WASHINGTON − Amarnath Vidyalankar might be seen in a weathered photograph from practically 50 years in the past standing exterior the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., a landmark within the nation’s capital the place his grandson Ro Khanna is now a four-term Home member.

Vidyalankar was an Indian freedom fighter and have become a part of India’s first parliament. He spent a number of years in jail with Gandhi, a notable historic determine who fought for his nation’s independence from British rule. 

To Khanna, D-Calif., seeing the photograph of his grandfather on the place the place he now works was surreal.

The California lawmaker is main a bipartisan congressional delegation to India in the course of the summer season recess and will probably be there Aug. 15 to mark India’s Independence Day.

“I feel it actually hit me now that I’m main this delegation, happening Indian Independence Day to have a good time a second that my grandfather sacrificed a lot of his life for,” he stated.  

The connection between the U.S. and India has by no means been extra essential, Khanna says. The nation is likely one of the most essential allies for america within the 21^st century.

India is on the verge of turning into a major financial pressure. The nation is about to grow to be the third largest economic system by 2030, placing america able to strengthen its relations with probably the most populous nation on this planet.  

“Aligning with that massive of a democracy is important,” Khanna stated. 

Historical past coming full circle

Khanna’s grandfather Vidyalankar was a part of the Indian Independence Motion for 15 years. He labored intently with Lala Lajpat Rai, an Indian independence motion chief who died throughout a baton cost from police.  

His demise additional impressed Vidyalankar to dedicate his life to independence, Khanna stated.  

Vidyalankar’s time as a freedom fighter wasn’t with out challenges. He went to jail for 2 years within the early Thirties for writing articles about India independence. He was jailed once more for a further two years over a decade later with Gandhi for his involvement with Give up India, a motion throughout World Battle II that demanded an finish to British rule within the nation.  

Khanna was 9 years outdated when his grandfather handed away, however he remembers spending summers within the nation together with his grandparents. He would cook dinner Indian desserts together with his grandfather and take heed to tales Vidyalankar would recite from reminiscence in regards to the Mahabharata, a traditional textual content of Hinduism.  

As Khanna received older, he heard extra tales about his grandfather from his grandmother. She would typically recount Vidyalankar’s time in jail and generally needed to increase Khanna’s mom and siblings alone as a result of he can be in jail or touring the nation for the independence motion.

Her tales made his grandfather a “bigger than life determine” in Khanna’s household.

“Undoubtedly my inspiration for politics for desirous to struggle for a extra simply world,” he stated of his grandfather’s affect. He recounted his first run in politics when he launched the primary anti-Iraq main marketing campaign for a California Home seat in 2004 − shedding by a large margin.

Khanna’s household remembers Vidyalankar as a kind-hearted, mild soul who cherished sweets and taking part in chess. He was disciplined, idealistic and principled, waking up early each morning to do yoga, Khanna stated.

He supported the creation of IITs, Indian Institutes of Expertise. Khanna’s father attended one of many institutes earlier than immigrating to america.

“The thought earlier than my dad and mom, or on the time my grandparents, that I might ever get into Congress was so surreal,” he stated.

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‘A unprecedented bond’

Khanna is main the primary congressional delegation for India’s Independence Day the place a gaggle of bipartisan lawmakers will probably be visiting the Raj Ghat, a symbolic location the place Gandhi is honored, and Purple Fort, a monument the place the delegation will meet with India’s Prime Minister.

Khanna, who co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian People, is main the journey with Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., who additionally co-chairs the caucus.  

“To chair the India Caucus and to steer the primary delegation on Indian Independence Day on the Purple Fort is kind of positively historical past coming full circle with my grandfather,” Khanna stated.  

The delegation will meet with enterprise, tech, authorities and Bollywood leaders to deepen cultural ties and mark the bipartisan delegation’s go to to the nation throughout its Independence Day celebrations.

“That is a unprecedented bond, particularly given our personal independence motion,” Khanna stated, including that the symbolism of the bipartisan delegation goes to be perceived in India as “very highly effective.”

Khanna plans to partake in cricket diplomacy in the course of the journey, discussing how the Cricket World Cup is about to happen in america subsequent July. He hopes somebody from India can journey to america to look at the matches.

Different matters of dialogue in the course of the journey will give attention to collaboration on well being information requirements globally, particularly how medical exams accomplished in a single nation may switch all over the world. Khanna stated the delegation may even talk about tips on how to finest foster markets in India for American merchandise to extend exports and switch India right into a hub different to China.

Khanna, who’s a senior member on the Home Armed Companies Committee and serves on the Home Choose Committee on China, may even talk about the strategic and protection relationships between the 2 international locations.   

Why are U.S.-India relations essential?

Khanna stated the relations between the U.S. and India are essential partly due to India’s massive financial market.  

The U.S. has a possibility to determine a relationship that builds a commerce surplus the place the U.S. can promote merchandise, in contrast to in China the place manufacturing has moved, he stated.

“(In) India, you possibly can have a balanced financial relationship, which is definitely offering financial alternative to create jobs in America,” Khanna stated.  

Moreover, Khanna stated you will need to guarantee China doesn’t have a footprint that threatens American preeminence.  

“Strategically, the connection with India issues,” he stated.  

Curiosity in U.S.-India relations has elevated in recent times, from either side of the aisle, Khanna famous. Along with Khanna and Waltz, his delegation contains 4 Democrats and two Republicans.  

“I feel that there’s a rising bipartisan consensus of the significance of this relationship,” he stated.  

‘Cannot be swept underneath the rug’

The U.S. has lately accused India of partaking in human rights abuses, one thing Khanna says will probably be a part of the conversations and dialogue in the course of the journey.  

“We have now challenges in our nation and positively India has challenges in theirs and to have that form of frank trade, I imagine that that’s essential and that’s the position I’ve taken,” he stated. 

In June, Modi addressed a joint session of Congress which some Democratic lawmakers boycotted due to the reported human rights violations.  

Khanna stated he respects his colleagues who boycotted Modi’s speech.

“It might probably’t simply be swept underneath the rug, it needs to be a part of the dialog,” he stated.  

The way in which to additional the dialog, Khanna says, is to have an open dialogue that discusses the challenges of constructing a cohesive democracy that values minority rights. All through the journey, Khanna stated he hopes to proceed to convey the significance of pluralism and respecting minority rights.

“I feel one can have two views that aren’t contradictory − that India is a vital companion, a vital democracy and but that it’s imperfect and that we now have to be aspirational in ensuring it’s pluralistic and respects minority rights because it’s proved to its founding splendid in a method that America is making an attempt to stay as much as our founding beliefs,” he stated.  

If Vidyalankar was alive at this time, Khanna imagines he would hope to see a relationship between the U.S. and India that focuses on being vibrant, pluralistic democracies with the free trade of concepts. Khanna thinks his grandfather would need an added give attention to the local weather, world poverty, the empowerment of girls and training.

“He would need america and India to work towards not only a relationship that advantages each international locations economically and strategically, but additionally that advantages the world,” he stated.

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