Siv Panicker becomes first Indian American village trustee in Plainfield, Illinois

Siv Panicker, an Indian American entrepreneur, was elected as a trustee for the Village of Plainfield in Illinois earlier this month. The village is governed by a president and a board of trustees.
“I love my community and want to serve the people of Plainfield. I have worked with a political group and supported election campaigns. As a working-class person, I understand what people want. I believe my education and professional experience can benefit our community,” Panicker, who has lived in the area for eight years with his family, told the Times of India. He added that as a member of a minority community, he felt he would be able to make a difference. “We need a leader who listens, understands, and acts with integrity. We need representation in local government to ensure our voices are heard,” he said.
As a self-employed entrepreneur, Panicker believes that he will be able to prioritise his work as a Plainfield trustee with effective time management and open communication with other board members. A village trustee primarily acts as a legislative body member, responsible for enacting ordinances, approving budgets, establishing village policies, and representing constituents. The village of Plainfield operates under a non-partisan system of governance, and trustees are elected for a four-year term.
A strong advocate of making Plainfield a more affordable and secure environment for families and children, Panicker also highlighted lowering the tax load of residents, decreasing expenditure, and saving taxpayers’ money during his campaign. “I found that at least 90% of residents were concerned about property tax increases. Residents still find the real estate property taxes for their homes to be extremely exorbitant, despite the village officials’ statements that they have lowered total tax revenue. Our village expenses are growing, but business tax revenue is insufficient. This is the main reason for the real estate tax increases,” he said.
Unlike some areas in the US, which have a large Indian American population, Plainfield has significantly fewer members of the community. “Of the 29,000 registered voters, only about 1,100 are Indian, representing around 500 to 600 families. This time, approximately 150 Indians voted. The majority of the population consists of white Americans, totalling up to 35,000. The village officials estimate the total population is around 55,000,” Panicker, who went to the US from India in 1995 after completing his master's degree, said. However, recently, trends show many Indians and other Asians moving to Plainfield due to lower home prices, he added.
America, for him, represents a land of opportunities. “If you are willing, you can become anything here; nothing can stop you from reaching your goal. Some of the things that I like here include the freedom of choice in the First Amendment, the living standard of ordinary people, including immigrants, running offices without corruption, jobs, and further educational opportunities,” said Panicker who has pursued a diverse and rewarding career pathway including earning certifications in information technology, working as a software engineer, and successfully launching businesses ranging from web design to grocery stores and medical offices. He is now a full-time stock trader, and his wife is a practising physician. “I remember how hard it was in the beginning to live among different cultures, ethnicities, and languages. But all that is now the past, and my wife, two children, and I are well integrated in the Indian American community and our larger community here,” he said.
Panicker is upbeat about the significant rise in the number of Indian Americans running for public office over the past few years. A trend, that he feels, demonstrates the community's increasing political engagement. “The number of Indian Americans in Congress has been rising, with a historic presence in the 2024 election. They are increasingly running for state legislatures and local offices like city councils and school boards. As a large immigrant group in the US, Indian Americans are more politically active and are showing higher voter turnout rates compared to other Asian American groups,” he said.