PUNJAB-ORIGIN DEMOCRAT TARGETS TRUMP
WASHINGTON: Indian-American Seema Nanda, the newly-appointed CEO of the opposition Democratic Party’s decisionmaking body, has claimed that the US democracy is under attack and some of its sacred institutions are being challenged every day under the Trump administration.
Chicago-born Nanda whose parents hail from Punjab, was last month appointed as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the formal governing body of the Democratic Party, making her the first from the Indian-American community to lead operations of a major political party in the US.
She described the last 18 months of the Trump administration as an incredible difficult time for the US.
“It is an incredibly difficult time in this country. Our democracy is under attack every day by this administration that is really challenging some of our most basic and sacred institutions that we’ve had,” Nanda told PTI.
“We see attacks every day on the free press, vicious attacks on sitting members of Congress by this administration. We see corruption. What is most frustrating about it is it takes away from the real issues that the Democratic Party wants to talk about,” she said, adding that income inequality is greater than it has ever been.
Beginning July 23, Nanda would be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the powerful DNC. In her capacity as the DNC CEO, she would play a key role in party’s winning strategy in the mid-term November elections, for which the DNC has set a target of winning back the House of Representatives from the Republicans.
“We are very focused on protecting our democracy, making sure we have the institutions that provide the checks and balances to the government that have made this country so great and open to all and welcome to all,” Nanda said.
Currently executive vice president and COO at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human rights, largest human and civil rights organisation in the US, Nanda’s appointment is seen as another sign of the political emergence of Indian-American in particular women in the country’s political arena.