NFIA Pledges Full Support to Bobby Jindal’s Campaign

For more information, please call:

Dr. Rajen Anand, Phone # (562) 531-1077

By A STAFF REPORTER

The National Federation of Indian-American Associations (NFIA) will lend its full support to the campaign of Bobby Jindal for the governor of Louisiana. Jindal will be the first American of Indian decent to run for governor in the United States, and if elected, will be the youngest head of State.

“We are delighted to see the great heights Bobby Jindal has reached at this young age,” said Niraj Baxi, the president of NFIA, “We will do everything in our capacity to help him in his quest to become the governor of Louisiana.”

Jindal who served for nearly two years as Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation of Health and Human Services, the highest-level political appointee of Indian origin in the Bush Administration recently resigned from that job to start his campaign for the State governor. A graduate from the Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar, Jindal previously served in Louisiana as Secretary of Health and Hospitals. He was credited for rescueing the State’s Medicaid program from bankruptcy by turning a $400 million deficit, into three years of surpluses totaling $220 million. He was only 26 year old at that time. In 1999, he was appointed President of the University of Louisiana, the youngest person to head a major university in the country.

NFIA President-elect Rajen Anand who served as head of a USDA agency for over 6 years in the Clinton administration, described Jindal as pride of the Indo-American community, who deserve full support, especially financial help, from the entire community in the United States. He strongly urged people to open their wallets and generously donate money to Jindal’s Campaign. “It will be great to see someone from first generation of Indo-Americans to occupy the highest office in the State of Louisiana,” added Anand.

Jindal has accepted an invitation from NFIA to attend its Board of Directors meeting scheduled in New Orleans, March 7-9, 2003. He will be addressing the Board on Saturday evening.

Born and raised in Baton Rouge, LA, Jindal is product of public school system in the state. He received his High School diploma from Baton Rouge High School and went on to graduate in biology and public policy from the Brown University. Jindal is married to Supriya Jolly and they have a one-year-old daughter.

“We have a golden opportunity to lend our support to a fellow Indian, and we should not miss it,” observed Rajendra Jain of New Orleans, the Vice President of NFIA and a close family friend of the Jindals.