The mother of Sonal Shah, 62-year-old Kokila Shah, is elated that her daughter has been asked by US president-elect Barack Obama to join his 15-member advisory group.
Sonal’s mother Kokila Shah and Indian-Americans are overjoyed
AHMEDABAD: The mother of Sonal Shah, 62-year-old Kokila Shah, is elated that her daughter has been asked by US president-elect Barack Obama to join his 15-member advisory group. “We are proud Obama has been elected as president and are lucky Sonal has been given an opportunity to serve the community, which has always been our family’s goal,” Kokilaben said.
The sudden surge of media attention has left Kokilaben fatigued. But she said she had been distressed by what she characterised as misleading reports, being peddled by newspapers in Gujarat, about her husband Ramesh Shah’s political affiliations. “Our family has been engaged in community work for ages. Ramesh is associated with various community groups and associations,” Kokilaben said. “That doesn’t mean we have links with RSS. Such reports might affect Sonal’s progress.”
“Since childhood, Sonal has been doing what she wants to do. She invests all her energy and hard work into her effort till she gets what she wants,” she added.
Kokilaben attributed the success of her three children, Sonal, Roopal and Anand, to good parenting and sound values. She also believes in the karmic influence: she thinks good deeds of the last birth may have also helped the family in this lifetime.
“Sonal’s achievement is a matter of pride, not only for us as parents but also for our community here in the US and in India,” Kokilaben said. “Everybody here is happy and is congratulating us. Our children’s dedication and hard work have played a major role in their progress.”
But the progress has come with some struggle. “Sonal has no political ambitions or connections. She is committed to her work,” she said.
Elated at the appointment, the president-elect of the national federation of Indian-American associations, CK Patel, said, “It is fantastic Sonal is on Obama’s team. She is a very warm and intelligent person. The Gujarati community here is happy and takes pride in it. This is an indication of the fact that Indian-Americans are going to play a significant role during Obama’s tenure.” Indicorps has brought close to 100 Indian-American fellows from the US to India to re-connect with their heritage since its establishment in 2001.
j_paras@dnaindia.net 
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