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March 28, 2024

LV councilwoman travels to India on trip to build ties

WEEKEND EDITION: June 21, 2003

There were two major news stories in India this month -- one tragic, the other a message of hope and friendship from the most influential democracy on earth to the world's largest democratic country.

While Americans were shocked by reports that more than 1,400 people died in the worst heat wave to hit India in many years, Indian reporters followed the travels throughout their land of seven American elected officials -- a delegation that included Las Vegas Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald.

"The news coverage was amazing -- in some places we got more coverage than the heat wave," Boggs McDonald said of the May 30-June 13 excursion sponsored by the American Council of Young Political Leaders.

"I think part of the reason for the high level of interest was that we were the first American delegation to visit India since the end of the war in Iraq. When we were there it was hot -- about 120 degrees, but it had been hotter."

Ken Insley, senior program officer for the bipartisan nonprofit Washington-based organization that for 37 years has sponsored such trips to promote awareness and understanding of common problems, opportunities and challenges. He said the number of heat wave deaths may not have been as significant as the visit by the U.S. elected officials.

"If 100 people die in a heat wave in the United States, it is major news," said Insley, who accompanied the delegation through several states and to major cities such as Dehli and Agra. "But when you are talking about a country of one billion people, you have to put 1,400 deaths into perspective."

On the other hand, Insley said, India's news media saw in the Americans' visit a chance to seek solutions to pertinent issues ranging from how Americans effectively dispose of trash to how to deal with terrorism.

"When we got to the last city, people were telling us it was an honor to meet the delegation because they had followed the news coverage on TV every day," Insley said. "They treated Lynette like she was a rock star."

Boggs McDonald, who has the state's largest Hindu temple in her Ward 2, said India's technical and engineering advances lived up to what her Indian-American constituents told her they would be.

However, the terrible poverty at the other end of the scope was another story.

"India, which will one day surpass China in population, has 300 million people who make $1 or less a day," she said. "The children come up to you in large numbers and beg for food or money. In Agra, one little boy no older than my 7-year-old son crawled up to us. As he got closer, I saw he had no feet.

"There is such a lack of access to medical care. And the caste system that still exists in India does not allow some people to progress and improve their lives."

Some cities in India have populations of 14 million and 10 of India's 35 states have populations of more than 50 million people each.

Boggs McDonald said many Indians are cautious of America, especially of Americans who offer even the slightest gesture of goodwill toward Pakistan, India's longtime enemy and a one-time strong Cold War U.S. ally.

"Indians believe the United States should use its influence to stop cross-border terrorism over the Indian state of Kashmir, which Pakistan believes should be part of its country," Boggs McDonald said.

Boggs McDonald noted that one of India's big problems is that there is too much control from the central government. She said she was asked a number of questions about American municipal government, including how to speed up the building construction and permitting process.

She told chief ministers -- the equivalent of U.S. governors -- about the city of Las Vegas' express plans check, where a developer pays triple the cost to bring together all of the pertinent city departments such as planning, fire, building inspectors, etc., to approve everything, often at a single meeting.

"One of the members of the delegation, Chicago City Alderman Walter Burnett, commented that that was one concept he would bring back to his city," Insley said. "This was a learning experience not just for the government of India, but also for the delegates because they exchanged information with each other."

To participate, elected officials had to be younger than 40. The Republican members of the delegation were Boggs McDonald, Washington state Rep. Dan Roach, Maryland state Sen. Alex Mooney and Santa Ana (Calif.) Mayor Pro-tem Brett Franklin.

The Democratic members were Burnett, Hayden (Ariz.) Councilwoman Pamela Gonzalez and Richmond (Va.) Councilwoman Jacqueline Jackson.

"It was a life-altering trip for me -- it really opened my eyes," Boggs McDonald said. "I was impressed with India's high-tech parks and how they market themselves to American businesses by producing at their universities computer programmers and engineers to work with American companies.

"There is a desire to work with the United States in areas including medical research and military collaborations. India wants to be closely aligned with the United States to pursue its economic growth."

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