Two NRIs making waves as Trump aides in US

Neelmani Lal

New Delhi: Raj Shah and Ajit Pai, two of the very successful Indian diaspora in USA have many things in common - they both are senior members of Trump administration. And both are in limelight for good and wrong reasons.

Such is the state of things that Shah and Pai who were unknown names have become famous within a span of few days.

First thing first, Shah, who is Principal Deputy Press Secretary in White House and

the highest ranking Indian-American ever in the White House press office, briefed

the press persons abroad Air Force One.

Thus Shah became the first Indian –American to enjoy the privilege of briefing the media. Moreover, a new word –Gaggle became famous with this briefing, or at lease people in India came to know about Gaggling.

The term Gaggle is used for briefing by the White House. Such briefings prohibit media persons from video graphing the proceedings.

On the other hand, Ajit Pai, an US Attorney who is Chairman of Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is facing brickbats for his recommendations on Net Neutrality. He is the first Indian American to hold the office.

FCC has favored ‘business like’ Internet and Pai himself has asserted that internet

companies are bigger than actual threat to an open internet. Pai is being hauled

over coal for his open criticism on net-neutrality and such is the anger that people

in Virginia are holding demonstration outside his home.

Ajit Pai:

• He is son of Konkani immigrants Varadaraj Pai and Radha Pai, both were

  practicing doctors in Kansas.

• Ajit was born in New York in 1973. He studied in Harvard University and in

  1998s started his career in Law.

• Pai was nominated for a Republican Party position on the Federal Communications Commission by President Barack Obama in 2011.

Raj Shah

• His parents came to the US in late 70’s. Father was an engineer and mother

  was a dentist.

• Raj was born in Connecticut in 1985. He came into contact with Republicans

  in 2011.He gradually became close associate of Donald Trump.

• Shah is one of the few aides of Trump who joined the White House corps

  immediately after his swearing in as President.