RITU JHA
Washington, DC-based entrepreneur and civic leader Frank F Islam believes US-India relations will thrive under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Islam wears many hats. He is a is a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist, civic leader and thought leader.
He serves on number boards and advisory councils including the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, the US Institute of Peace, the Woodrow Wilson Center, and the Brookings Institution.
He serves on various boards and councils at more than half-dozen universities including Johns Hopkins, University, American University, and George Mason University.
In an exclusive interview with indica News, Islam explains why he believes the Biden-Kamala Harris ticket is the “perfect antidote to Trump & Trumpism.”
Excerpts:
What’s your view about Presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris?
Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris are the perfect antidotes to Trump and Trumpism, which have taken America down the path of decline and widened the historical fault lines in our society.
Both [Biden and Harris] are very decent individuals and leaders capable of restoring integrity and honesty at the Oval Office and lead the country forward.
Unlike Trump, who was born into privilege, the Vice President and the senator had modest upbringing and worked their way up. Biden has been serving the country selflessly for more than 50 years, fighting for the common people.
Kamala Harris also has an excellent record in public service.
Do you believe the Biden-Harris team can defeat Trump?
Yes, I believe that Biden-Harris ticket will defeat Trump in November and end nearly four years of the national nightmare.
The Democrats are leading in nearly all the recent opinion polls.
Biden and Harris have the resources, the organization, the passion and, above all, the right message to oust Trump from the White House.
Harris is good orator and will probably be able to pull on money and support, but she has no geo-political or military experience. Does that make it challenging?
Senator Kamala Harris’s nomination has energized the Democratic party coalition nationwide. It has galvanized the African-American community, a huge section of Indian Americans, the West Indian-American community, women of color and women in general — to name a few demographic groups.
The California senator is known for fundraising abilities. The campaign has raised nearly $50 million in the first 48 hours of joining the ticket.
Senator Harris has more geopolitical understanding than Donald Trump and Mike Pence had when they ran in 2016, which, by the way, is reflected in their administration’s policies.
As a US senator, she has dealt with geopolitical issues in the past three-and-half years.
Here I want to point out that the person at the top of the ticket, Joe Biden, has more geopolitical experience than any person that ran for President this century, having served as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a number of years and as the Vice President for eight years.
What are your expectations from Biden-Harris on US-India relations?
I am very confident than US-India relations will thrive under Biden and Harris.
It is safe to say that, in the 244-year history of the United States, no presidential candidate was as familiar with India as Biden is.
As Vice President and, prior to that, as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, he has worked on US-India bilateral issues for decades.
In fact, it was quite reassuring to hear his Indian Independence Day message, where he pledged to stand with India and confront the threats it faces in South Asia and along its borders.
From an economic standpoint, the Trump administration has been terrible for India, be it on the trade front, or on the tech visa issue. Vice President Biden will reverse Trump’s policies on both these issues.
ALSO SEE
https://indicanews.com/2020/08/21/biden-talks-of-hope-calls-kamala-harris-powerful-voice-for-this-nation/
