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THULASENDRAPURAM, India (AP) – Waking up to the news of Kamala Harris’ election as Joe Biden’s running mate, joyous people in his Indian grandfather’s hometown set off firecrackers, carrying their signs and offering prayers.
The groups gathered on the corners of the small town of Thulasendrapuram, with 350 inhabitants, reading newspapers and chatting about the victory of the Democrats before moving to the temple.
One woman wrote in colored powder outside her home: “Congratulations Kamala Harris. Pride of our people. Vanakkam (Greetings) America “.
Most of them had gone to sleep when Biden reached the Electoral College winning threshold of 270 votes, making Harris the first woman and the first person of South Asian descent to be elected vice president.
“For two or three days we kept our fingers crossed while the result was delayed,” said resident Kalidas Vamdayar.
“Now is a time of joy for us. We are enjoying it. We will celebrate with firecrackers, distributing Indian sweets to the people and praying in the temple. We will ask you to come here. He would have heard our voice and it may come. “
Tamil Nadu State Food Minister R. Kamraj led some 100 people at the Dharma Sastha temple for a 20-minute prayer during which the idol of the Hindu deity Ayyanar, a form of Lord Shiva, was washed with milk and adorned with flowers by the priest. He sang hymns after lighting oil lamps, and the villagers bowed their heads respectfully.
“Kamala Harris is the daughter of our people. From children to seniors, each of us is looking forward to the day when we will be sworn in as Vice President of the United States, ”said Aulmozhi Sudhakar, a village councilor.
More singing, dancing and firecrackers are planned Sunday in the village, where clippings and posters wishing Harris a “big hit” adorn many walls.
J. Sudhakar, who organized the prayers on Election Day, expressed his wish that Harris visit him. As Americans voted, nearly 50 residents, hands clasped, lined up at the temple that reverberated with the sound of bells, and a Hindu priest gave them candy and flowers as a religious offering.
Women in the village, located 350 kilometers (215 miles) from the southern coastal city of Chennai, used bright colors to write “We wish Kamala Harris to win” on the ground, alongside a thumbs-up sign.
The lush green town is the hometown of Harris’s maternal grandfather, who had moved to Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu, decades ago.
Inside the temple where people have been celebrating special prayers, Harris’s name is carved into a stone that lists the public donations made to the temple in 2014, along with that of his grandfather, who gave money decades ago.
Harris’s late mother was also born in India, before moving to the United States at the age of 19 to study at the University of California. She married a Jamaican and they named their daughter Kamala, which in Sanskrit means “lotus flower.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted Harris’s success as groundbreaking and a source of immense pride not only for his family members but also for all Indian Americans. “I am confident that the vibrant ties between India and the United States will be further strengthened with your support and leadership.”
There has been both enthusiasm, and some concern, for Harris’ choice of Biden as his running mate.
Modi had invested in President Donald Trump, who visited India in February. Modi’s many Hindu nationalist supporters were also upset with Harris when he expressed concern about the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, whose statehood the Indian government revoked in August last year.
Harris supported Pramila Jayapal, another Indian-American congresswoman, when Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar declined to attend a meeting in the United States for her participation last year. Jayapal had previously tabled a resolution on the Kashmir issue criticizing India in the House of Representatives.
Human rights groups accuse India of human rights violations in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where insurgent groups have been fighting for independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan since 1989.
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This story has been corrected to show that Harris’s maternal grandfather had moved to Chennai, not the US.
