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September 15, 2016

Georgetown Hosts Indian Parliamentarians

On September 12 and 13, 2016, the Georgetown University India Initiative hosted a delegation of seven Indian members of parliament for a foreign policy workshop, in conjunction with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).

Indian Parliamentarians
Indian Parliamentarians

On September 12 and 13, 2016, the Georgetown University India Initiative hosted a delegation of seven Indian members of parliament for a foreign policy workshop, in conjunction with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The delegation, led by MP Baijayant “Jay” Panda of the Biju Janata Dal party, represented the diversity of the Indian political landscape, with the parliamentarians representing five different political parties including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, as well as the Indian National Congress, Telugu Desam Party, and the Samajwadi Party.

The delegates participated in eight foreign policy lectures from distinguished Georgetown faculty members on topics including nuclear security, environmental diplomacy, global terrorism, international trade, and the development of geopolitical diplomacy. On September 12, the MPs also had the opportunity to discuss Indo-U.S. relations with Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal and Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Manpreet Singh Anand from the U.S. Department of State.

On September 13, the MPs had the opportunity to speak on a panel at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. MP Jay Panda of the Biju Janata Dal, Sushmita Dev of the Indian National Congress, and Anurag Thakur of the Bharatiya Janata Party spoke about India’s newly-passed goods and services tax, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term in office, and the impacts of the 2016 U.S. election on Indo-U.S. relations. These politicians represented the diversity and pluralism of Indian politics, and they articulated a wide range of opinions on issues related to international affairs and domestic politics in India.