NewYork: For the festival of Diwali, the Vice-President of the United States Kamala Harris wrote a piece for The Juggernaut which is an online magazine that focuses on South Asian voices and content. As the Democratic Party’s candidate for the upcoming presidential election, her reflective piece comes few days before the all-important election scheduled for November 5.
She said she went on trips to India with her mother ever since she was a child. “My mother ensured my sister and I grew up respecting and embracing our roots,” she said, adding that the family had a travelling pattern of visiting India every other summer to go and visit grandparents and relatives.
In her op-ed she went on to say she celebrated Diwali at her official resident as the VP of USA and that Diwali is not only the festival of light but it is equally the time when the history, culture and heritage of the South Asian Americans can be cherished.
At 19, Harris’s mother made the brave decision to immigrate to the United States from India, driven by two goals: child rearing and the early detection of breast cancer. An emotional Harris said that her knowledge on political democracy and civil rights were instilled into her by her P.V. Gopalan, a retired government civil servant.
“My grandfather not only showed me what democracy in our country is, but he also guided me on how to keep it,” she said. To this, she said these are lessons that she still applies even today she is the Vice President and aspiring candidate for Presidency to work for everyone.
In her remarks, Harris also highlighted the lack of awareness of specific health issues of South Asian Americans including issues to do with heart health and diabetes. Clyburn came forward and stressed out her work with President Biden on limiting the price for insulin for the elderly and her intention to extend Medicare that would include in home care for elderly people. ‘I get the pressure of caregiving’, she said explaining how she took care of her mother until she became ill.
Harris launched harsh attacks on the former President of the United States, Donald Trump, stating that getting him back into the White House would have repercussions. “He is an unserious person, but the implications of his return are very serious,” Harris said. She has said Trump and his far-right Republican partners will eliminate Social Security and Medicare, leaving strapped families to confront exorbitant expenses, labelling what she sees as a Trump Sales Tax on basic necessities as a tax on everyday necessities and potentially costing families $4000 extra each year.
Harris committed herself to govern with both the support and the opposition of the Democrats, the Republicans and the independents to assert the America tradition of admitting immigrants in the country. She emphasised America’s continued leadership to the world and said that she would continue working with the Government of India on further improving relations during the course of her presidency or term in the White House while painting a rather dark picture of relations between the two nations under Trump.
With the November 5 election looming in the horizon, Harris’ appreciations of Diwali also represent a reminder of her origins and the ideals that form part of her campaign.
Comments are closed.