A group of prominent Indian Americans will meet the members of the US Adminstration and top Congressmen to demand that they step up pressure on Pakistan to take action against those responsible for the Mumbai carnage.
Around 150 Indian American leaders from various parts of the country will meet the members of the Obama administration and top Congressmen on Tuesday to impress upon them the need for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice.
These leaders represent "Indian American Task Force", which was set up by several Indian American organizations, to lobby at the Capitol and before the new administration for bringing to justice the perpetrators of the terror attacks that killed at least 173 people including several foreign nationals. Six of them were American citizens.
The task force was set up by several Indian American organisations including Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and US India Political Action Committee.
"We are here not simply to highlight terrorism directed against innocent civilians in India, but also because we believe that these developments in India represent a clear security challenge to the United States of America itself," said Mukesh Advani, San Francisco-based Task Force Joint Coordinator.
Observing that for the first time terrorists originating from Pakistan killed foreigners living in India including Jews, Advani said Indian American Task Force believes that it is in America's own national security interest to ensure the elimination of terrorist training camps in Pakistan, the source of these attacks.
"We are not against Pakistan or the people of Pakistan," said New York-based Task Force Joint Coordinator Ram Narayanan.
"In fact, we are pleased that Pakistan now has a democratically elected civilian government and we are seeking ways to help Pakistan's civilian government to eradicate terrorism from its soil," he said.
"The IATF is seeking peaceful means through grass roots lobby work and dissemination of information to work with US lawmakers to find practical solutions to the volatile situation in South Asia following the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
"Our goal is to ensure that the interests of the United States and India are protected in the ongoing war against terrorism," said Narayanan.
Meanwhile, Pakistani American groups have announced that they would oppose the move by Indian Americans to lobby before the Capitol and Obama team against Pakistan.