'Kamala was always confident, relaxed about winning this'

Delhi-based uncle of US Vice President-elect tells mid-day there were no tense moments in the family as Democrats wrapped up the election

On Saturday, shortly after the US Presidential election was projected in favour of former vice president Joe Biden, the scene outside the White House was something Americans and the rest of the world will remember forever. It was a proud moment for a 79-year-old man in Delhi, too, whose niece, Senator Kamala Harris, became America's first woman vice president-elect. Gopalan Balachandran, who has been following the news on the US presidential election for the past month, spoke to mid-day over the phone from his Delhi home.

"I had told her [on Friday] that she and Biden are going to win." Their win did not come as a great surprise [to me], but the official result was certainly relieving. When I spoke to her the other day, she, too, was confident of winning."

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris waves as she takes the stage before speaking on Saturday. Pics/AFP

Challenges ahead

Speaking on what lies ahead for the president-elect and the vice president-elect, he said, "The road ahead has a lot of challenges, such as the prevailing pandemic and the economy. And then society itself is so divided." When asked if he had a message for the VP-elect, he said: "Continue to do what you are doing."

In August, the California senator became the first person of Indian descent to be nominated as the VP candidate for a major party, and according to reports, only the third woman to accept the vice presidential ticket. "Our family is extremely happy and proud of Kamala having reached the second-highest position in the US on her own merit," said Balachandran.

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris arrives to deliver a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday. Pic/AFP

One of the earliest memories Balachandran has of his niece, is of her running amid the greenery at Southwest London's Kew Botanical Gardens. "There were a lot of different flowers growing amid the lush greenery, and I was running along with her," said Balachandran, a former consultant.

An inquisitive mind

It was after several years that Balachandran saw his niece again. "The next time I met her, she was around 7-8 years old, and had started going to school in California. Kamala has always had an inquisitive mind. Both Kamala and her sister Maya always knew that their mother Shyamala [my sister] and I shared a very close relationship. Both, Kamala and Maya were very close to Shyamala, and she was very close to me." But, it was Shyamala's untimely demise that led to lifelong bond between Bala and his two nieces.

Kamala's mother Shyamala, her maternal uncle Gopalan Balachandran and his daughter Sharada

"In 2009, I had gone to visit Shyamala and her family in Oakland. I was back in India for just a week when I got a call from Kamala and Maya, who told me to come back to Oakland as my sister wanted to see me. Shyamala was suffering from certain medical conditions back then." I told them that I had just returned and that it doesn't make sense for me to come back. However, they insisted: 'Uncle Balu, it doesn't matter…mother wants to see you.' I took a flight to the US that very night. When I reached, Shyamala told me that we couldn't fly together due to certain medical arrangements for her flight. She was supposed to fly to India the very next day. After spending some time with her, I came back to India the same evening, and upon arrival, I received the news that my sister had died. She never made it to India."

Also Read: Biden and Harris won. What happens next?

Committed to public service

When asked what set Harris apart from her counterparts, Balachandran said it was his niece's characteristic and vociferous commitment to public service and a track record that speaks for itself. "Kamala has strived to reach where she is today. She has been a very good senator as well as attorney general of California. She is the youngest of the lot. You see, my interactions with her were intermittent and sporadic when she was growing up, but she has always been extremely driven, even during her early schooling years."

"The fact that she is deeply committed to public life became evident when she was studying law, and immediately after graduating, went into the public prosecutor's office instead of the more scenic corporate law route. It became apparent that she wants to have a life that is committed to public service, through which she has always stood strong for the underprivileged sections of society as well as minority communities."

Balachandran lives in Delhi with his wife, who is currently in Mexico, while their daughter Sharada lives in Washington. He has two more sisters; one lives in Chennai and the other in Toronto. "Hopefully, the entire family will be together in January when we go for Kamala's swearing-in ceremony."

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