Monday, May 21, 2007

What the 110th US Congress Should Know about India - Event Summary

You can find a summary of Young India's recent Capitol Hill briefing online now here:
Young India briefs US Congress on developments in India

As you will find mentioned in the event summary, Young India's president, Rohit Tripathi, made mention of the elections in Uttar Pradesh. In fact, before the briefing, Young India delved into the matter here on the page of Samvaad. The stunning results of this election are making their way to international publications as well. Take note of Newsweek's recent article titled An Unlikely Alliance which focuses in on the crafty alliance-building that Ms. Mayawati engaged in in the BSP's recent electoral win. A short excerpt:
"The election two weeks ago of Mayawati, a member of India's oppressed Dalit castes, as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) shocked the country. The surprise wasn't her victory per se. Dalits (once known as untouchables) have occupied high office before. The stunner came from how Mayawati got there this time: by building an unprecedented coalition of Dalits, marginalized Muslims and upper-caste Brahmins, long viewed by Dalits as their oppressors. Now this most unlikely of combinations threatens to seriously shift politics, not just in India's most populous state, but in the entire country."


We will continue to post more on how these events unfold. Stay Tuned.

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