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I am the only NRI member of parliament: Madhu Yaskhi
Wednesday, 02 June 2004, 19:30 IST
NEW DELHI: For successful New York attorney Madhu Goud Yaskhi, a rash of suicides by farmers in his native Andhra Pradesh set off a chain reaction culminating in his election to the Indian parliament.
"I am the only non-resident member of parliament in the Lok Sabha. I intend to use it to become an interface with the 20 million Indian diaspora across the globe," says the soft-spoken Yaskhi.
"I also want to use my experience abroad to raise funds for the needy and ensure that the funds are properly utilised," Yaskhi, who won from the Nizamabad constituency, told IANS in an interview Wednesday.
Yaskhi says his journey to politics started a year and a half ago when he was reading a newspaper while going to the law firm he founded nine years ago in Manhattan - International Legal and Trade Consultants.
The paper spoke about the plight of farmers in Machareddy town in Andhra Pradesh and he immediately wanted to become a source of refuge to their families, among whom many had lost their breadwinners due to suicides.
"I started by giving 
10,000 ($220) each to the 43 farmer families who had committed suicides. They had lost confidence in themselves and in the government."
His wife, Shuchee, an endocrinologist who also had a successful career in New York, returned to India and started a practice to tend to children and the poor.
"We did not work for recognition. But it was noticed. Then on March 31 on the last day for filing nominations, I got a ticket from the Congress to run for the Lok Sabha from Nizamabad," Yaskhi says.
"I could just campaign for 18 days, but managed to win with a comfortable margin."
On future plans, Yaskhi says he wants to create a wider platform for addressing issues concerning the Indian diaspora. He says his primary focus would be on non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the Gulf region.
"NRIs in the US are well placed. It is the Gulf NRIs who face many problems but do not get enough support," he says.
Recalling his early years, Yaskhi says he was born in Hayatnagar to a middle class family of modest means on Dec 15, 1960, and has six sisters and four brothers.
He went to the US after a bachelor's degree in arts from Nizam College in Hyderabad, a law degree from the University of Delhi and a postgraduate degree in law from Osmania University.
"I basically went to the US for further studies to do a Ph.D. But the cost of education was so prohibitive that I took up some work at the Indian consulate in New York," he said.
"But within a year my father died in an accident and the responsibilities for supporting my family fell on my shoulders. I took up various odd jobs and finally started my law firm."
The law firm was started to extend legal help to people of Indian origin and their businesses.
"In fact my desire for philanthropy started with the law firm, since many lawyers were charging exorbitant fees for processing visas and would not return the passports unless the money was paid."
Yaskhi also involved himself in community empowerment and participated in several fund-raisers for US congressmen and senators.
He says he will soon open an office in his district where constituents can talk about their problems freely. "I want to use every experience gained in the US to help my constituency."
Source: IANS
10,000 ($220) each to the 43 farmer families who had committed suicides. They had lost confidence in themselves and in the government."
His wife, Shuchee, an endocrinologist who also had a successful career in New York, returned to India and started a practice to tend to children and the poor.
"We did not work for recognition. But it was noticed. Then on March 31 on the last day for filing nominations, I got a ticket from the Congress to run for the Lok Sabha from Nizamabad," Yaskhi says.
"I could just campaign for 18 days, but managed to win with a comfortable margin."
On future plans, Yaskhi says he wants to create a wider platform for addressing issues concerning the Indian diaspora. He says his primary focus would be on non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the Gulf region.
"NRIs in the US are well placed. It is the Gulf NRIs who face many problems but do not get enough support," he says.
Recalling his early years, Yaskhi says he was born in Hayatnagar to a middle class family of modest means on Dec 15, 1960, and has six sisters and four brothers.
He went to the US after a bachelor's degree in arts from Nizam College in Hyderabad, a law degree from the University of Delhi and a postgraduate degree in law from Osmania University.
"I basically went to the US for further studies to do a Ph.D. But the cost of education was so prohibitive that I took up some work at the Indian consulate in New York," he said.
"But within a year my father died in an accident and the responsibilities for supporting my family fell on my shoulders. I took up various odd jobs and finally started my law firm."
The law firm was started to extend legal help to people of Indian origin and their businesses.
"In fact my desire for philanthropy started with the law firm, since many lawyers were charging exorbitant fees for processing visas and would not return the passports unless the money was paid."
Yaskhi also involved himself in community empowerment and participated in several fund-raisers for US congressmen and senators.
He says he will soon open an office in his district where constituents can talk about their problems freely. "I want to use every experience gained in the US to help my constituency."
Source: IANS