Washington: An Indian-American Republican
leader has questioned the characterisation of Senator Edward
Kennedy, who died last week, as an "unsung hero" of the
Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.
"Senator Kennedy was instrumental to get more than 300
Bills to be enacted into law. We wish US-India Peaceful Atomic
Energy Cooperation Act was one of them," Dallas-based Ashok
Mago, chairman of US-India Forum, said in a statement.
Mago was one of the key Indian American leaders to
have played a significant role in mobilising the support for
the Indo-US civilian nuclear bill at the Capitol Hill.
Last week, Ramesh V Kapur, an Indian American
Democratic leader-based in Boston, had said that Kennedy was
the "unsung hero" of the nuclear deal, because he did not come
out in open did not lobby against it. Given the widespread
support Kennedy enjoyed in the Senate, it would have been
difficult to get the Bill passed, had Kennedy opposed it as
was done by Ed Markey in the House of Representative.
"It is amazing for someone to characterise Senator
Kennedy as an individual who did things half heartedly," Mago
said, adding that Kennedy was one among the 11 Senators who
voted against the nuclear Bill during the Lame Duck Session of
the Congress on November 16, 2006.
"One may and may not agree with Senator Kennedy`s
beliefs let us remember him as who he was, a great legislator
and a compassionate human being who did great things for many.
He would not want to be remembered for something he did not
do. He will be missed in the US senate," Mago said.
Bureau Report
