Houston: Kamala Harris’ selection as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate has evoked mixed reactions from the influential Indian-Americans, with a majority of them expressing unfavourable opinions about the Indian-American senator’s track record and her stance towards India and the community.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden scripted history on Wednesday by selecting 55-year-old Harris, an Indian-American and an African-American, as his running mate in the election on November 3. Born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, California Senator Harris, if elected, would be the first woman vice president ever for the country.
While her nomination has filled many aspiring women, particularly young women of colour, with joy across the globe, Harris’ selection has also generated mixed reactions from about 3.9 million Indian-Americans, both Republicans and indecisive voters, who believe she lacks understanding of what she stands for and does not consider herself as a woman of Indian origin.
After talking to various Indian-American groups, they all seem proud but have doubts at large on her handling of various critical issues towards the community and India. Radha Dixit, the founding member of Indo-American Conservatives of Texas, said, “The Democratic Party’s reliance on ‘Identity politics’ has undermined her campaign because the focus has shifted to her being Indian, Asian, Jamaican, African-American and a woman of colour. Divisions in these communities are now coming to surface. Nowhere did Kamala try to claim her Hindu or Indian heritage but people are thrusting their values on her”. “If the Democratic Party platform and Kamala Harris’s position on policy issues are the basis for deciding this election as it should be, no conservatives, men or women, will support this ticket,” Dixit said. (PTI)
