Swadesh Chatterjee

Last updated
Swadesh Chatterjee
Born1947
OccupationActivist

Swadesh Chatterjee (born 1947) is an American leader and activist dedicated to fostering a better relationship among American and Indian people, politicians and businesses. [1] In recognition of his contributions, the President of India conferred on him the Padma Bhushan award in 2001. [2] [3] He was the first Indian American to receive this award in the public affairs category. Chatterjee was inducted as a member of India's Prime Minister's Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians in January 2009. [4] [5]

Chatterjee was chairman and co-founder of the U.S.-India Friendship Council, a coalition of prominent Indian American individuals and associations that lobbied U.S. Senators and House members that was instrumental in the passage of the US-India Civilian Nuclear Deal. [6] [7] [8] The historic bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Wednesday, October 8, 2008. [9]

In 1998, Chatterjee was elected the President of the Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE), [10] a nationwide organization whose goals are to boost political participation by members of the Indian American Community and to improve the relationship between the United States and India. Under his leadership, IAFPE played a key role in President Clinton’s March 2000 visit to India. He and others from the Indian American community briefed the White House before the visit. He was part of the Indian American delegation that accompanied the president during the visit. [11]

Chatterjee is credited with transforming Senator Jesse Helms, then chairman of the powerful U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, from an India-basher to a friend and an ally. It is believed that this transformation laid the foundation of future successes in improving the U.S.-India relationship. [12]

A long-time North Carolina resident, Chatterjee is a businessman and entrepreneur. He is president and CEO of Swadesh Chatterjee and Associates, and was earlier president of Brandt Instruments. He served on the N.C. Joining our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Commission under the leadership of Walter Dalton, a former Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina (2009-2013). [13] Chatterjee is a co-founder of TiE Carolinas, [14] a group of successful business people whose primary goal is to develop and assist fledgling entrepreneurs. He served a two-year term (2003-2004) as President of the group.

Chatterjee serves on the board of directors for The Center for International Understanding Council of North Carolina [15] and on the Advisory Board for International and Area studies in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. [16]

Chatterjee was the first recipient of the Community Leader of Year award by the ethnic newspaper, India Abroad (2006). [17]

Chatterjee has a B.Sc.Degree in Physics from Calcutta University, a B.E. in Instrumentation and Electronic Engineering from Jadavpur University, and an M.B.A. from North Carolina State University. He and his wife Manjusri Chatterjee, a practicing Physician, reside in Cary, North Carolina.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee S. Overman</span> American politician (1854–1930)

Lee Slater Overman was a Democratic U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1903 and 1930. He was the first US Senator to be elected by popular vote in the state, as the legislature had appointed senators prior to passage of the 17th Amendment to the US Constitution authorizing popular elections of senators. He served as a senator until 1930 when he died when he was two years into his fifth term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nityanand Swami (politician)</span> 1st Chief Minister of Uttarakhand

Nityanand Swami was the chief minister of the Indian state of Uttarakhand, named Uttaranchal during his administration. He was the first chief minister of the state, serving from 9 November 2000 to 29 October 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paag</span> Headgear worn by Indian and Nepalese peoples

The Paag is a headdress in the Mithila region of India and Nepal worn by Maithil people. It is a symbol of honour and respect and a significant part of Maithil culture.

Sanigaram Santosh Reddy, more commonly known as Santanna, Santosh Reddy, Mrudhu Swabhavi, Pedala Pennidhi by his followers, is an Indian politician and former minister of Telangana state. He is also related to Late Sri Muduganti Ramgopal Reddy ex. MP and took him as an inspiration to be a leader.

Dr. Joy Cherian is the first Asian American and first Indian American Commissioner at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Subburaman Thirunavukkarasar is an Indian politician. He was the State President of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee till 2 February 2019 and former secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) of the Indian National Congress (INC) party. His introduction to politics in 1977 was facilitated by former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. G. Ramachandran. Ramachandran founded the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in 1972 and was facing his first elections for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election in 1977. He identified Thirunavukkarasar, a lawyer by profession, to contest the Aranthangi assembly constituency. Thirunavukkarasar won the seat, aged 27, and was elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He continued in that capacity till 1980. Subsequently, he served as Tamil Nadu state minister from 1980 to 1987 in the MGR cabinet, holding portfolios that included Industries, Housing Board, Excise and Handlooms. Later, he became a member of the Lok Sabha – the lower house of the Parliament of India – when he won the erstwhile Pudukottai Lok Sabha constituency. He served as Union Minister of state for shipping and later for telecommunications and information technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tannishtha Chatterjee</span> Indian film actress and director

Tannishtha Chatterjee is an Indian actress and director who is known for her work in several Hindi and English independent films. For her performance in the film Dekh Indian Circus, she won the National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention . In 2019 she directed her first feature film Roam Rome Mein which screened at Toronto International Film Festival. Chatterjee's performance in the German film Shadows of Time earned her critical acclaim. It took her to international film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival.

Remittances to India are money transfers from non-resident Indians (NRIs) employed outside the country to family, friends or relatives residing in India. India is the world's top receiver of remittances, claiming more than 12% of the world's remittances in 2015. Remittances to India stood at US$110 billion in 2022, US$125 billion in 2023 and remittances from India to other countries totalled US$5.710 billion, for a net inflow of US$63.258 billion in 2017.

Ron Somers, an American businessman, is the former president of the U.S.-India Business Council. He played a lead role in coordinating the passage of the India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement and is widely regarded as a prominent figure in U.S.-India relations. He is founder and CEO of India First Group, LLC, an international strategic advisory firm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley River</span> Stream in North Carolina, USA

The Valley River is a tributary of the Hiwassee River. It arises as a pair of springs in the Snowbird Mountains of Cherokee County, North Carolina and descends 2,960 feet (900 m) in elevation in approximately forty miles (64 km) to enter the Hiwassee embayment at present-day Murphy, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premiership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee</span> Indian prime minister 1998–1999

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was an Indian politician who served thrice as Prime Minister of India, first from 16 May to 1 June 1996, and then from 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vajpayee was the tenth Prime Minister. He headed the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the Indian Parliament, and became the first Prime Minister unaffiliated with the Indian National Congress to complete a full five-year term in office. He died at the age of 93 on Thursday 16 August 2018 at 17:05 at AIIMS, New Delhi.

Shivajirao Patil Kavhekar is the former Member of Legislative Assembly from Maharashtra in the Government of Maharashtra during 1995–1999. He joined Indian National Congress on 2 October 2009. Prior to joining Congress he Contested Latur seat from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mohammad Ishaq Khan was a historian of Kashmir. He was Dean Academics, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Head, Department of History at Kashmir University. After his superannuation in 2005, he became the Director of the newly founded Centre for Kashmir Studies and later held the Shaikhul Alam Chair at Kashmir University until August 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janardhana Swamy</span> Indian politician

Janardhana Swamy served as a Member of Parliament in 15th Lok Sabha (2009-2014) representing the Chitradurga Lok Sabha Constituency in the Parliament of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vasu Chanchlani</span> Co-founder of the Sigma Group of Companies, founding member of Canada India Foundation

Vasu Chanchlani was an Indian-Canadian serial entrepreneur, philanthropist and trans-nations builder. He is co-founder of the Sigma Group of Companies and a founding member of the Canada India Foundation. He is also an investor in dozens of companies globally consisting of start-ups and turn-arounds. He is best known for his efforts towards improving Canada-India relations through his philanthropic activities and engagement with Indian Diaspora to serve bilateral interests of both Canada and India. Most recently, Vasu was awarded the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants award by the Canadian Immigrant magazine. On January 9, 2014, his excellency shri Pranab Mukherjee, President of the Republic of India, conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA), the highest honour bestowed on non-resident Indians, by the Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saroj Ghose</span> Indian museum founder

Saroj Ghose is an Indian science popularizer and museum maker. He was the director of Birla Industrial & Technological Museum and director general of the National Council of Science Museums, Government of India. He was also the President of the International Council of Museums in Paris during 1992–98. He won many awards including one for "Best Effort in Science Popularisation Amongst Children". He has also mentored some of India's best Museum Developers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dilip Sinha</span> Indian politician (born 1954)

Dilip Sinha is an Indian diplomat and former public administrator. He served in the Indian Foreign Service from 1978 to 2014 and as chairman of the Manipur Public Service Commission, India, from 2015 to 2016. Ambassador Sinha is a public speaker on international security, Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran and environmental diplomacy. He is the author of Legitimacy of Power: The Permanence of Five in the Security Council. The book traces the origins of international security cooperation and scrutinizes the moorings of the UN Security Council's powers in international law.

David D. Hale was an American economist and author. He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a recipient of the William F Butler Award from the National Association for Business Economics. Hale held a B.Sc. degree in international economic affairs from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a M.Sc. degree in economic history from the London School of Economics.

Anthony "Tony" Fairfax is a Hampton, Virginia-based Geodemographic Consultant and President/CEO of CensusChannel LLC. Since the earlier nineties Fairfax has provided demographic and mapping services with a concentration on census data and redistricting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atul Keshap</span> American diplomat (born 1971)

Atul Keshap is a retired American diplomat and career United States Foreign Service Officer from Virginia who serves at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as the President of the U.S.- India Business Council since January 2022. He also serves as Senior Vice President for South Asia and as President of the U.S.-Bangladesh Business Council. Previously, he served as the Chargé d'affaires of the United States mission to India in 2021. He formerly served as U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the United States Department of State. In 2022, Ambassador Keshap was elected into membership of the American Academy of Diplomacy. In May 2023, Keshap was named one of Washington's most influential foreign policy influencers for his work to shape U.S. relations with India.

References

  1. ↑ NRI Profile-Swadesh Chatterjee (http://www.calcuttaweb.com/nri/Swadesh_Chatterjee.shtml)
  2. ↑ America honours Padma Bhushan winner, Rediff India Abroad, September 2, 2001 (http://www.rediff.com/us/2001/sep/02us.htm)
  3. ↑ Hon. David E. Price, "India Honors Swadesh Chatterjee," Congressional Records, V147 (2001), Part 8, June 19, 2001 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRECB-2001-pt8/html/CRECB-2001-pt8-Pg11087-3.htm)
  4. ↑ Constitution of the Prime Minister's Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians, Government of India (http://moia.gov.in/writereaddata/pdf/PM_Global_Council_Notification_2.1.09.pdf)
  5. ↑ The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India (http://moia.gov.in/services.aspx?id1=284&idp=284&mainid=196)
  6. ↑ A New Kind of Indian Power, Los Angeles Times, January 20, 2007 (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jan-20-oe-kripalani20-story.html)
  7. ↑ Congressman Ackerman Headlines USIBC & FICCI Luncheon with Indian Parliamentarians," USIBC Update, November 2007 (http://www.usibc.com/sites/default/files/news/files/0711usibcnewsletter.pdf)
  8. ↑ US-India Friendship Council Hails Approval of US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, Asian Tribune, October 2, 2008 (http://www.asiantribune.com/node/13488)
  9. ↑ President Bush Signs H.R. 7081, the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, October 8, 2008, White House Press Release (https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/10/20081008-4.html
  10. ↑ Indian American Forum for Political Education (http://www.iafpe.org/)
  11. ↑ IAFPE Completes 20 years of Political Activism, N.C. Srirekha, India Post News Service, New York, November 1, 2002 (http://www.iafpe.org/php/showNewsDetails.php?linkid=5&newsid=8)
  12. ↑ From Political Apathy to Activism, Khabar, September 2002 (http://www.khabar.com/magazine/cover-story/From_Political_Apathy_to_Activism_0.aspx)
  13. ↑ N.C. Joining our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Commission (https://www.ncstem.org/news/jobs-commission.html)
  14. ↑ TiE Carolinas (http://carolinas.tie.org/)
  15. ↑ Center for International Understanding Council of North Carolina (http://ciu.northcarolina.edu/)
  16. ↑ UNC Global, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (http://global.unc.edu/)
  17. ↑ This man bridges gaps across continents, Rediff India Abroad, March 23, 2007 (http://specials.rediff.com/news/2007/mar/23indiad1.htm)


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.