'India and US to partner to rid the world of hunger, poverty'

India and the US, the two largest democracies of the world, are now starting to partner and expand their partnership in developmental assistance in efforts to rid the world of hunger, poverty, disease and malnutrition, a top Obama Administration official has said.

"We are very excited to be expanding our partnerships with India and with institutions, companies and public sector ministries in India to work on development-related activities," said Rajiv Shah, the USAID Administrator and the highest ranking Indian-American in the Obama Administration.

"What that basically means is efforts to reduce poverty and hunger and child malnutrition, efforts to continue to work together to address the spread of disease and the efforts to empower women, particularly in rural communities, throughout India and South Asia; and really new efforts, but efforts that build on India's own strong tradition that is getting stronger by the day, of really beginning to connect some of the core technical expertise in India with countries all around the world," Shah said.

In his key note address to the 'US-India People-to- People' Conference organised by the State Department ahead of the Obama visit, Shah told a group of eminent Indian-Americans as to how he was excited to be part of this transformational relationship between the two largest democratic countries.

"I approach this trip with a sense of enthusiasm and pride," said Shah, who is part of the official US delegation travelling to India.

"As an Indian-American, I've gotten to experience, I think, what many in this room have, which is just a tremendous sense of pride as they've observed India over the last decade really grow into a tremendously positive force in the world," he said.

Shah's father from Gujarat and mother from Mumbai came to the US in 1960s.

Shah, who grew up in Michigan, has spend quite some time in various parts of India during his childhood and youth in various developmental projects like the slums in Mumbai.

"Like our interesting partnerships, we've just started in India that will help convert some of the drip-irrigation systems that allow for improved vegetable production into very cheap PVC and high-volume production that can reach really millions of South Asian families and improve the core nutritional standing of children who still suffer dramatically from malnutrition," Shah said.

Later in her valedictory address, Indian Ambassador to US Meera Shankar said the conference is a testimony to the growing presence of the Indian-American community members in the United States, the strong influence they bring to bear in strengthening India-US relations, and the great expectations that both countries have in them in taking this important relationship forward.

Shankar observed that the Indian-American community has played diversified roles in almost all walks of US society - from art and culture to medicine, science, business, education, media, administration, politics and military.

She recalled the invaluable role the community played in seeing the India-US civil nuclear agreement through the Congress two years ago by creating the right environment.

The Ambassador remarked that the growing people to people connections had facilitated a dynamic cultural osmosis in both directions as reflected in the increasing popularity of Yoga, and Indian cuisine in the US, and the impact of American Pop Music and fast food in India.

She referred, in this connection, to the example of fusion represented by the vegetarian Aloo Tikki Burger served in India and the vegetarian Indian restaurants in the US, which call themselves Kosher!

Shankar touched upon the growing economic relations between the two countries and the contribution of the community to that effect, whether through IT, banking, investments or entrepreneurship.