Members of the Indian community have congratulated Donald Trump ahead of his swearing-in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, expressing hope that US-India relations would continue to flourish under the new administration. Speaking to India Today's Anjana Om Kashyap and Gaurav Sawant, people of the Indian community said that they expect US-India relations to continue flourishing amid the new political climate in America. 78-year-old Donald Trump succeeds Joe Biden, 82, on Tuesday as the new occupant of the White House. External Affairs Ministr S Jaishankar wil represnt India at the swearing-in ceremony of Donald Trump.
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00:00So some Indians are with us right now and let's talk to them about what they think about Donald Trump
00:06once again becoming the 47th President of the United States.
00:11What does this mean for the Indian community? How do you see this?
00:15Look, in our opinion, the Hindus are finally waking up.
00:19Hindus have been asserting ourselves with a different identity as businessmen, as doctors, as engineers, IT professionals.
00:28We are number one earners.
00:30If you speak in Hindi, our viewers will understand better.
00:32Of course, of course. Look, it's been 50 years here, but we still haven't spoken Hindi.
00:37So we will definitely speak.
00:39So we have put our influence here as doctors, as engineers, as businessmen.
00:47No, my question to you was that when Donald Trump is becoming the 47th President,
00:52there are Indians who live in America.
00:56Now you have taken the citizenship here.
00:58What does this mean for you? How do you see it?
01:01Look, in our hearts and minds, there is still Hinduism, there is Indianism.
01:06And we want Donald Trump to look at us and India with a good eye
01:15and create good conditions so that our relationship continues.
01:20Very good.
01:21And when there was a crime against Hindus in Bangladesh, he also tweeted.
01:29How excited are you?
01:31Many people say that they can adopt strict policies on visas or in some cases.
01:36Do you also feel this way?
01:38We are very happy that Dr. Japra is the founder of American for Hindus.
01:42We are talking to him today.
01:44We are very happy that Ranjana, the biggest channel, you know everything.
01:48So we are also very happy to meet you today.
01:51And this is a fact.
01:52Donald Trump clearly said, I love Hindus.
01:55And I am with Hindus.
01:56So that's why this time, Dr. Japra, like our California is a very big name.
02:01So he has also run a very big movement, American for Hindus.
02:04All those organizations have voted for Trump.
02:06And this time, the Hindu people also participated in Trump.
02:09What are you thinking?
02:10I want to say that Donald Trump is a businessman.
02:13And a businessman does business for profit at any time.
02:16He will grow the economy here.
02:19If the American economy grows, then the Indian economy will also benefit.
02:24Today, American IT companies are growing exponentially.
02:28And they have the requirement of constant new talent.
02:31So because of that, the young generation in India, the IT professionals,
02:36they are going to get a very good future because of America.
02:40You tell me, what do you think?
02:42Ranjana ji, thank you very much.
02:44Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal.
02:45Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal.
02:46Why is this important for us?
02:48Why did we come from California?
02:50Because especially in the Sikh community, some Khalistanis are radicalized.
02:54There is a group called Gurpat Bandh Singh Pannu, who are defaming the Sikhs.
02:58Our message is that 98% of the Sikh community,
03:02we will work closely with its administration.
03:06We will tell them, especially Pushp Patel, FBI Director, Tulsi Gabbard,
03:13I have to convey the message to them that that nonsense guy, Gurpat Pannu,
03:19does not represent the Sikhs.
03:21You are saying a very big thing.
03:24You will convince the Trump administration that Pannu does not represent the Sikh community.
03:31Because if you convince them that his entire ideology is anti-India, then it is a big step.
03:37Because it is my duty as a Sikh, as a true Sikh.
03:41Because I was born in India, I was born in Punjab.
03:45How many years have you been coming here?
03:47I have been coming here for 30 years.
03:49I have been an IT professional for 30 years.
03:51I have studied engineering from Guru Nanak Engineering College, Ludhiana,
03:53where I have studied from Stanford.
03:55But at the end of the day, it is our responsibility.
03:57The way they are defaming the Sikhs, there are some radicalized people.
04:01There is more radicalization in the Islamic world.
04:05Their cocktail is very dangerous for the Sikh community.
04:08I am not here to talk about the Hindu community or India.
04:14I am talking about everyone.
04:16Because at the end of the day, some people are building up a narrative between Hindus and Sikhs.
04:20It is very important to tell our administration that these people,
04:25these thugs like Gurpat Pannu or Sikhs for Justice,
04:30they have nothing to do with the Sikh community.
04:32They don't represent us.
04:34The mainstream, moderate Sikh community is our pro-India approach.
04:41And we are not an issue for the Hindu-Sikh community.
04:44But there are some people who are doing something radical like this with the Pakistanis.
04:49They are doing something wrong.
04:51We will send a message to Trump.
04:53They say that when relations are formed in two countries,
04:55they are not only formed in the field of business,
04:57but also in a democratic way.
04:59Some people are trying to put a narrative and propaganda between the two countries.
05:04How to combat that?
05:06How to fight that?
05:07The people of the Indian community have already taken a backstab
05:12before Donald Trump's swearing-in.
05:14They want a good message from India about religion.
05:18Because there are people here who talk about the values of Hinduism.
05:21There are also people who talk about the values of Sikhism.
05:24So that the message that Donald Trump gives to the government
05:26on behalf of India, on behalf of these religions,
05:28should be such that at least no such decision is affected
05:33which represents radicalism.
05:36Anjana Omkarsh from Washington DC for Aaj Tak.
05:57Right behind me, if you notice, these are all Trump supporters.
06:01They are queuing up for...
06:03From Cuba. Freedom from Cuba.
06:06Make Cuba great again too.
06:08You are talking about make America great again.
06:10How do you make America great again?
06:12Voting.
06:14By voting, right.
06:16Okay, so you are not deterred by the cold here right now?
06:20I don't mind. I don't mind.
06:22I don't mind. I came all the way from Cuba.
06:24This is important. Freedom is important.
06:26Americans, pay attention.
06:28So if you just look around, just look all around you,
06:31Trump vans, Trump for president, excitement in the air.
06:35So despite the cold, what brings you here?
06:37I'm just happy to celebrate freedom,
06:40get our president back in the White House,
06:42turn America around.
06:44So why is this freedom for you?
06:46Why weren't you free earlier?
06:48I mean, we're talking about freedom to say what we want,
06:51freedom to do what we want, take care of our kids,
06:54put God back on top.
06:56Put God back on top.
06:58Wasn't that happening earlier?
07:00No.
07:02Why do you say that?
07:04Why do you say that wasn't happening earlier?
07:06I mean, if you just look at the targeting of children in America,
07:08you can see that God was never in the picture in the last four years.
07:11So it's time to get our country back,
07:13and it's time to get our children back as well.
07:15And the ruining of the nuclear family,
07:18it's time to put our morals back in place.
07:21So Donald Trump's presidency means morality back in public life,
07:25morality back in family life.
07:27What part of the United States do you come from?
07:30From Tennessee.
07:32Tennessee.
07:34So let's talk to some more people here,
07:36and just look all around.
07:38It's very, very cold.
07:40It's drizzling already,
07:42and yet you have thousands and thousands of people.
07:46Are you disappointed that the inauguration is happening inside the Capitol Hill and not outside?
07:52It's more important to be safe, I feel like.
07:54And, you know, it's going to be very cold.
07:56So we had tickets,
07:58and so that's a disappointment not to be there live,
08:00but it's better to be safe.
08:02It indeed is.
08:04So how many people, because we were told that, you know,
08:07lakhs would have been there in the open,
08:10but right now just a couple of thousand would be inside the Capitol One arena?
08:14I think it holds 20,000,
08:16and I believe 225,000 inauguration tickets were distributed,
08:19if I read online correctly.
08:23So will others be disappointed or not really?
08:26Well, if you don't get in to something, you probably will,
08:28but there is another rally tomorrow here, supposedly,
08:31so there are some choices,
08:33but obviously two rallies can't hold all the number of tickets for inauguration.
08:37So what are your expectations of President Trump once he's in White House again tomorrow?
08:43He will have a lot of executive orders.
08:45I think a lot of people voted for him because of the border policies,
08:49and that's a big one.
08:51So I think people want to see a more secure border.
08:54Is that top priority even for you?
08:56Yes, it is.
08:57The border is paramount to keeping our country safe
09:01and for aligning us with the values of the United States
09:09and just turning things around to be safe and economically viable.
09:16So stay safe and economically viable America is what you're looking at?
09:20Yes.
09:22Look at the big smiles on faces of people.
09:25Okay, you have a huge smile on your face,
09:28and you have to tell our viewers that.
09:30Why?
09:32I can't. I'm not good at this.
09:34I'm so sorry.
09:36I can join, yes.
09:40I got it yesterday.
09:41Make America great again.
09:43How does America become great again?
09:45Well, first you've got to look at the economy.
09:47We're definitely in a trade deficit,
09:49which is something that doesn't help the economy, obviously.
09:52So I think tariffs are really good,
09:54mostly for negotiating power,
09:56but also we need to increase our industrial base.
09:59We need to strengthen the economy, obviously.
10:02But also we need to focus on the military
10:04and instilling those patriotic values,
10:07which I think we've lost for at least a decade now.
10:10All right, so wish you all the best.
10:13And I see a lot of youngsters here, which is very good.
10:16And I also see you voted Trump.
10:18Are you braving this cold?
10:20I am braving this cold.
10:22I'm from Seattle, Washington.
10:24I am delighted to brave this storm.
10:27We are going to have one incredible president.
10:32Why do you think Donald Trump would be one incredible president?
10:36What will he do differently from his first time?
10:39What would you want him to do differently from his first time?
10:42He knows the game better now.
10:45He can make decisions that are firm.
10:51He doesn't go back on that.
10:53He's a businessman, and we need a businessman to run our country.
10:58We've had not good running in our country.
11:01He's going to run it well.
11:03Wish you all the best, and let me just take our viewers
11:06through these long, long, long queues of happy people.
11:11You know, you're saying namaste.
11:13Is that for India?
11:14Español?
11:15You're from Spain.
11:17No, no, no, Peru.
11:19Spain, Peru, just for inauguration.
11:21Brilliant.
11:23From Peru for the inauguration.
11:25Let me for a moment just show our viewers the kind of security
11:30that's been put in place because security has to be paramount.
11:34Look at these visuals while you have police patrolling.
11:38That's happening almost constantly.
11:40You also have the national reserves, the army reserves
11:45who've been called out.
11:47They're also deployed in this area, and look at this.
11:51Look at this long queue at the Capital One Arena
11:55ahead of the arrival of the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
12:00There is tremendous excitement as all these people,
12:04all these people, they say they've had a long campaign, a long fight,
12:09but the war to make America great again for them has just started.
12:14Gaurav Sawant in Washington, D.C. for India Today.