A Physician Takes Action

By Laura Fawaz, Contributing Reporter

Rochester Hills, MI–Dr. Anil Kumar is a well-known and respected physician in Rochester Hills, Michigan.  But his recent endeavors into the political world may be a shift in aspirations this election year.
Originally from India, Dr. Kumar is contesting for a congressional seat in District 11 on behalf of the Democratic Party.  District 11 covers 18 cities within Oakland County such as Novi, White Lake, Auburn Hills, Troy and part of Rochester Hills, the city where Dr. Kumar’s current practice is.  It also cover 13 cities within Wayne County such as Canton, Northville, and Dearborn Heights, the city where Dr. Kumar’s opponent, Bobby McKenzie, grew up and graduated high school. 

As a health care physician and political candidate, he has dealt with Obama Care more than others.  His thoughts, “it’s an excellent law and idea.  It does provide affordable care to all, which is essential for any civilized nation to give to it’s citizens.

“However, in order to give the best care, there are issues that need to be addressed,” Dr. Kumar said.

He continued, “Our main issues are jobs, education, health care, and immigration.”

His plans on immigration on two-fold; with respect to undocumented immigration, saying that he would like to sit down with people having specific issues, because he believes that all problems have resolutions.  He continued with the second part of his plan, with respect to family immigration, undocumented workers, and having to wait long periods of time before being able to come to America.  “America is a land of immigrants, built on the hard work and the education of immigrants,” said Dr. Kumar. 

One of his main focuses will be on education, especially for underprivileged cities.  He said that our future depends on the children and future generations to come, and that if we fail to educate our kids, then we fail our future.  His plan is all about an equal education for all, and views education to be our best investment.  Dr. Kumar said, “It is every citizen’s rights to be educated to the best form and equally.”

On other issues such as plans to counter ‘Islamophobia’ and racial profiling, specifically at borders and airports, Dr. Kumar’s hopes is that we all follow the U.S. Constitution.  How?  By all Americans treating all citizens as equal Americans, for all minorities.  Profiling or discrimination of any sort should be, as Dr. Kumar put it, appalled.  As for Dr. Kumar’s plans, all routes lead back to education.  His idea is that the best way to counter racial profiling is to educate people.  “We have to, as a society, make all attempts and all resources to minimize biases.  It may take some time, but it is what we should aim for and is achievable,” Dr. Kumar said. 

A recent concern in international news is unmanned aerial vehicles, or drone attacks.  And the United States government has made hundreds of these attacks on targets in Northwest Pakistan in the last decade alone, using drones.  These strikes began during the George W. Bush administration, and have increased considerably under President Barack Obama.  There is a debate regarding the number of civilian and militant causalities, but is estimated that it is anywhere from 300 to 900 civilians that have been killed.  Close to 200 of them are children.  Dr. Kumar said that anti-terrorism has been essential for us to protect our country with any instrument used to give us that freedom.  But that the U.S. government has to maintain the responsibility that innocent civilians are not harmed in the process.  He said, “My approach would be that unless we have a focus to counter attack terrorism, we need to be very careful.  Innocent lives are far more important, and that may be achieved in other ways.”

What Dr. Kumar would like his readers to know is that he is running this race as a giveback to society.  He hopes to better this society of ours because he believes that we live in the best of times, but that it has not come free to us.  “It has come because of the blood, tears and sweat of the people before us.  Therefore, it is our responsibility to improve it,” concluded Dr. Kumar.

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