On the occasion of National Grandparents Day, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris took a moment to reflect on her Indian heritage and her cherished childhood visits to India. Harris shared a throwback photograph featuring her grandparents, PV Gopalan and Rajam Gopalan, recounting the impactful conversations she had with her grandfather during her trips to India.
Lessons from Grandfather’s Morning Walks
Harris fondly remembered how her grandfather, a retired Indian civil servant, would take her on his morning walks, engaging in deep conversations about the importance of fighting for equality and tackling corruption. “He was part of the movement that helped win India’s independence,” Kamala Harris recalled, reflecting on his career in the Imperial Secretariat Service during British rule, which later became the Central Secretariat Service.
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Inspiration from Grandmother’s Activism
Harris also praised her grandmother, Rajam Gopalan, for her strong activism. “My grandmother traveled across India—bullhorn in hand—to speak with women about accessing birth control,” Harris said, attributing her own passion for public service to the inspiring work of her grandparents. The Vice President credited these experiences for shaping her understanding of civic duty and equality.
Family Ties to Tamil Nadu
Kamala Harris, who traces her roots to the village of Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu, shares a rich Indian heritage through her mother, Shymala Gopalan. Shymala, daughter of PV and Rajam Gopalan, moved to the U.S. at the age of 19 to pursue a Master’s degree, laying the foundation for Harris’s connection to both Indian and Jamaican cultures through her parents.
Celebrations in India for Kamala Harris
As Harris campaigns for the U.S. presidency against Republican candidate Donald Trump, her ancestral village of Thulasendrapuram continues to celebrate her achievements. When she was sworn in as Vice President in 2021, the village marked the occasion with festivities that included firecrackers, posters, calendars featuring her images, and the distribution of free chocolates.
Kamala Harris’s story serves as a reminder of the powerful influence her Indian grandparents had on her journey to becoming a key figure in American politics.