IndiaPost.com - USIBC remembers Congressman Lantos as Champion of US-India relations

NEW YORK: The US-India Business Council (USIBC) expressed its deep sorrow over the death of the august Congressman Tom Lantos, who died last week after a precipitous battle with cancer. Congressman Lantos was a good friend of USIBC, a steadfast supporter of the US-India relationship, and a powerful moral authority on US foreign policy.

"We are deeply saddened by Congressman Lantos' death. He was a moral compass on foreign-policy issues and a staunch advocate of a closer US-India relationship. His leadership, moral courage, and remarkable intellect will be terribly missed," said Ron Somers, President of USIBC. Somers added, "By his instrumental support for the Henry J. Hyde US-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006, Congressman Lantos helped to remove the cinder from the eye of the US-India relationship, aligning the world's oldest and the world's largest democracies in a partnership that will change history."

Though Congressman Lantos assumed chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee only one year ago, he had for many years been an esteemed leader not just within the committee but in Washington's foreign policy establishment. The only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, Congressman Lantos was widely admired as a strong supporter of Israel. From founding the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1983, to leading opposition to genocide in Darfur, he distinguished himself as Congress' leading champion for human rights. Congressman Lantos also provided visionary leadership in strategic affairs. In 2004, he paved the way for a foreign policy triumph by helping to persuade Moammar Gadhafi of Libya to abandon its nuclear weapons program in exchange for a lifting of sanctions.

Congressman Lantos was a leading champion for the Henry Hyde Act, which ends India's nuclear isolation, and sets India on a course for developing its internal energy security. Through Congressman Lantos' vital leadership as Ranking Member of the House International Relations Committee, the Hyde Act passed in 2006 with the resounding bipartisan majority of 359 to 68. Signed into law by President Bush in December 2006, the Hyde Act presently awaits endorsement by international bodies and a final nod by the U.S. Congress.

It would be fitting if Congress would consummate the historic initiative this year in memory of Congressman Lantos. US Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, commented: "Our great sorrow is tempered by our admiration for Chairman Lantos and his extraordinary contributions to our beloved country. An unfailingly gracious and courageous man, Tom was recognized by friends and colleagues alike as a leader who left an enviable legacy of service to his country. We were fortunate indeed to have known him. Annette and the entire Lantos family have my heartfelt condolences."

In his condolence message, Congressman Gary Ackerman, a senior member of the House foreign Affairs committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia said, "I want to first express my condolences and sympathy to Tom's beloved wife Annette, his daughters Annette and Katrina, and to his many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Their loss is the most severe and my thoughts are with them."

"As a man who saw and survived the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust, Tom embraced life. He had seen death and he embraced life. He lived fully and knew that family is the only treasure worth having. As an immigrant, and an American by choice, Tom loved this country intensely, with a fervor that never waned, and was exceeded only by his love for Annette.

He knew exactly how lucky every one of us is to be an American; to live in this great nation and to pledge allegiance to its flag. Tom will be remembered by his colleagues and by history as a mighty champion, the conscience of the Congress on the surpassing importance of human rights, and the inherent dignity of all people." "Tom was tough. He was passionate and he was dignified. He was a lion in a town too full of sheep.

The nation and the Congress have lost a great public servant today," Ackerman said. Sikh community remembers Lantos' contribution to civil rights US Sikhs have extended their condolences on the passing of Rep. Lantos, whom, they describe as "a celebrated champion of the environment and human rights." "Congressman Lantos was instrumental in changing the TSA's turban screening policies, thereby protecting Sikh religious freedoms," stated Harpreet Singh, Legal Director of United Sikhs. "Congressman Lantos' own personal experiences with intolerance and religious persecution formed the strong foundation of his unwavering commitment to religious pluralism and human rights."