Mr. PALLONE.  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the most important dates on the calendar for the people of India, as well as for the people of Indian descent who have settled in the U.S. and around the world.  January 26th is Republic Day, an occasion that inspires pride and patriotism for the people of India.

Exactly one half-century ago, on January 26, 1950, India became a Republic, devoted to the principals of democracy and secularism.  At that time, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the nation's first president.  Since then, despite the challenges of sustaining economic development and promoting tolerance and cooperation amongst its many ethnic, religious and linguistic communities, India has stuck to the path of free and fair elections, a multi-party political system and the orderly transfer of power from one government to its successor.  And, despite external threats to its own security, India still remains committed to playing its rightful role as a major force for peace, stability and cooperation in Asia.

Mr. Speaker, India’s population was estimated, just before the beginning of the new millennium, to have reached and exceeded the truly remarkable milestone of one billion people, representing approximately one-sixth of the human race.  In just a few years, India will be the most populous nation on earth.  It is indeed very encouraging and inspiring that the people of India have lived under a democratic form of government for more than half a century.

In 1997, worldwide attention was focused on India as it celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence.  But, many Americans remain largely unfamiliar with the anniversary that Indians celebrate on January 26th.  Yet, Mr. Speaker, it should be noted that there is a rich tradition of shared values between the United States and India.  India derived key aspects of her Constitution, particularly its statement of Fundamental Rights, from our own Bill Of Rights.  India and the United States both proclaimed their independence from British colonial rule.  The Indian independence movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi had strong moral support from American intellectuals, political leaders and journalists.

When Time magazine recently did its “Person of the Century” edition, Mahatma Gandhi was selected as one of two runners-up, along with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, behind Albert Einstein.  Essentially, the editors at Time recognized Gandhi as one of the three most influential and important people of the entire 20th century.  Einstein himself believed that Gandhi was the greatest man of his time, and was quoted as saying: “Generations to come will scarce believe that such as one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.”

Just last week, we paid tribute to one of our greatest American leaders, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Dr. King derived many of his ideas of non-violent resistance to injustice from the teachings and the actions of Mahatma Gandhi.  I am proud that legislation was approved by Congress and signed by the President authorizing the Government of India to establish a memorial to honor Mahatma Gandhi here in Washington, D.C., near the Indian Embassy on Embassy Row.  The proposed statue will no doubt be most fitting addition to the landscape of our nation’s capital and a symbol of U.S.-India friendship.

Mr. Speaker, there is a growing need for India and the United States, the two largest democracies of the world, to work together on a wide variety of initiatives.  India and the U.S. do not always agree on every issue.  But I regret that the scant coverage that India receives in our media, and even from our top policy makers, tends to focus only on the disagreements.  In fact, our national interests coincide on many of the most important concerns, such as fighting the scourge of international terrorism and controlling the transfer of nuclear and other weapons technology to unstable regimes.  In 1999, when Pakistani forces attacked positions on India’s side of the Line of Control in Kashmir, I was very encouraged to see that the United States recognized that India was acting legitimately, in its self-defense, and that American pressure was brought to bear to convince Pakistan to call off its reckless and ill-advised attacks.  I hope we can build on this progress in our bilateral relations, with the U.S. recognizing and respecting India’s legitimate security needs.  Given India’s size and long-term record of democratic stability, I believe that India should be made a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council - a goal that I hope the United States will come to support, in light of the increasingly important role India will play in world affairs in the 21st century.

India’s vast middle class represents a significant and growing market for U.S. trade, while the country’s infrastructure needs represent a tremendous opportunity for many American firms, large, small and mid-size.  Most of the U.S. sanctions imposed on India in 1998 have been relaxed, and I will work towards the removal of the remaining sanctions.  We must continue to work to preserve or re-start economic relations that have developed during the past decade, which witnessed such profound changes in our bilateral relationship, while creating a positive atmosphere for new economic relations.  At the same time, I hope that we can continue to build upon educational, cultural and other people-to-people ties that have developed between our two countries.  I look forward to seeing the Indian-American community, more than one million strong, continue to provide the important human “bridge” between our the two countries.

Republic Day is being observed in America, as well as in India.  On Saturday, January 22, 2000, the Indian Americans of the National Capital Area held a Gala Banquet at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, in honor of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Republic of India.  On Wednesday, January 26, 2000, the Embassy of India in Washington will hold a reception to mark this great occasion.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me again congratulate the people of India on the occasion of Republic Day.  I hope that this new century will witness a U.S.-India relationship that lives up to the great potential offered by India’s and America’s shared commitment to democracy.