BANGALORE: The US Consul General Jennifer Mcintyre on Monday encouraged students to explore job and education prospects in the USA.
Speaking on the occasion of Martin Luther King Junior Day at Jain University here, she emphasized on how Mahatma Gandhi influenced Dr King in his fight for equal rights in USA. Further, speaking about the Civil Rights Movement, the consul general answered a wide gamut of questions raised by the students about Indo-USA ties.
“United States celebrates Martin Luther King day in January. Speaking here on January 30 is especially significant because this was the very day in 1948, when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. One cannot truly talk about Dr King, without including one of India’s greatest citizens, Mahatma Gandhi,” she said. Talking about the deep influence that Gandhi had on the life of Dr King, she said, “Although these two great figures never actually met, Gandhi’s teachings and philosophy, particularly the doctrines on non-violent resistance, service to the community and social justice were a huge influence on Dr King, and through him on the civil rights movement in America.”
Students questioned her about current Indo-USA ties and about prospective career building in the USA, in view of the downturn storm that has sent fear ripples across the world. “To a large extent, the argument on outsourcing is not based on facts,” she said on being questioned about the ‘job stealer’s’ tag given to Indians, by a student.
“I would reiterate that the number of US H1B visa holders coming to the USA has increased. It is interesting for Indians as around 50 percent of specialized task force across the world is coming from India.
The college faculty and students too left the lecture quite motivated and many even wanted to explore higher education prospects in the USA. “The consul general is new to India and it was wonderful to have her interact with the students. Our students were informed about this event a week in advance so they were well prepared with their questions,” said Dr Sandeep Shastry, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Jain University.