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Bush's India connection, however, does not end with the call centers. There's also a lot of money being contributed by Indian-Americans. 

It was former US president Bill Clinton who actively sought to build bridges as well as cultivate the Indian community in the United States, recognizing their numbers - more than 2 million - as well as their immense money-power as global information-technology (IT) pioneers. The 2004 US elections are witnessing Indian-Americans reaching out to Republican Bush as a reaction to the virulent anti-outsourcing campaign being orchestrated by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Further, given the strides that Indo-US relations have taken under Bush, politically, economically and militarily, the Indian community feels much more comfortable in maintaining this continuity. Bush has himself indicated his pro-India proclivities by promising that he will visit the country next year if he wins re-election. Although India has been unhappy with some of the recent steps taken by the Bush administration, including the granting of special non-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) status to Pakistan, India's relations with the United States have been by and large on the ascent. 

In an interview to the Economic Times before the results of the elections in India were declared, Sharad Lakhanpal of Texas, a doctor and president of the American Association of the Physicians of Indian Origin who is one of the biggest fundraisers for Bush, said: "Indo-US relations are at an all-time high under the current administration. There has been good chemistry between President Bush and the [Atal Bihari] Vajpayee government. President Bush told me himself that [Prime Minister] Vajpayee has been a good friend and is a good man. 
"The current administration has appointed several Indian-Americans to high positions. The fundraising will pay dividends for the Indian-American community and for Indo-US relations if the president wins ... re-election. Indians are increasingly recognized in the mainstream US politics," Lakhanpal added. 

Although business has reacted with alarm at the Sonia Gandhi Congress-Left combination taking over from the Vajpayee dispensation, there isn't likely to be much of a rollback in the economic reforms program in India. After all, the man tipped to be finance minister, Manmohan Singh, is the original architect of India's liberalization agenda. 

Though Indian-Americans have been seen as close to the Democrats, it is estimated that the community has already raised more than $500,000 for the Bush campaign. Bobby Jindal, Republican candidate for Congress, raised more than $800,000 in the first quarter ending March 31, and has $760,000 cash on hand. More than $575,000 of the contributions came from Louisiana donors. A Republican rally in that state that raised more than $1 million for the 2004 Bush-Cheney presidential ticket late last year had several prominent Indians in attendance. 

In a speech widely quoted in India, Congressman Joe Wilson recently praised Lakhanpal and Narender Reddy, a doctor from Georgia, for raising more than $100,000 each for the president and categorized them as Bush pioneers. He said longtime Bush supporters Zach Zachariah and Raghavendra Vijayanagar from Florida each raised more than $200,000, calling them the "Bush rangers". "These leaders have rallied the Indian-American community behind Bush," Wilson said. 

Dr Vijaynagar serves as chair of the Indian American Republican Council, while Mammen Zachariah, a cardiologist at Holy Cross Hospital in Florida and Zach's brother, is a big fundraiser. Zach ??WHO IS THIS?KERALITE?EVANJEELYCALLS PRIST'S SON?MOTHER DOCTOR?MY grana was called???BIHOP OF EVNGKJAYLLYICAL CHRCF?BIGFIGHT MATHUMMA JELLYCALS THRN JELLY CALD VS JELLYCALS =COUT FIGHT!!???ZACARIAH ACHEN PRIST WAS MAIN ADVISSOR TO my gand ma granpamy granma$$$$$land for church and churchHQkunbanadu built by ZACJAHTIAN ACHEN!gol mols appa sibling hated fight so none of them elders=bck set benchers next two generations allso i thinks zach genreation no evajellycal voice tigh lipped..but rigoroud binblr readuing concentration camp sunner traing.1005.bible+100%church histoyu!????so gol mol know churg figh s starting from fist synond  to 100 th synos rome,sntioch koonam kirish u sathaya gaahen=bent cross nonviolent strike kerala go down contyr..so golmol preferred dleepinh in chuch..if awake irritated ..with schurch fight dishun ..all chuechec teach history to prove hoe bad other are..!went to marthumma sunday school aoosie bad viilain stoy=jelly mudersersof deviv!!then orhodx in sunday school 80%maks gor church history @)%for bible????so gol mol fond jesus in no church?said gol molprayes bless too muchmore than asked for?when wedding jeaus no wher then orthodox no dif f marry me any wher ?i will take all you chusch people takewandoo and show you and me are nothin bit devil company!!gol mol frst didtinscyion Marthuum subasy school big tim awared but in heart angy to namr x'toan hypo critrs including gol mol..finally gol mol Jesus in upper room ,kanjirapply afer 7 days wait,,sitting slleeping in same place ther i sensed HOLY SPIRIT FIRST TIMe!!!?..ANGER beaceme less!!....i heard dr zach zach doen't associate wik  keralites esp x'yian evevjellycals!!GOLMOL NOT SUPRPRISES..was in same boat..befor laeaing foe America...gol mol .and friendlu nice nid enide Eapen priest achen,,came home on appa's bodat last?..gol mol asked this fogh dostine differende or wwho should handle$$$$$?so tell me right now why figh t/?devil in church ?rt or wrong?eapen achen sadi gol mom I and going to KUMABANAD CONVENTION!I WILL TALK ABOUT IT!I AGEE WITH YOU..MU SON IS STUDTY ..HE ATTENDS ALL CHURCHES..I HAVE AGRRAED ..RT NOW HE IS ATTENDING CATHOLICOSE CHUECH TO STUDY FIRST HABD WHAT THEY BELIEVE =NOT SECONG HABD HISTIR!!SUPER SNOOP LIKE GOLNOL..SO GOL MOL HAS FOLLOWED SUIT..SNOOPIN G IN ALL CHURCHES GO EVERWHER AND SNOOP!!ESP CHARISNA APAETECOSTA ,JELLYACLS ....LEARN FIEST HABD THEIR FAITH!!?co-chairs Bush's Florida re-election campaign and his connection to the family dates back to George Bush Sr, for whom he organized several successful fundraisers. Zachariah also raised more money for Bush's 1992 campaign than any other individual. Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed Mammen to the Florida campaign, while Zach helped found the Indian American Policy Institute, a think-tank to promote Indian-American interests, and chairs the Florida Council on Economic Education. 

While praising the Indian community, Wilson, who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, said: "I am proud of the Indian-American community for their loyal support to President Bush." 
It all augurs well for India if Bush is re-elected. If he is not, there will remain a bunch of call-center executives who will always be informed about the Republican way of electioneering. 

Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. 

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