FORAY INTO POLITICS AND COMMUNITY WORK

“America is too great for small dreams,” Harry’s hero, the late Ronald Reagan, used to say. Acting used to be passion. Then politics became his lifeblood, alongside its favorite cousin, community work. Ambitious immigrants do feel they’ve arrived when fellow countrymen elect them as their representative. It has happened in Harry’s case too. He became the first person of Indian heritage to serve two consecutive terms as city councilman at Anaheim, winning back-to-back elections in 2004 and 2008. “This is an unequalled achievement for an Indian-American, first to be elected and then reelected for a second term,” Harry says. He felt elated and humbled in equal measure at the immense recognition he received from the community. He also was moved by the love and trust of his fellow citizens. He went on to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for 2010 and 2012. “I am the first person of Indian heritage to have achieved this position,” he says. No mean achievement considering Anaheim is the 10th largest of 482 cities in California. He now continues to work towards gaining entry to the California State Assembly, and going beyond. Reagan used to ask, “How can a President not be an actor?” Harry now asks himself the same question the other way round, “how can an actor not aspire to be President?” After all, Reagan was an actor first, a president later. As of now Harry is continuing his political dreams and working towards gaining entry into the State Assembly and hopefully growing beyond that as well.

Harry has lived in Anaheim since 1994. It is also where the world’s most known theme park, Disneyland, is to be found. He believes in promoting a thriving business culture, and encourages local businesses and enterprises all the time. Whenever he can, he helps individual business owners to create more jobs. Housing and infrastructure is another area that he focuses hard for he feels these two sectors are key to a community’s and country’s growth.