Narain Kataria’s address at the Prayer Meeting organized by America India Public Affairs Committee on 9/11/11
I am happy that America India Public Action Committee has organized today’s prayer meeting in the observance of Tenth Anniversary of 9/11 attack on World Trade Center in 2001 in which about 3000 innocent people were killed by terrorists. We are here to pay our homage to all of them.
AIPAC is the need of the hour. I do not think, at the moment, there is any other Indian political action committee which is effectively working to strengthen Indo-American relations.
I think, terrorism, Economy and China are the three major issues on which AIPAC can work in cooperation with American and Indian authorities.
As you all are aware that India’s economy is growing at the rate of about 9%. India Government has about 300 billion dollars in its reserve. NRIs are sending about 55 billion dollars to India every year. India’s export to USA is somewhere between 250-300 billion. Number of Indian millionaire is 126,700; and in a couple of years it will reach 400,000.
Recently Forbes Magazine announced that in India there are 69 billionaires. The combined worth of 100 richest people is US300 billion. India produced 17 billionaires last year. We are second to none.
The number of strong middle class in India is about 250 millions. America owes 41 billion dollars to India. India is becoming a very powerful nation, economically as well as militarily.
However, India has to take care of the problem of terrorism which is eating into its vitals. As we all know, terrorism is greatest threat to human civilization.
Since 9/11, terrorists have carried out 17690 terrorist attacks all over the world. The other day, terrorists attacked in New Delhi and killed 16 and injured about 60 people. There have been several attacks in Mumbai, Delhi and many other cities in India.
India is modernizing its military system. India is planning to buy $100 billion worth of new weapons over the next 10 years. US has offered top of the shelf and top of the line weapons to India. The arm sales to India could boost Indo-American relationship in the 21st century. USA is the biggest supplier of weapons to India. Military partnership between India and American is deepening very fast. It is reported that India may agree to deploy NATO missile system in India.
At the same time, China is growing faster than India as a very powerful economic and military machine. USA owes China more than 2 trillion dollars. China’s army and missiles are targeted on India and USA. China is building Gwader Airport for Pakistan in Balochistan. In the near future China could block the flow of oil to Europe and USA. China’s blue navy is operating in Indian Ocean and inWest Pacific near American Island of Guam. It is mutually advantageous for India and USA to cooperate in this effort.
I think there is a very vast scope for IAPAC to work on the above issues.
I congratulate AIPAC and wish all its members great success in its endeavor.
Narain Kataria
Katarian@aol.com
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