On Saturday night, the world welcomed the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden. The democratic country also got its first woman Vice President in Kamala Harris. For those wanting to change the political fabric of the US, the Presidential election 2020 remained a tough struggle to hope for the displacement of fascism, misogyny, and xenophobia in the most powerful office of the world. This year’s election was deemed historic for reasons more than one. Not just Harris became the first woman VP of the US but she also became the first woman of color to be holding the second most powerful political title in the country. Harris is also the first woman of Indian origin to have been elected as the Vice President of arguably the strongest democracies of the world. Now that means more efforts from the US in the future to make a better gender inclusive world. It’s probably because of this hope that Indians, especially women, feel that Harris’ win in the US is personal.
Actor Priyanka Chopra, who’s living in the US with husband Nick Jonas, took to Instagram to highlight how Harris winning the major role in US politics proves that a girl can see any dream and hope for it to be fulfilled. In a beautiful post congratulating the former senator, PC wrote, “America spoke in record breaking numbers and the verdict is in… EVERY VOTE counts. I applaud everyone who voted in what was such a powerful display of how a democracy should function. It was amazing to witness this election in the US. Congrats to the President Elect @joebiden and Vice President elect @kamalaharris, the first woman VP! Dream Big girls! Anything can happen!! 💙❤️🤍
#DemocracyRocks Congratulations America.” (sic)
Indian designer Masaba Gupta who was born out of wedlock to actor Neena Gupta and West Indies cricketer Vivian Richards wrote a heartfelt note highlighting Harris’ ‘mixed roots’. She talked about how Kamala Harris’ win means women all over the world can hope for a better future and equal rights, especially those who belong to mixed-race. “But today I see @kamalaharris & I know different is so good. It’s so good that if you keep your chin up & work hard enough to break out of the color,skin,race box they put you in…you might just make history. Madame Vice President,the first black woman / the first person of south Asian descent & more importantly just the first woman to be VP elect- I salute you & I plan to go back to my drawing board tonight & sketch bigger,brighter dreams for myself and the women who will come after me…mixed girls,just like us,” she wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.
In another beautiful social media post, actor Richa Chadha echoed what most women all over the world would be feeling while looking forward to the US election results. The actor wrote how Harris’ win feels so personal and important. She recalled the time when the results of the last US election came out declaring Donald Trump as the President and something ‘broke’ inside her as it did in the hearts of many who did not vote for the status quo. A part of Richa’s caption read, “Something broke me. It didn’t have much to do with politics… it was a strange and saddening realisation that several in a country where women outnumbered men, which was the “Greatest Nation”, which exported Hollywood to the rest of the world, still preferred a man (who boasted about grabbing p***es) over a woman.” (sic)
Singer Neeti Mohan, actor and entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi, actors Soha Ali Khan and Abhay Deol among many faces from the film industry expressed their happiness over the US election results. What are your views?