Little India in Artesia

Your editorial (Sept. 6) was generous in its comments and sagacious in its advice to the Artesia City Council. Asian Indians in this country constitute a large number of recent immigrants living largely in metropolises like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and other cities. They are a hard-working lot who are proud of their ancient culture and bound by age-old customs and traditions. It would have been only proper for the Artesia City Council to grant their wishes to have a sign saying “Little India.” After all, most other communities have been granted similar recognition as your editorial has rightly pointed out. Don’t these proud businessmen and their customers deserve similar recognition? Is that too much to ask? After all, Indians are taxpaying, law-abiding citizens who contribute a substantial amount of tax dollars to the coffers of Artesia and California.

Council members in their rejection of the demand have demonstrated a narrow-minded and shortsighted approach. I as an Indian businessman very much hope that they will realize their mistake and reverse their decision in near future.

CHAITANYA DAVE

Rancho Palos Verdes