“The Indian Diaspora: Defining a New Paradigm in India-US Relationship,” is the theme of an upcoming Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Program. This topic will be discussed two weeks from now in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Some would question the choice of venue, but it is a known fact that even though Indian diaspora constitutes only 1 percent of the total population of the US, their success is noteworthy. Many startups in Silicon Valley have Indian surnames and you are likely to meet many Indians in high paying professions like doctors and engineers.

Previous venues for the Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas events have included London, Sydney, Toronto, Singapore, Durban, Mauritius, The Hague and New York.

Indian Diaspora, which constitutes people of Indian origin, has around 30 million people, who live outside of India, but have still kept their cultural connections alive. With the help of the Internet and Facebook, they are able to frequently keep in touch with their families and do not have to wait for a letter or telegram as was the case only a few decades ago.

Even though the economic performance of Indian Diaspora is noteworthy, their political influence is dismal. To be a politician is not a prestigious career to pursue if you are an Indian. “Who will marry you?” Is the question I get as a reply when I ask a person of Indian origin in America why they haven’t chosen a political career. I remember that I once told an Indian family friend that I had studied Anthropology. The question put to me was: “Can you be a doctor?”

Within the Indian community, to be a doctor is almost as good as being Lord Krishna. In the contemporary American society there is a tremendous interest in Indian yoga, in Sanskrit, and in India’s contemporary history, but those are luxuries that most second generation Indians cannot afford. You have to be a doctor, if not, then an engineer, if not that, then perhaps an advocate; but for god’s sake do not get involved in politics. Humanities as a subject is still not considered to be attractive.

On the other hand, Diasporas from India tend to indulge in the act of political correctness rather than learning how to be persuasively correct; this matters, especially in the USA. We have got to learn it from the Jewish diaspora. They defend their country and keep their cultural roots alive and in doing so, they have united other Americans in their stand against anti-Semitism. Even the Pakistani diaspora is more vociferous and has been successful in the acquisition of 20 billion dollars in aid given directly to Pakistan from the US alone.

Indians love to criticize, and criticism is healthy in democracy. But at the end of the day, when an undemocratic China gets to do real business with United Kingdom and when India is coerced to spend more in defense against terrorism, it is a loss for all Indians, even for the politically correct who criticize India’s lack of progress but do so with their myopic view of the situation rather than a “world view”.

Time is ripe for a true and honest partnership with the United States. Indians out here are very successful, but we cannot say the same of the US-India relationship. Indians as individuals have been successful but they haven’t succeeded as a community. There is much at stake here. Indians, irrespective of their caste, region of origin, or religious background, have to learn the art of being persuasively correct and influential by getting organized behind a single banner.

The future of US-India relations depends on how good we are at convincing the Americans that engagement with India is strengthening America’s standing in the world. We are their partners not their competitors. We could start with the basics: In no other country have so many Indians excelled like in the USA. How about acknowledging that and reciprocating it and welcoming them in India?

“Atithi Devo Bhava”, which means, in Sanskrit “Our guests are no less than gods”.

(This article appeared in The Times of India on October 28, 2015)