GOVERNOR JINDAL PROMISES TO CLEAN UP LOUISIANA
By Parveen Chopra, New York, January 15, 2008 (IANS)

First Indian American head of a US state, Bobby Jindal, has promised to make Louisiana a magnet for the dreamers, the risk-takers, the adventurers and the leaders of America's new economy. The first non-white governor in over 150 years in a state that was once racially segregated, Jindal, who took the oath Monday as Louisiana governor, said it was time to rid the state of its reputation for corrupt government.

Such is the 36-year-old Republican's reputation that Christian Science Monitor, quoting political observers, said he can come good on his pledge on corruption. MSNBC too painted an optimistic picture for the state still recovering from the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It said Jindal is a "fresh face" and "starting off with a clean slate, and even his detractors seem willing to give him a shot".

The AP news agency noted that Jindal is not, in fact, the first person of Indian background to become governor. That credit goes to New Jersey's transportation commissioner, Kris Kolluri, who held the post for 24 hours in 2006 when his boss was out of town. New Jersey law requires an acting governor to be appointed when the elected governor is away from the state.

Indian media highlighted two-time Congressman Jindal's victory in Louisiana October last as a reflection of India's growing stature in the world. Indian Americans too have hailed Jindal's ascension as it reflects the community's growing clout in the US. Yet, some believe that he is at the extreme end of the Republican spectrum, taking positions antithetical to the interest of the community.

NDTV's website quotes Chandra Bhatnagar, a human rights attorney who has worked with victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, saying, "There was a big problem especially after 9/11 in the Indian and South Asian community with regard to hate crimes but Jindal has opposed hate crime statues. He suggests that there should just be a criminal penalty for such crimes despite the fact that racism forms the commission of these crimes."

The murder of two Indian students at Louisiana State University last month is another case in point. There was no word of condolence or condemnation from the governor elect, the NDTV story pointed out.

Now that Jindal has resigned as member of the House of Representatives, the over three million strong Indian American community will go un-represented in the US Congress. He was only the second Indian American to sit in Congress after Dilip Singh Saund, who represented a California district from 1957 to 1963.

Jindal started out young in public life and has enjoyed a meteoric rise. As a 24-year-old, he was appointed head of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. He served President George W. Bush as assistant secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services from 2001-03, until his first unsuccessful bid for governor four years ago.

Jindal was born Piyush in Baton Rouge to a Hindu family. As a youth, he started calling himself Bobby in an attempt to assimilate into the American society, and as a teenager converted to Roman Catholicism. His family migrated from Punjab. His father, an engineer from a rural background, came to Louisiana to attend graduate school.

Bobby Jindal is married to Supriya and they have three children. His family was at his side when he was sworn in governor at a grand ceremony on the steps of state Capitol in Baton Rouge.