Even as Kamala Harris took oath as the first woman, black, South-Asian Vice-President of the United States, in far away two villages in Southern India celebrated the event as they saw their daughter being sworn-in to the second higest post, only next the the President.
Two villages in Tamil Nadu – Mannargudi and Thulasenthirapuram-Painganadu villages in Tiruvarur district were the places where 56-year-old Kamala Harris‘ maternal grandparents once lived.
Harris’ grandfather PV Gopalan had moved out of Thulasenthirapuram village in his young days and got a job under the British government. Her grandmother Rajam belonged to the nearby Painganadu village.
The two villages have been waiting to celebrate this moment for days. Roads were lined with huge digital banners decorated with flowers and leaves.
Groups of women in bright saris and men wearing white dhoti pants watched the inauguration live. The villagers chanted ‘Long live Kamala Harris’ while holding portraits of…
