SPECIAL ISSUE

A leader, a visionary, and a good Samaritan
Amrish Mahajan - a friend in need and a friend indeed

The popular saying that “a friend in need is a friend indeed” applies to Amrish Mahajan. One always finds him humble, polite and quick to help his fellowmen. In spite of his success, his down-to-earth attitude approach appeals others, and makes them feel comfortable with him. He is one of the most politically active and influential community leaders and his contributions have not been motivated by a desire to reap rewards for himself.

By J.V. Lakshmana Rao

Chicago: As an émigré from the Kangra District, India, to the United States 35 years ago, Amrish K. Mahajan represented the kind of person America has always been proud to claim, and he has not let either the country of his birth or his adopted homeland down. His lifelong attitude that doing one’s best in all things is the only acceptable performance level has led to countless personal and professional achievements, yet Mahajan never has been one to rest on his laurels. He is a leader, a visionary, and a good Samaritan.
Those who know Amrish Mahajan always feel proud of his friendship. The popular saying that “a friend in need is a friend indeed” applies to Amrish Mahajan. One always finds him humble, polite and quick to help his fellowmen. In spite of his success, his down-to-earth attitude approach appeals others, and makes them feel comfortable with him.
He is one of the most politically active and influential community leaders and his contributions have not been motivated by a desire to reap rewards for himself. A banker by profession, Amrish Mahajan has devoted his life and efforts outside the financial world to inspire and implement the foundation of strong educational, religious, familial, and cultural legacy for the future of the Indian community, specifically for the benefit of its children. His goal in striving to build a strong and united community is to create a platform for children. The philosophies that drive his intentions are his belief first and foremost in education, which he says, is the first step to opening up opportunities.
He is of firm conviction that it is time for the old guys to step aside and let the young people rise to the forefront. They are the future of the community and its heritage.
Mahajan has consistently channeled his influence, status, and privileges into the bloodstream of the Indian community. He has helped people in every capacity, assisting in matters ranging from immigration issues to actively working with the Dalai Lama in the struggle to free Tibet.
Though he has no aspiration to pursue a political campaign in any capacity, he strongly encourages young Indian Americans to do so, in addition to coming to the forefront of community leadership.
Mahajan was formally educated in both India (a bachelor’s degree in geology and math and a master’s degree in geology from Punjab University) and America (a master’s degree in geology from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from Loyola University in international and domestic business management). That in itself proves how much he values education on an ongoing basis. He has never stopped learning, and he will always encourage anyone else to do the same and to make sure “street smarts” is part of the curriculum as a balance.
Although Mahajan has incorporated aspects of many different professional areas into his life at one time or another, his true vocation has been banking. His first job in finance was in India, starting him down a path that would lead to international recognition within a relatively short time. Not only was he the first Asian Indian to trade his own account in the corn pits of the Chicago Board of Trade, in 1984 he became the first Asian Indian president of National Republic Bank of Chicago, the first Asian Indian owned bank in America.
Subsequent professional ventures have reinforced Mahajan’s reputation as a man, who knows how to run a community bank successfully. Most recently, his involvement as president and CEO of Mutual Bank has led to the expansion of that entity from one bank in Chicago’s southern suburb of Harvey to three more branches throughout the Chicago area. There also is the expectation of merging soon with another bank, thereby providing additional customer service facilities and conveniences appropriate to the surrounding communities. His decision to keep Mutual’s beautiful new Western branch office open on both Saturday and Sunday to accommodate the Asian population in that area (Devon Avenue) is just one more validation of Mahajan’s strong commitment to excellence.
A family man, who met his wife (coincidentally from his Indian hometown) in the United States and has helped her raise their two very well rounded, second-generation Indian American children, Mahajan has always believed in actively supporting the community. He became a naturalized American citizen as soon as he could. Early on, his commitment to the Indian community of the Chicago area became widely known as he gave his full-hearted support to religious, educational, cultural and political causes. As Chicago and the rest of the world have evolved into more global populations, this focus has come to include all Asians and the so-called mainstream population as well. Mahajan has won many awards for civic involvement and has been on the boards of many educational, business, religious and cultural groups, both ethnic and mainstream.
His activities have always shared the common factor of responsibility for building the best possible future for the next generation. About his appointment to the Planning Commission of the City of Chicago, Mahajan said: “I believed Mayor Richard M. Daley would be able to pull the different elements of the city closer together, which fits in with my vision of the unity of mankind. I think he knows I’ll work very hard to represent the Asian community in an unbiased manner. There are as many as 21 different Asian ethnic groups in Chicago now, and we are rapidly becoming much more sophisticated politically. We are dedicated to the betterment of our world and the future of our children.”
In the traditions of the country he has adopted, Mahajan is well known for his strong and constant battle against discrimination of any kind and has held several appointed positions of community, state and national leadership in this regard. Over the years, he has become an outspoken and effective campaigner for this cause, serving both officially and unofficially as a representative of the Asian communities of Chicago and the rest of America. In many cases, he has been the first Asian Indian to serve on or chair various local, state and national commissions. As he told the delegates and attendees of the First Great Lakes Region Hindu Youth Conference in 1991, “There are many difficulties inherent in being raised with a strong ethnic background while being a citizen of America, and (both conference sponsor organizations) have done a tremendous job of addressing these problems in a realistic way so that our young people feel they can participate legitimately in both ways of life.”
At a time when many are planning to slow down, Mahajan continues to push for excellence from everyone within his reach. Experience has provided the wisdom to reprioritize according to the rapidly changing circumstances of everyday life and to utilize the skills and talents of others to help him in his constant ambition to provide the best overall environment for now and for the future.

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