(Image source from: New Indian Express)

Aiming at increasing the participation of Indian Americans in the election process, a new organization has been launched by few eminent community members in Chicago.

The organization named 'Voice of Indian American voters,' intends to organize debates and seminars of public office candidates to create a more informed voter base, create a national list of Indian Americans and start local chapters in other cities that have a sizable Indian population like Dallas, New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, a media release said Wednesday.

One of the founding members of the organization and eminent Indian American Bharat Barai has said the community needs to be more involved in the voting process, observing that the participation of Indian Americans in the election process is sadly much below the national average. "The time has come to engage more seriously in our civic responsibility in keeping with our economic & social success," Barai said.

"Indian-Americans are the most successful minority in the country, yet currently we do not get the attention we deserve from elected officials because there is no significant powerful group," said Sanjeev Singh, president of ASAR America, Inc., a technology company based in Naperville.

-Sowmya Sangam