REMARKS BY HENRY V. JARDINE
U.S. Consul General
at
The Inauguration of the American Corner
Patna, Bihar
August 10, 2007

August 10, 2007

His Excellency Governor Gavai, Honorable Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, President of BIA Mr. K.P.S. Keshri, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for joining us today on this special occasion:  the Inauguration of a new American Corner Library here at the Bihar Industries Association (BIA).  I want to thank BIA for their wonderful support in providing the space and making this event possible.

The opening of this corner is a direct response to the overwhelming demand for a greater American presence here in Bihar -- a demand that I and all the Consulate Officers have heard on our many visits to this state.  The people of Bihar clearly have a great affinity for and interest in the United States and want a facility where they can come and learn more about our country. 

The U.S. Consulate General has consistently sought to engage with the people of Bihar through an extensive range of programs and events.  Just in this past year, our Public Affairs Office conducted a “Road Show” offering a host of events such as film screenings, seminars and lectures on various aspects of the United States and its culture.  The U.S. Educational Foundation in India (USEFI) participated as well, giving guidance on study in the U.S. and our Foreign Commercial Service Office distributed materials on doing business with the United States.

We also announced progress on the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation program to survey and catalogue important Muslim and Hindu archeological sites of the 15^th and 16^th centuries, being conducted by the East and West Educational Society in conjunction with the Khuda Baksh Library. 

In addition, we held a photographic exhibit of classic 20^th century photographs from our impressive Library of Congress collection, which was held here at the BIA.

The United States Government is committed to supporting the people of Bihar in many other ways.  I am proud to announce that in response to the recent flooding that has been so damaging to Bihar and other states in East India and the Northeast, the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing to the Prime Minister’s Office 20 lakh rupees for flood relief assistance. 

The United States Government has also provided funding for efforts to address other major social and public health issues.  We continue to support the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in its work to eliminate polio, a still persistent problem in this state with now apparently 18 cases already this year.

These are just a few of the many initiatives that the U.S. Consulate and our Government have undertaken to foster a close relationship between Bihar and the United States; but now with the American Library Corner, we can have a sustained presence here and promote greater mutual understanding between our peoples. 

The American Corner will provide a window on the life and culture in the United States, and will be an outstanding resource to obtain accurate and up-to-date information about political, economic, cultural, educational and social trends in the United States.

An important aspect of this corner is partnership.  Our partner here is the BIA, which has kindly provided the space and personnel for operation and maintenance of the corner.  None of this would have been possible without the enthusiasm, initiative and resourcefulness of the BIA.  On behalf of the U.S. Mission, I sincerely thank BIA and its many members for their outstanding support and we are looking to a long and fruitful relationship.

So what exactly will you find at the American Corner?  It will provide access to current and reliable information about the United States via book collections, the Internet, and exciting events.  You will be able to access a great multi-media, book and periodical collections.  To start with, the corner will have approximately 400 books, 36 periodicals, 22 DVDs and CD-ROMs.  The book collection is diverse, including titles like Diversity in America, Encyclopedia of American Religious History, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, and Rise of American Democracy.  The periodical section includes the best U.S. publications including Foreign Affairs, Smart Computing, Art in America, Environment, News week, and the New Yorker.  The corner will have DVDs on Basics of Editing, Information Literacy, and Understanding Government, and the latest updated information on higher education in the US.  We will also take full advantage of the American Corner space to host speaker programs, workshops, film shows and exhibitions.

Patna, a growing business and educational center, has two universities and a number of colleges and research institutes.  This corner will be of great value for these institutions by providing information relevant to a range of courses from biotechnology, computer applications, fashion designing, business management, and rural management; to functional English, American literature, and mass communication.  I am confident that those working in all these subjects and in many others will find the corner very helpful for their research and studies.

Today marks a new and enhanced chapter in the long history between the peoples of Bihar and the United States.  The new American Library Corner heralds a new beginning and also marks a culmination of the great effort by many people, including the BIA, our American Library and all of you here today to create a new center for learning and mutual understanding.

Thank you all very much for your outstanding support.