Our Bureau Washington, DC
Pramila Jaypal, an Indian-American Congresswoman has said that US has moral responsibility to help India to fight out COVID-19 situation in India. Jaypal is the first and the only India-American in the house of US representatives. A statement was issued in this regard on her official handle.
On Thursday, India has witnessed 4,12,262 cases while there were nearly 3,980 deaths have been recorded. She said that everyday hundreds of COVID cases are being reported and people are dying with any medical assistance as there is no oxygen or medical supply left.
Jaypal had recently visited India to meet her parents who were hospitalized due to COVID. She also had virtual meeting with the Indian Ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
“I had repeatedly called on the Biden administration to approve the India’s request to release the raw vaccine materials, release some of America’s stockpile of unused COVID vaccines to India” she said.
Congresswoman is also of the view that US should support the WTO resolution to waive patient protection so that people’s lives can be valued more than pharmaceutical profits.
The statement issued from her office stated that the Biden administration’s willingness to quickly heed her call on each of these lifesaving requests comes at a moment when wealthy countries have administered more than 80 percent of global vaccines while low-income countries have received just 0.3 percent. To redress this injustice, the Congressional Progressive Caucus is focused on partnering with Ambassadors, multilateral organizations, and the Biden Administration to achieve our shared goal of an equitable global vaccination program that quickly gets more vaccines to countries in need around the world, it mentioned.
Applauding the efforts of the Diaspora, Jaypal said: “I am proud of the critical efforts that Indian American advocates, activists, and allies are doing locally. Groups like the India Association of Western Washington (IAWW) are bringing people throughout our region together to aid families in India”.
“While we help crush the virus globally, we must also condemn anti-Asian hate in our own community as a spike in COVID cases abroad leads to an upsetting spike in anti-Asian discrimination and violence at home. AAPI Heritage Month is a perfect opportunity for everyone in Seattle, throughout Washington, and across America to unite in committing to end these disgusting attacks once and for all. As the first Indian American woman ever elected to the House of Representatives, I will do everything in my power to ensure that we end anti-Asian hate. We each have a role to play — and I am committed to playing mine as we stand together against violence, discrimination, and white supremacy” added Jaypal.
