised by the people over the last 15 days has reached a crescendo by the time it reached the shores of the Golden State*. The talks in Los Angeles and the Bay Area have in fact turned this surging momentum into a movement of its own. A new Indian Political Reformation Movement if you can call it. Dr JP compared it with India League Movement of Independence struggle days.
Talking to a packed audience of over 1000 people, Dr. JP stated that the energy, enthusiasm, and passion shown by the people of Indian Origin have deeply inspired him like never before*. He said that he was bowled over by the hope exhibited by the people and was drawing great energy from the concern that the Indian Diaspora is showing for the betterment of their beloved nation. There is a pervasive sense of frustration and helplessness everyone feels with the problems faced by the country and the only way to change it is through good politics, he said.
Calling upon the educated middle class to indulge more in the democratic process, Dr. Narayan emphasized that we need to overcome the narcissism of small differences in the interest of the bigger cause of national reformation. He praised the NRIs for their achievements and the laurels that they have earned for themselves and their country and pointed out that India requires their talent, leadership, commitment and participation. You can take an Indian out of India but you can’t take India out of an Indian he quoted.
Dr. JP was accompanied by Loksatta Tamilnadu president, Vijay Anand who reiterated that the most dangerous problem facing the nation today is the silence of the middle class with respect to its participation in the democratic process. He talked about the growth of the party in Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Mumbai, and Uttar Pradesh, and how the message of better politics resonates with people in every state because no one is happy with the current state of affairs.
Following the speech, there were numerous questions asked on the state of Indian politics, how the party planned to address the issues, and the readiness of India for real change. Replying to a question from the audience, he said that the best guarantee for the people are people themselves, empower them, entrust them and guide them. *The secret to good governance is the creation of accountable local governments*. Both Dr. JP and the volunteers of People for Loksatta (PFL) who organized the event repeatedly called upon NRI's to participate actively in the political process of their motherland. He received a standing applause from the audience at the end of the proceeding.
During the visit, Dr.JP addressed a gathering of more than 300 people in LA. Vijay Anand has got the Zero Rupee notes distributed to all the participants by PFL volunteers. Dr. JP also addressed the student community at the Stanford University where he was the key note speaker for the Brainstorming India 2010 conference. Dr. JP and Vijay Anand participated in an intellectual discussion at Google headquarters in Mountain view.
For complete schedule and to register please visit www.peopleforloksatta.org. For any questions please contact [email protected] or 551-208-0120.
