Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday heaped praises on Kamala Harris, who is the first India-origin woman vice president of the US, saying that her achievements are a major inspiration not only for the US but also for women in India and across the world.
Speaking at a Luncheon hosted by VP Harris in Washington D.C., the PM also remembered her mother Dr Shyamala Gopalan, who came to the US from India.
“Kamala Harris’ mother Dr Shyamala Gopalan came to the US in 1958. At that time, the majority of people did not have phones. That’s why she used to write handwritten letters to her family. She never severed her ties with India… India was close to her despite being thousands of miles away,” the PM said.
“You have taken her inspiration to a new level. Your achievements are a major inspiration not only for the US but also for women in India and across the world," he added.
#WATCH | “Bharat aur America ke sambandhon ki madhur geetmala, people to people ties ke suron se piroyi gayi hai," says PM Narendra Modi at the Luncheon hosted by US State Department“…Your achievements are a major inspiration not only for the US but also for women in India… pic.twitter.com/WrR0cHWPKU
— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2023
PM Modi also raised a toast to India-US friendship and to peace and prosperity of the citizens of India and the US.
He also thanked VP Harris and Secretary Blinken for the grand welcome. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to you for your warm words. Today, I am delighted to be before you once again at the State Department. In the last 3 days, I participated in numerous meetings. In all these meetings, one thing was common. Everyone agreed that friendship and cooperation should further deepen between the people of India and US," he said.
VP Harris said she has seen India’s global impact. “In South East Asia, India-made vaccines saved lives. In the African continent, India’s long-standing partnerships support prosperity and security. Through the Indo-Pacific, India helps promote a free and open region," she said.
Harris’ Road to Vice President
Harris is the first Black American, and the first Asian-American to hold the office of the vice president of the United States. Harris is known to have shattered many glass ceilings. She was San Francisco’s first female district attorney and California’s first woman of colour to serve as the attorney general.
Born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland, Harris’ mother and father emigrated from India and Jamaica, respectively. She went to Howard University, a ‘historically black college’ in Washington DC, and studied law at UC Hastings. After finishing her legal studies, Harris worked for eight years at the Alameda County District Attorney’s office, where she prosecuted child sexual assault cases. She was later elected as San Francisco’s District Attorney from 2004 to 2011 and California’s Attorney General from 2011, until 2017. During her stint as California’s Attorney General, Harris caught the attention of national democrats, including Barack Obama.