PrashantNews
Good news came for India after Kamala Harris, a leader of Indian origin, became the first female Vice President of the US in January 2021. A year later, India again greeted with raptures when Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister of Britain.
And Now India is again closely watching the fast-paced developments in the US after President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race setting the stage for the possible entry of Harris into the White House. Biden chose to withdraw from the race after top democrat leaders mounted pressure on him mainly due to the aging factor.
Political observers say Harris is likely to emerge as the new Democratic Presidential candidate to take on Republican leader Donald Trump after President Joe Biden (81) endorsed her to succeed him as the party’s nominee.
Immediately after Biden’s withdrawal, Harris launched her campaign contacting top democrat leaders for support. She said she was honoured to receive Biden’s endorsement and vowed to earn and win the nomination. Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary are supporting Harris.
Sunak’s appointment as the UK Prime Minister in 2022 had sparked significant excitement among Indians. Similarly, there is lot of curiosity among Indians this time also whether Harris would be able to enter the White House after the Nov 5 poll.
“As an Indian I must support Kamala Harris to become the new US President,” said Dr Vinod Sharma, a keen observer of the US politics.
Harris is the first female Vice President and the highest ranking woman official in the US. Before becoming the Vice President, she was previously a US senator from California and also the Attorney General. Her mother late Shyamla Gopalan a biomedical scientist was born in Madras (Chennai). Harris’ father Donald J Harris is a Jamaican-American economist and professor emeritus at Standford University. Harris’ sister Maya Harris is a political commentator.
Harris, half Indian by heritage, has a familial connection to Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu. Her family from her mother’s side comes from there. Her appointment in 2020 was celebrated with fireworks and prayers in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it a “historic occasion” and expressing his eagerness to work with her to strengthen India-US relations.
Residents in Thulasendrapuram had set off firecrackers and held prayers in temples after Harris became Vice President. The villagers have also chanted long live Kamala Harris slogans while holding her portraits. They also distributed sweets as part of their celebrations.
After Biden dropped out of the race, the ancestral village of Harris is again excited to see whether she would be able to enter the White House.
Trump on the other hand described Biden as “worst President” in the history.