We, the people that comprise a community of Americans of Indian origin, diverse in our faith, careers, interests, and political allegiances, would like to show our support for the pioneering young Indian-Americans who have risen to new levels of prominence with the historic election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. In the true spirit of his message, we are proud to see our community contribute to this great nation, to the enduring ideals that define it: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope. To Indian-Americans of all leanings brave enough to blaze new trails in American polity and participate in the greatness embodied by America – to Sonal Shah, Parag Mehta, Nick Rathod, Bobby Jindal, Kumar Barve, Swati Dandekar, and countless others – we are behind you. There is no more powerful a statement of our reverence for the inclusive spirit of America, than to see young leaders from our community express the greatest sense of service and sacrifice in taking America towards - regardless of which party they represent - what this President-elect has so eloquently articulated as “a more perfect union.” To those who seek to undermine the tolerance, pluralism, and liberty that define America by poisoning the journey(s) of this new generation of Indian-American leaders with the divisive politics, hateful innuendo, manufactured controversy, and petty tactics that continue to spoil our country of origin: you do not represent us. Gandhi said it best, "intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit." We will strive to see past our differences; to rise as a common voice in a renewed notion of America that appeals to us all; to pitch in, work hard, and look after both ourselves and each other. We condemn attempts to hijack the progress of Indian-Americans rising in America by applying the discourse of Indian politics to them: we particularly abhor the personal attacks, hateful innuendo, and McCarthyistic guilt-by-association tactics used by political and religious fanatics of all sides in the Indian diaspora in order to ride on the success of Indian-American leaders to make their political views on India newsworthy in America. These actions send a message to the American establishment that our community is too obsessed with Indian politics to participate in the great civic institutions of our adopted country of America. We are proud of our heritage, but we are enlightened by our American nation which has taught us about the true spirit of tolerance, inclusion, and liberty; our children deserve the same chances to be judged by their own actions, to engage with their history and culture without fear of persecution by those who cannot see but through the lens of the divisive political baggage that they brought with them when they emigrated to America. We, the undersigned, resolve to answer the call posed by this moment in history – to defeat the divisive discourse of our diaspora - to unite, to build on the common ideals that we share, and to contribute to a better America for everyone.

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