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A New Jersey non-profit that launched a program this year to help increase South Asian participation in the state’s politics and government says that the youth from the community must the think beyond choosing a traditional career like medicine and engineering and consider other options like politics and public service.
At an event in New York City Sept. 24, the New Jersey Leadership Program that was launched this year to promote South Asian American youth participation and education at the local level of government in the State of New Jersey, the speakers said that there is a need to have more lawmakers elected at local and state levels.
“The NJLP is addressing a critical need in New Jersey by showing the South Asian youth that there are other career options available to them other than just being a doctor or engineer,” said NJLP Vice President Amman Seehra. “In a state with such a significant South Asian population, it is not enough just to have one assemblyman in the legislature representing our entire community. We need to build a pipeline to get more people within the South Asian community involved,” Seehra said.
Present at the event were Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, the only South Asian lawmaker in New Jersey, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., and Ohio State Representative Niraj Antani.
The event that concluded its launch year with a rooftop soiree also honored its ten fellows who took part in the NJLP’s inaugural Summer Fellowship Program. The fellows, who were based throughout the state and ranged from middle school through college students, were placed in a six-week summer internship with either the governor’s office, their state legislator, or local councilperson. The internship was complimented by a leadership component which included career development workshops and networking events.
Others who attended the Sept. 24 event included various elected officials and community leaders across the state, including Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla, West Windsor Councilman Hemant Marathe, Councilwoman Ayesha Hamilton, MSNBC contributor and democratic strategist Tara Dowdell and New Jersey democratic state committee South Asian-American Caucus co-chair Satish Poondi.
“We’re proud to have been able to offer the NJLP summer fellowship program to our community’s youth, who might not have otherwise been exposed to government and politics,” said NJLP president and co-founder Amit Jani.
“The overwhelming support we received from the various elected officials, community leaders and the South Asian community in general during this program gives us confidence that we can continue running our fellowship program every year.”
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