A MONTHLY POLITICAL SERIES – BY RISHI KUMAR
Special thanks to Shayra Sethi for this profile coverage

SATYAGRAH SOULS is a monthly political series presented by Silicon Valley’s community leader, Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar, in highlighting the community involvement and success of Indian Americans in the United States. This series seeks to inspire us in giving back to our local community. We Indian Americans are going through a transitional evolution, as we get entrenched in a new world, embracing new culture, exerting zealous work ethics, supporting the American economy as entrepreneurs, high tech geeks, doctors, lawyers and more. We are definitely imposing the positive intentions and good citizen values upon this fantastic country and making a huge impact. But can our involvement run a bit deeper with issues near and dear to our hearts, perhaps within our local city, or with the local public school that our children attend? Do we sometimes hear our conscience imploring, “Am I doing enough?” Yes we can get involved just a bit more, push our comfort zone and enhance the learning and impact our involvement. Our involvement can simply start with developing a healthy curiosity in our local community, instead of being ‘busy’ bystanders. Once we get involved, we will quickly discover, how easy it is for us to make progressive change happen and how receptive everyone around is, to leverage our skills for it. There are leaders waiting to be discovered, why not “me”, by taking that first step? The give-back experience can be freeing, energizing – personally rewarding and transformative at the same time. There are many who have made their mark in doing just that. With this monthly series, we want to highlight these SatyAgrah souls who are showing us the path. Here is a SatyaGrah soul, who has found the calling… 

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Bringing new Democratic voice to Washington

Beej Das is not your typical politician. The son of South Asian immigrants, a business owner, and constitutional lawyer by training, he is running for Congress to bring a new Democratic voice to Washington to represent the people of the Third

Congressional District. Growing up, Beej worked in his father’s small business in Lawrence while his mother taught classes at UMass Lowell.
His ties to Lowell and the surrounding communities of the Third District led him to opening his own business in Tyngsborough – the Stonehedge Hotel, which employs 75 people in the district. As an outsider to the political establishment, Beej understands that real leadership requires a willingness to discuss issues – issues that keep people up at night – with those like-minded or not to find the best path forward; issues like job growth, healthcare, over-taxation of the middle class, and discriminatory practices that Beej has navigated himself as an entrepreneur and first generation American. With your support, he will tackle these issues with you, and for you, as your Congressman.

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Strive to be an agent of change

Could you tell us about one turning moment which defined the purpose to serve the community and challenging objectives?

I’ve been watching what’s happening in DC with a level of shock and disgust. Not just with President Trump, but both parties in Congress who haven’t lived up to the expectations of our citizenry.

At every point I kept thinking it has got to get better; it hasn’t gotten better for us in the Merrimack Valley, and in Washington all I’m seeing is more and more dysfunction. I had this feeling before the election – but I realized this trend was only getting worse, and without a Democrat in the White House, we needed new, strong representation in Congress to protect the interests of the American people.

That moment was when I felt the strongest calling, personally, to do something to protect the community I have grown up in and invested in.

From Big Law to Small Businesses, and now running for the US Representative from the 3rd District of Massachusetts. How do you bring in the perspective of an entrepreneurship and constitutional lawyer to the district?

I believe in a diverse background and breadth of experience as a key qualification for a US Congressman. As a Congressman, you are expected to fix so many issues in society and in your district, including economic and societal woes, but you must do so by applying the framework laid out by our nation’s founders in the Constitution.

My background as a small business owner gives me insight into the challenges working families face today. Ultimately, what I bring to the Massachusetts 3rd District is a unique professional background and an understanding of the challenges facing residents in the 3rd today. The district has a long, rich history of innovation and entrepreneurship – because of its people. I will be a strong advocate for economic revitalization in our cities and towns.

What are the top 3 priorities/issues that you are seeking to take up for your district?
The issue I hear voters talking about the most is good jobs and a leveling the playing field for small businesses. We need an advocate in Washington who will work to ensure the success of our residents. We’re in a region that was once an economic powerhouse – I want to see the 3rd District take the lead again.

Economic development encompasses so much – we have to make sure companies come to the district, and we have to equip our residents so they can succeed when those jobs come. Not only do we need to improve options for secondary education and trade schools, but we need to support a strong base of knowledge through improving the quality of K-12 education across the country.

We need to create healthcare solutions that are affordable for people, viable for small businesses to support, and provide high quality care that people deserve.
My third key issue area is immigration reform. My family came to America looking for opportunity in America. All of us trace our family history back to someplace else. An America that turns its back on immigrants and refugees is betraying its identity and history.

Your final words on political empowerment and engagement for the Indian-American readers reading this

Vote; I know it sounds so simple but we need people of every background using their political power so that we can move the needle, together. Look at Congressman-elect Conor Lamb; he won by a razor thin margin of 600 votes.

Volunteer; whether it’s for a candidate you believe in, a cause you care about, or an organization that provides services to those in need, when you are engaged in your community, you commit yourself to its future.

A message for the young Indian-Americans and what involvement/contribution would you like to see from them in developing the community

Part of the reason I entered this race was that I realized from Maine to Florida, there is hardly anybody that looks like me, or with my cultural background, in Congress. Congress should be a body that is representative of the population, which is very diverse in this country. Adding diverse perspectives to the discussion can only improve the state of affairs.

I think that concept applies to anything, not just politics. I hope that all young Indian-Americans would be able to look at the world around you, take note of areas you think you aren’t represented in the way you should be, and strive to be an agent of change in those areas.

Friends, this was an interview with Beej Das. We wish him the very best with his Congressional run and beyond

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Dear Readers, Do you have a story to share? We invite you to introduce us to folks in your community who are making a difference – we would love to profile them. Are there similar stories you are familiar with locally. The ones who helped address a simple issue in the community to make life a bit better. Perhaps someone you know decided to make a run for school board, was appointed to the planning commission. Provide us your insights on Indian Americans locally and nationally who are making things happen. These perspectives will help construct roadmaps for our community to empower ourselves, to hopefully ignite a desire in all of us to represent our local communities as doers, leaders, establish and entrench ourselves in this glorious country of America and help make it a better place

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ABOUT RISHI: Rishi is an elected city councilmember in Saratoga, CA and politically active in the state of California, as a board member on a few state and national political organizations. He continues to follow his passion for community service, seeking to provide services to his constituents cheaper, faster and better, in his passion to make a difference. Rishi has diligent service, responsiveness, community outreach and engagement a key focus for his political leadership, be that strong independent voice. As Silicon Valley’s community organizer, Rishi is host of many social, educational, cultural community events, many of which are free and always inclusive usually addressing a need or a cause. Rishi’s day job is as a Silicon Valley hi-tech executive but his zeal for service effervescent. Rishi is also the President of the Bay Area Indian American Democratic Club (www.baiadc.org) whose charter is to further the interests and values of Indian Americans, work towards political empowerment and advance ethical standards in the political system. You can reach him via his website www.RishiKumar.com.