US-INDIA GLOBAL REVIEW JUL-SEP 2020

20 US-INDIA GLOBAL REVIEW JULY-SEPTEMBER 2020 thing the American Medical Association has pointed to. Dr. Suresh Reddy, president of AAPI said, “As American Physicians of Indian-origin, we are unanimously outraged by George Floyd's death and the long history of racial discrimination that lives in this country." Dr. Seema Arora, chair of the board of trustees of AAPI, quoted the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which says, "All human beings are equal before the law and are enti- tled to equal protection of the law against any discrimination and against any incitement to discrimi- nation.” “We are saddened by the divi- sive rhetoric and racial tensions that seem to be getting worse each day. We need to find solu- tions that ensure everyone in this nation receives fair and equal treatment and that police officers – who put their lives on the line every day to protect us all – are respected and supported,” said Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalgadda, President-Elect of AAPI. The Indian American Muslim Council , in a May 31, 2020 state- ment said it was "outraged" by Floyd's killing and stood in solidar- ity with African Americans while urging police reforms and for per- petrators to be brought to justice. "The treatment of minorities, especially blacks by police officers in the United States of America is a systemic problem that should not be tolerated or normalized," the IAMC said. "We call for imme- diate reforms and training of police officers by installing a just system of law enforcement by cre- ating structural changes through the lens of restorative justice (instead of punitive justice) and community-based models of polic- ing ..." Corporate Responsibility While everyday news about hate and bias is not new, "It's far too often the experience and reali- ty in daily lives, particularly for the Black and African American com- munity," Nadella said in a note to employees reported in several media outlets. "There is no place for hate and racism in our society," Nadella tweeted June 1. "Empathy and shared understanding are a start, but we must do more. I stand with the Black and African American community and we are committed to building on this work in our company and in our communities." Nadella acknowledged that it was not enough to just have empathy. "It's incumbent upon us to use our platforms, our resources, to drive that systemic change, right?" Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, "Today on US Google & YouTube homepages we share our support for racial equality in solidarity with the Black communi- ty and in memory of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery & others who don’t have a voice. For those feeling grief, anger, sadness & fear, you are not alone." Nevertheless, Pichai's tweet garnered critics who called it "hyp- ocritical," on grounds that alleged racist websites had not been removed from company's ad net- work. Advocacy Organizations The LCCHR, Gupta's organiza- tion, along with The Native American Community Development Institute, and UNIDOS MN issued a joint state- ment on the killing of George Floyd, which read, “Nearly six years after Eric Garner cried out ‘I can’t breathe,’ another unarmed Black man uttered the same words as he was choked to death over several minutes by police officers in Minneapolis. George Floyd should be alive today — and there is no justification for this inhumane and lethal use of force." Gupta, who headed the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department for part of the Obama years, during which she oversaw the investigation of several police departments around the country and worked on retraining pro- grams for law enforcement per- sonnel, questioned the disman- tling of the division she once headed during the Trump adminis- tration. Apart from her personal Twitter account, Gupta's organization noted that "Police misconduct and abuse of power are antithetical to our ideals of justice & equality. ALL people deserve to feel safe in their homes, in their communities, and in their country. Safety is a civil & human right without which society cannot thrive & democracy cannot function." It LCCHR also noted, "Racial violence in America is not new. Vin Gopal Photo: Twitter@senatorgopal