Lakshmi Iyer
India Post News Service
Milpitas, CA: The inaugural Rajneeti Summit – a political summit, along with a West Coast Retreat for A4H representatives – was held on Friday, August 14th, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sheraton, Silicon Valley in Milpitas, California.
Dr. Romesh Japra, the Founder of Festival of Globe (FOG) and Americans4Hindus (A4H), organized this event to bring together elected officials, political representatives, thought leaders, and the general Hindu and Hindu-aligned community, with the intent of raising awareness of political empowerment.
Many delegates, including prominent politicians from both the Republican and Democratic parties, attended the event.
The roster of speakers and attendees boasted senior political figures such as:
Mr. Vivek Malek, State Treasurer of Missouri
Mr. Neil Patel, a businessman and community leader who contested in the U.S. Senate race from Ohio’s 13th district; he ran against Vice President J. D. Vance in the Republican primary in 2022, and
Dr. Janak Joshi, former Congressman from Colorado
Dr. Japra started Americans4Hindus aka A4H – a Political Action Committee (PAC), to empower and protect the interests of Hindu Americans and other Hindu-aligned Americans such as Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, and others. He always says, “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” This is to emphasize taking an active interest in social and political issues, and getting involved in government at every level, from the school boards to the highest office – that of the President.
A4H is bipartisan and has supported and endorsed both Republican and Democratic candidates at different levels of government in various states across the United States. In a short period, the organization has expanded rapidly, with 38 chapters spanning states across virtually every region of the contiguous United States (Source: https://www.americans4hindus.org/a4h-state-pacs).
To view the complete list of candidates that A4H endorses, please visit the A4H voter guide page at: https://www.americans4hindus.org/a4h-voter-guide
The Summit began with opening remarks. After that, Dr. Abhilash gave a presentation about the A4H website. He credited Anand Sinha for providing the required data.
He demonstrated the A4H voter guide for California with the list of endorsed candidates for Governor.
Later, Dr. Japra addressed the audience, explaining the “why” of A4H and its progress and goals.
Mr. Janak Joshi, former Congressman from Colorado, commended Dr. Japra on the nonprofit arm of Americans4Hindus. He related how, during his campaign, it was a big issue, as a lot of Indians in the US are on H1B visas, so he could not take any money from them – as per the law, only U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents (Green Card holders) can make political donations, but they could donate to the nonprofit.
Dr. Japra said, “We have been doing all kinds of activities, the charities, the community work, the education work, and the real reason we want to get into the political arena is that matter. That is the Hindu way of living – celebrate life, celebrate the Hindu way of living, with integrity, with harmony, with a balanced way.” He talked about Seva (service), and wanting to live not just for oneself, but for others.
The nonprofit also helps get more memberships for A4H, along with the PAC. This is important when approaching policymakers or even the President. Dr. Japra said, “Even if they become a member of the nonprofit, the membership is very important. If we can get to a million members or half a million members, we will have a bigger impact; be a lot more effective out there.”
Mr. Yogi Chugh, a prominent Democratic politician in the Bay Area, addressed the audience. Dr. Japra has been his mentor since his youth, and Mr. Chugh was one of FOG’s youth leaders back in the day.
Mr. Chugh told everyone to be proud of his or her faith. He said, “America is the only country in the world where you can be proud of your faith. Never apologize for who you are in spite of the face of heavy odds.”
Referring to the forces that challenge the Hindu way of life, he emphasized, “If they want political empowerment, they are entitled to that political empowerment. But please, let us not have their political empowerment at the cost of our political empowerment.”
He also praised Dr. Japra as a person who never gives up.
Reminiscing about his youthful past, he shared a lesson about humility and empathy that he learned under Doctor’s mentorship. He recalled, “Twenty-five years ago, I was a young, ambitious little man. I would get angry.”
Dr. Japra had advised him, “Anger mein kucch nahin pada… (anger does not mean anything).” He emphatically told the young Mr. Chugh, “Do not preach to the world. Help understand what they are going through. Put yourself in their shoes.”
Mr. Chugh steered the discussion towards one of the most pertinent issues facing America today – income inequality. He mentioned being a political progressive. This was notable, considering that many of the main speakers were prominent Republicans.
He said, “Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, today, income inequality is both on the Democratic side; it is on the Republican side as well.”
He talked about the fissures within MAGA (Make America Great Again), the movement that propelled Donald Trump to the Presidency.
“MAGA cracked under the war. MAGA cracked under the question of the rich being given more… wealth concentration.”
Mr. Chugh pointed out the political diversity within A4H, “We have to be respectful that many of our A4H members, some will be Democrats and some will be Republicans. Some may even be progressive.” He mentioned the need to nurture the younger generation and hold them together.
Acknowledging the changes in the United States and the world, Mr. Chugh concluded by saying that America is still the greatest nation in the world and it will always be so, and that the US-India partnership would be a consequential one in the 21st century.
He said, “We (Indian-Americans) are going to play such a significant role in ensuring that twenty years from today, America continues to be the greatest geopolitical nation in the world, and the rest of the world fears us.”
Local elected officials – Sunnyvale Councilmember Mr. Murali Srinivasan, Milpitas Councilmember Ms. Hon Lien, and Santa Clara Councilmember Ms. Kathy Carolan Watanabe – spoke at the event.
Vivek Malek, State Treasurer of Missouri, delivered a keynote speech and took many questions from the audience.
The Summit wrapped up with a final session that discussed short- and long-term organizational goals and the roadmap for the near future.
References: Wikipedia.org, Localcandidates.org, Columbiamissourian.com, Festival of Globe Facebook Page.
Also Read: A4H calls upon Michigan voters to support its officially endorsed candidates
