Thulasendhrapuram is a small village 300 km from Chennai, Southern India. It is 14,000 km from Washington DC. The maternal grandparents of Kamala Harris belonged to the village. Currently, a large banner of Kamala Harris is displayed at the village center. It is announced that special prayers are offered for the success of Kamala Harris, now 59. Her name and that of her maternal grandfather appear on the list of donors for renovation in the local temple. Sweets have been distributed marking the occasion.
Her village has been keenly watching the developments in the US political scene, particularly since the withdrawal of Joe Biden and the possibility of Harris’ rise as the nominee. “To reach her position in the most powerful country in the world is not an easy thing,” says Krishnamurthi, a retired bank manager. “We are really proud of her. Once Indians were ruled by foreigners, now Indians are leading powerful nations.“
Her development is a matter of immense pride to her village, especially among its women, who see Harris as a symbol of possibility and accomplishment. “Everyone knows her, even the children. They call her ‘my sister, my mother,'” said Arulmozhi Sudhakar, a local representative. “We are happy that she has not forgotten her roots, and we express our happiness.”
The festivities in the village are being compared to when Harris became vice president, and this included fireworks, posters, and calendars. Hundreds attended a communal feast that featured traditional south Indian dishes like sambar and idli, which are reportedly among Harris’s favorite foods.
Kamala Harris is the daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher from Tamil Nadu, who immigrated to the US in 1958. Harris has spoken highly about her mother who came alone to the US at 19 years and described her as a force of nature who instilled pride in her daughters. Harris, along with her sister Maya, had visited Chennai after the death of their mother to immerse her ashes in the sea, adhering to Hindu rituals.
She comes from a family of high achievers. Her maternal uncle, Gopalan Balachandran, is an academic; her grandfather, PV Gopalan, was a specialist on refugee resettlement and was an adviser to Zambia’s first president. “She has been in the limelight for quite some time now. This was on the cards for many years,” said R Rajaraman, a professor emeritus at Jawaharlal Nehru University, who was a classmate of Harris’ mother.
Back in Thulasendhrapuram, the villagers eagerly await news of her candidacy. “Kamala’s aunt Sarala comes to this temple frequently. In 2014, she donated 5,000 rupees ($60) on Kamala Harris’ behalf,“ said Natarajan, priest of the temple. Natarajan believes that their prayers will help Harris succeed.
Although far away, the villagers have associated themselves with Harris‘ journey and were hoping for her one-day visit or at least for her to mention the village in one of her speeches.
