WASHINGTON : Aftab Pureval Becomes First Indian-Tibetan Mayor Of US’ Cincinnati City

WASHINGTON
: Aftab
Pureval, an Indian-Tibetan, has been elected as the Mayor of Cincinnati city in
US’ Ohio, making him the first member of the community to be elected to the
position.

Aftab
Pureval, 38, a son of a refugee Tibetan mother and an Indian father, defeated
his rival David Mann to win the Mayoral election.

“Words
can’t express how honoured and excited I am to be the next Mayor of Cincinnati.
Tonight, we made history! Let’s get to work!” Mr Pureval, who unsuccessfully
ran for the US House of Representatives last year, said this after his
impressive electoral victory.

Aftab
Karma Singh Pureval is the first Tibetan-American and the first Asian-American
Pacific Islanders (AAPI) mayor in the city’s history.

Mr Pureval,
a Democrat, had formerly served as the Hamilton County clerk of courts.

“Today,
AAPI Victory Fund celebrates Aftab Pureval’s historic win as the first
Indian-Tibetan American mayor of a major city who has a bold vision to move
Cincinnati forward,” AAPI Victory Fund founder and chairman Shekar Narasimhan
said.

In March
of this year, AAPI Victory Fund had endorsed Aftab Pureval as “a necessary
progressive voice that has been able to achieve success with Democrats and
Republicans alike” in its slate of mayoral candidates.

“This is
a triumph for not only Aftab Pureval but also for the AAPI community
nationwide. Aftab Pureval’s victory is a major step forward for AAPI’s
political representation. It is more important than ever to elect diverse
leadership across local, state and federal governments, and Aftab Pureval will
bring his unique experience to lead Cincinnati toward a more equitable,
inclusive, and just city,” Mr Narasimhan said.

In a
previous interview, Mr Pureval had told news agency PTI that his story is
improbably American.

“I’m the
son of a refugee. My mom was born in Tibet and she was forced to flee her home
country along with my grandparents,” he said.

“My
grandparents and my mother picked up and made their way through the Himalayas
through Nepal and into India where she grew up as a refugee,” he said.

His
mother studied in a Mysore school and went to Delhi for college, where she met
her Punjabi husband.

“My
(paternal) grandfather was in the Indian military (Brigadier Ajit Singh),” he
said.

After
their marriage, Aftab Pureval’s parents moved to the US and settled in Ohio
where he was born in 1982. He has travelled to Tibet once as a child but has
been a frequent visitor to India, especially to Delhi to meet his grandparents,
who passed away recently.