Harris will make history herself, literally a heartbeat away from the presidency, as Joe biden prepares to do Donald trump a wonder of a period. As a politician with a biracial history, she has already recorded her name in the history books.
Some reports suggested that Biden himself could be a president for one term, making Harris an ideal candidate in four years. For an American of Indian heritage, it will be an iconic moment.
Harris was embraced by many Indians because of her heritage, although she herself toyed with the identity of the black minority when seeking votes. However, as Biden’s running mate, she rediscovered her Indian identity, as videos were taken of her doing idlis.
“Shyamala always said to Kamala: ‘Don’t stand still. Go ahead and do what you have to do, ‘”her maternal uncle G Balachandran told TOI after Biden named her. “She will be a very active vice president. There are three great influences in Kamala’s life: her mother, my father, and the civic principles with which she was imbued. ”
Harris’s personal story is quite interesting: the son of two immigrants, an Indian-American mother and a Jamaican father. Raised in California, she went to Howard University in Washington dc before becoming a criminal lawyer and one of the few female senators who was a woman of color.
For those who believe that Harris may have some sympathy for India, he took a difficult position when Foreign Minister S Jaishankar refused to meet Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal in Washington DC last year. Harris was also openly opposed to India’s decision to repeal Article 370. To be fair, his position on 370 was shared by many in the Western world, as well as in the Democratic Party.
However, as vice president, Harris will have little influence on foreign policy. But it has proven to be flexible and pragmatic, qualities of an evolved policy. It is unlikely that she or the Indian government will maintain last year’s interaction with each other.
What Harris is likely to bring to the Oval Office is this: a staunch advocate for America’s interests, very different from the silent one. Mike pence. Her experience as an attorney will likely see her take on a more visible role in terms of articulating and advocating for the Biden presidency.
The relationship between India and the US has deepened to the point that it not only makes it bipartisan, but also multifaceted and with greater potential. Harris has the opportunity to make it work for herself.
One of the areas where India will find much in common with Harris is in the area of technology. This Bay Area policy has some of its biggest backers at Big Tech, who have proven invaluable in its campaign with support and funding. Since Facebook For Salesforce and LinkedIn, Harris has had the tech giants battling for her. A large part of the relationship between India and the United States goes through technology. Potentially, it could be a major point of convergence with Harris personally.
Where Harris will be called to show his political skills will be in the Senate. Biden did that job brilliantly during the Obama years, known as the ‘negotiator’, reaching across the aisle to Republican leaders like Mitch McConnell. Harris will have to be a Biden for Biden. Her legislative agenda will depend on her making those deals. By all accounts, Kamala Harris will have to cultivate those skills.
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