After Kamala Harris took office as Vice President of the United States, her Indian uncle said on the 21st that he hoped that he would go to the United States after being vaccinated against the novel coronavirus to congratulate his niece.
The British Guardian reported on the 21st that Harris’ uncle Gopalan Balachandran, 79 years old, lives in New Delhi, the capital of India, and was a senior defense scholar.
Balachandran said it was very happy to hear Harris mention her mother in his speech: “She spoke very well. She didn’t surprise me at all. She often mentioned her mother. I feel very happy.
Balachandran wanted to attend the inauguration of the President of the United States on January 20, but it was unable to make the trip because of the continuation of the coronavirus epidemic.
He now said that he hoped that he could fly to the United States at the right time to travel abroad and celebrate her becoming the vice president of the United States with his niece.
Harris’ father is Jamaican and his mother is Indian. After he became Vice President of the United States, many people in Jamaica and India felt honored and held the same celebrations.
In addition to the joy of the village of Thulasendrapuram, southern India, where Uncle Harris was born, the Indian media also believe that Harris’s appointment as Vice President of the United States is another sign of Indian success abroad.
The Bangalore-based Deccan Herald published an article entitled “Namaste Madame Vice President”, and the Times of India also published an article that Harris defeated sexism and racism and made history.
Local media in Jamaica reported that tears rolled down from her face when Norma Walters, an old classmate of Harris’ father, Donald Harris, watched her old classmate’s daughter take office.
Walters and Donald Harris attended school together in northern Jamaica decades ago. Although he had never met Harris, Walters was still emotional.
Walters also cried when Walters watched Biden and Harris attend the inauguration ceremony and speak on TV on the evening of the 20th.
However, the fact is that Harris is estranged from his father, and she did not mention his father in her victory speech last November.
Near or far kinship can make exotics excited about Harris’ inauguration, but as a former scholar, Balachandran does not believe that the blood relationship between Harris and India will benefit India: “They will not avoid criticizing India, nor will they let India ‘do whatever it wants’.”
