FORDS, NJ (TIP): Addressing a group of Indian Americans at Royal Albert’s Palace here, November 16, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan called upon nonresident Indian community to be partners in the development of India. She urged them to visit India and actively participate and contribute in helping to make their homeland more reliant and selfsufficient.

The visiting dignitary attended the luncheon meeting organized by Indian American Community Foundation, headed by Dr. Bharat Barai to express appreciation of the cooperation it was given in organizing the historic Madison Square Garden community reception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 28. On arrival, Mahajan paid a floral tribute to the statue of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, which stands tall at the entrance of Royal Albert’s Palace. In her address, Mahajan lauded the Indian-American community for their achievements both here and back home in India.

“Work is not over, a lot needs to be done, especially in education and healthcare” she reminded the audience, and urged them to help in the various new initiatives undertaken by the Modi government. Majahan is soft-spoken but battle-hardened leader who has risen from the ranks to the top post of Lok Sabha Speaker. She was unanimously elected Lok Sabha speaker this June, becoming the second woman after Meira Kumar to be elected to the post. This year Mahajan won the Lok Sabha elections for the eighth time, one of the three members of the 16th Lok Sabha to do so, and the longest-serving woman member.

She has been representing Indore Parliamentary constituency of Madhya Pradesh since 1989. Starting her political life at the age of 39, she became the deputy mayor and then an MP from Indore in Madhya Pradesh. She was a minister of state in the Atal Behari Vajpayee cabinet from 1999 to 2004 and held various portfolios which included human resources, communications, IT, petroleum and natural gas. A lawyer-turned-politician, Mahajan is known for her trademark simplicity, honesty and clean image besides her impeccable winning record. Mahajan was in New York for the second meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments at the United Nations.