America’s big day is here as the world’s most powerful country chooses between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. The long and bitter campaigning, punctuated by looming coronavirus threat, climate change and economic challenges, concluded paving way for the Americans to vote on Tuesday.
Amid the buzz around the country’s most polarising presidential campaigns, it is Kamala Harris, the democrat nominee for the vice presidential post, who has hogged the limelight. Harris’ nomination has been an interesting political development owing to her Indian-American origin at a time when major US cities simmered with anti-racism protests. She has been under attack from US President Donald Trump who on many occasions made sexist remarks against her.
However, Harris's family in India has been keenly following the developments in the US, particularly her maternal uncle Professor Gopalan Balachandran. He terms the US presidential elections as "very unusual” and is certain that his niece will become the first female Vice President of the United States.
"I will speak to her after the elections," Balachandran said in an interview with News18. Harris’s mother Shyamala Gopalan and her family belongs to Thulasendrapuram.
"US election is a matter of interest to me. These are very unusual elections. Next four years will change US forever," he added. Balachandran has been a former consultant at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) in Delhi.
Talking about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice presidential nominee Harris, Balachandran said, "They are contesting against Donald Trump and have more than 90 per cent chances of winning." Biden has served two terms as vice president, from 2008 to 2016 under Barack Obama.
"Kamala Harris is young and articulate. She is the most suitable candidate for the post and is very much involved in the civil rights movement," Balachandran said in the interview.
Recalling an incident from the past, he said, "When I went to see my sister in California, Kamala asked me, 'Uncle, why don't you come with me. I am going to Sacramento for my Senate to meet people and legislators?' I joined her."
Balachandran said, "Donald Trump doesn't have enough popular support. Lots of people didn't even vote last time. Many African-Americans abstained from voting because they felt Hillary Clinton was just like others."
Adding further, he said, "His (Donald Trump's) record on Covid-19 is well known. More than 200,000 people have died. Trump suggested injecting disinfectant as treatment. Now that his record is known, the element of surprise that he had last time is not there anymore."
Meanwhile, in a small agriculture village in Tamil Nadu, people came together to pray for Harris’ victory on Tuesday. Though a majority of them may not have seen Harris, it did not matter as her family hails from the Thulasendrapuram village in Mannargudi Taluk of Tiruvarur district.
The temple with local deity Ayyanar (a form of Lord Shiva) came alive on Tuesday as villagers prayed for Harris's victory. Due to Covid-19, voting in the US has been happening for the past few months across the world and is set to end on Tuesday.