Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden’s historic announcement of picking Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris as his Vice-Presidential running mate is being appreciated by people from various sections across the world.
The joy is doubly so in India, especially in Tamilnadu, as Kamala’s mother hails from Besant Nagar in Chennai. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, born in Chennai, was a widely respected breast cancer researcher who immigrated to the United States from India in the 1960s. Her father, Donald Harris, is an eminent economist who spent much of his career at Stanford University. Also an immigrant, he moved to the United States from Jamaica. Already, leaders, prominent personalities and people in Tamilnadu are congratulating Kamala through statements and social media posts.
Kamala is the first Black woman to run on a major political party’s presidential ticket. Her name has been discussed as a top contender for Vice-President since before she even declared her own candidacy to run for the democratic nomination in January last year.
“I think what Joe Biden did today is he said ‘you are enough. You’ve got enough qualifications, you’ve got enough experience to help me restore this country to greatness,” said Minyon Moore, a Democratic operative who has been part of a public campaign to persuade Biden to pick a Black woman as his running mate. Kamala has many firsts to her credit.
In 2010, she became the first Black woman to be elected as California’s Attorney General, overseeing the country’s second largest Justice Department, only behind the US Department of Justice.
Former US president Barack Obama has joined top Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, to praise Indian-American Senator Kamala Harris’ selection as the party’s Vice Presidential candidate in the November election, saying Joe Biden has ‘nailed this decision’.
Congratulations to Kamala Harris, who will make history as our next Vice President. She understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all, and take down the most corrupt administration in history. Let’s get to work and win, Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted. Elizabeth Warren, who had been in the running to be Biden’s running mate, tweeted that Harris would be a ‘great partner’ to Biden ‘in making our government a powerful force for good in the fight for social, racial, and economic justice.’
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms congratulated Harris and Biden on a ‘historic ticket.’ May Kamala continue to bring more laurels to India and the US.