On Nov. 20, the local chapter of the national “Ready for Hillary” Super PAC is holding a grassroots event where several South Asians are playing leading roles, among them, Manhattan Democratic District Leader Jenifer Rajkumar and famous cabbie Osman Chowdhury.
Rajkumar is the co-chair of the National Finance Council of Ready for Hillary Super PAC. The Ready for Hillary National Finance Council consists of at least 50 major fundraisers from President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, as well as leaders in the tech industry, Hollywood celebrities, and billionaire do-gooders George Soros and Eli Broad. It was created in 2013.
Rajkumar is co-chairing the Nov. 20 event with Jodi Ochstein, a Democratic communications strategist.
The former Clinton intern, who is now with the law firm of Sanford Heisler, told Desi Talk the local event at Le Souk restaurant in Manhattan precedes the major National Finance Council Meeting scheduled for Nov. 21 at the Sheraton Times Square. Rajkumar said the Nov. 20 event brings the national to the local grassroots level.
The country needs Clinton’s “sheer tenacity, her strength and persistence,” Rajkumar said. While Clinton has not officially announced her 2016 run for President, a legion of supporters around the country has formed organizations ready to jump onto the fray as soon as she does. Several members of New York City’s South Asian community have rallied behind Clinton, Rajkumar said.
The Nov. 20 grassroots fundraiser she said, has “incredible” momentum and “We’ve been flooded by RSVPs from all over the city.” Chowdhury, the cabbie who became famous after he returned $500,000 worth of diamonds left in his taxi cab, told Desi Talk he is bringing 10 Bangladeshi leaders from Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, to attend the Nov. 20 fundraiser. They will then return to form their local Ready for Hillary groups to mobilize support.
Some other activists on the host committee include Mazeda Uddin, instrumental in pushing for Bengali on ballots in New York City; Maf Uddin, Maf Uddin, the highest ranking South Asian in the U.S. labor movement according to Rajkumar.
Uddin is secretary of the union DC37 and currently president of the Alliance of South Asian American Labor; Tanjila Rahman works for Mayor Bill De Blasio in the Department of Consumer Affairs, and was a lead organizer on the Rajkumar campaign for New York City Council; and Tania Ahuja, a former donor in President Obama’s 2008 campaign who also supported Rajkumar’s bid for the city council.