On the recent appointment of Eric Garcetti as the US Ambassador to India and speculation on his stance on various internal issues of the country, including the Citizenship Amendment Act, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said ‘unko 100 per cent pyaar se samjha denge (We will make him understand, 100%, with love).” Live Updates
Garcetti, the former Mayor of Los Angeles, was officially sworn in as the US Ambassador to India recently by Vice President Kamala Harris during a ceremonial event. Earlier this month, the US Senate had confirmed Garcetti’s nomination, ending a protracted hiatus of over two years to fill the key diplomatic position.
Garcetti has said in the past that he would bring up human rights and discrimination such as via the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as a “core” piece of his engagement rather than as an obligation, once appointed.
Replying to Garcetti’s statements that ‘human rights would be a major part of his conversation’ with India, Jaishankar had earlier said that he would ‘make him (Garcetti) understand with love.”
When asked by CNN-News18s Zakka Jacob during the Rising India Summit 2023, on what this would entail, Jaishankar said, “Let him come. Certain things in our profession are best done between us. So we will leave it at that, but 100 per cent pyaar se hoga (it will a 100 per cent be with love).”
Former Mayor of Los Angeles, he was nominated by US President Joe Biden for the diplomatic position in July 2021.
However, his candidature had been stalled due to charges that Garcetti knew about sexual harassment committed by one of his former senior advisers and failed to do anything about it. Due to the impasse, the US did not have an India Ambassador for around two years, the longest period of a US ambassador not being confirmed.
With the key post vacant, the Biden administration last year had appointed Elizabeth Jones as the Charge d’Affaires ad interim at its Embassy in Delhi.
More About Garcetti
He was raised in the San Fernando Valley and received his B.A. and M.A. from Columbia University, according to his website. He attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and also attended the London School of Economics (LSE).
He was the first Jewish mayor of the US’ second-largest city LA, and he was chosen President of the City Council four times by his peers (2006-2012).
During his mayoral tenure, however, he faced various controversies, including sexual harassment charges against his friend and adviser, Rick Jacobs. Garcetti has frequently stated that he was unaware of Jacobs’ alleged behaviour.
“I can’t wait to serve,” Garcetti said, when asked about his new diplomatic assignment.
Garcetti had made remarks about human rights in India above when he first appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in December 2021, five months after the Biden administration selected him to be the envoy to India. When asked how he planned to deepen ties between India and the United States, he stated that the countries’ relationship was founded on their shared dedication to human rights, democracy, and civil society.
“It’s a two-way street on these, but I intend to engage directly with civil society,” he had said. “There are groups that are actively fighting for the human rights of people on the ground in India that will get direct engagement from me.”
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