By Philip Newman
Two Queens congressmen whose districts include thousands of former residents of India have proclaimed their support for federal aid and neighborhood drives to help the victims of the earthquake that left thousands of people dead in the Indian state of Gujarat.
U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) and U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) met last week with Subhash Kapada, president of the Jackson Heights Merchant Association, and local Indian leaders at Raj Electronics and the Delhi Palace restaurant to discuss the plight of the hundreds of thousands left homeless by the Jan. 26 quake.
Kapada, who came to the United States from Gujarat, said residents of Queens had been generous in donations to help the victims of the quake.
“We are grateful to both former residents of India and Americans,” Kapada said. “The relief drive is going well.”
“My deepest sympathy goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy and for affected families of thousands of victims in India, New York and throughout the United States,” Crowley said.
“The people of New York City have responded with great compassion, hope, bravery and strength,” he said. “I support India in its request for $1.7 billion in economic assistance and will work hard to secure additional support from the United States Agency for International Development.”
Crowley and Ackerman, both members of the congressional India Caucus, signed a letter to President Bush urging him to send humanitarian and other aid to Gujarat to help the government and people cope with the earthquake’s aftermath.
The U.S. Agency for International Development responded to their request by providing an initial $5 million in relief supplies and the American Red Cross is spending $45,000 to start an assistance effort.
Crowley and Ackerman also co-sponsored a resolution passed last week by the U.S. House of Representatives expressing sympathy for the victims of the Gujarat earthquake. The resolution supports efforts of the World Bank and USAID to provide more assistance to help rebuild devastated areas of Gujarat.
More than 30,000 former residents of Gujarat live in New York City and the New York chapter of the Gujarati Samaj organization estimates there are 100,000 Gujaratis in the New York metropolitan area.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 136.
