Senator Chaudhary believes that agriculture is a binding force  Ishani Duttagupta 

   HE’S the man behind the improbable sounding sibling alliance between our own Haryana and the US state of Minnesota. But then, Satveer Chaudhary, who was elected to the house of representatives in Minnesota in 1996, holds many records. 

   When he was first elected state representative, Mr Chaudhary, who belongs to the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, became the first Asian member of the Minnesota legislature. In 2000, he became the first Asian-Indian senator in American history. After he was re-elected to the Minnesota senate in 2002, he also became the Minnesota senate’s youngest member at 33 and currently serves as majority whip. Very proud of his Jat roots, Mr Chaudhary was the moving force behind the sister-state partnership agreement between Haryana and Minnesota that was signed during the current visit of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to India. “This partnership - which is the first of its kind between a US and an Indian state - has business advantages for both. Minnesota is increasingly seen as a state with a vibrant business climate which is very similar to Haryana. But it’s not just business, culturally too both the states have a lot in common. Minnesota and Haryana are traditionally agricultural states and that gives us common ground not just in terms of economy but also in terms of culture,” says Mr Chaudhary. As for his achievements, he’s very modest and feels that there are high and low points for everyone who chooses a career in politics. 

   “However, I’ve never dwelt on my ethnic minority status or seen my Indianness as a disadvantage in reaching out to people,” he says. He also feels that most Indian-Americans who are in politics have had to work with mainstream causes. “From Swati Dandekar and Kumar Barve to Jay Goyal, no one has really been able to find an ethnic Indian constituency. All of us, who have become legislators in the US, have had to represent the mainstream,” he says. 
   As for Minnesota, though the state doesn’t have a very large Indian population, Mr Chaudhary feels that Indians such as Gopal K Khanna, who’s Minnesota’s first chief information officer, are making a big impact. “Minnesota is also home to Indian businessmen such as Mahendra Nath, CEO of Nath Companies, who have done the Indian community proud,” he says. He also sees a bright future for Indian companies that are setting up shop in his state. The fact that his state doesn’t have a large number of Indians doesn’t bother him. “New York and San Francisco are like the covers of the US and you can’t judge a book by its covers. I would like Indians to delve into the heart of the US, which is well represented by my state,” he says with pride. Sweet home Minnesota!  Source : Economic Times , Delhi , India      Comments : Very Well Described by Ishani Dasgupta -  Sweet home Minnesota!  www.commonwealthtv.tv                       Tags:agriculture BLOGS Indian Americans Internet Minnesota’s Jat connection new york Senator Chaudhary US WEALTH WORLD AFFAIRS