A young Kamala Harris (bottom center) spotted with grandfather PV Gopalan (left), grandmother Rajam Gopalan (right), mother Shyamala Gopalan (center) and sister Maya Harris (bottom left). (Image: @KamalaHarris/X)
Kamala Harris’ grandfather PV Gopalan was a civil servant and grandmother Rajam Gopalan worked for women’s easy access to birth control.
Democratic presidential candidate and US vice president Kamala Harris recounted the feats of her maternal grandparents PV Gopalan and Rajam Gopalan in a social media post on National Grandparents Day.
“As a young girl visiting my grandparents in India, my grandfather took me on his morning walks, where he would discuss the importance of fighting for equality and fighting corruption. He was a retired civil servant who had been part of the movement to win India’s independence,” Harris posted on X on Sunday.
As a young girl visiting my grandparents in India, my grandfather took me on his morning walks, where he would discuss the importance of fighting for equality and fighting corruption. He was a retired civil servant who had been part of the movement to win India’s independence.… pic.twitter.com/vOpgtsomQN— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 8, 2024
Harris was referring to PV Gopalan, a civil servant, who served the colonial British government and also the Indian government after India’s independence. Gopalan, according to media outlets, helped refugees from East Pakistan (now-Bangladesh) to settle in India. He also served as an advisor to former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda.
It is in Zambia that his wife Rajam Gopalan built a reputation for her social work and Harris in her post Sunday also remembered her contributions to Indian society.
“My grandmother travelled across India—bullhorn in hand—to speak with women about accessing birth control. Their commitment to public service and fight for a better future live on in me today. Happy National Grandparents Day to all the grandparents who help shape and inspire the next generation,” she further added.
It is noteworthy that Kamala Harris made a very similar post in 2020 on her social media handles. She had posted on a video, giving a tribute to her grandparents.
It is also the year that she ran for the office of the US vice president, which she later secured after Joe Biden, the current US President, won the elections.
This time Harris is aiming for the Oval Office and is pitted against Republican and former US president Donald Trump. Both contenders are set to debate each other on September 10 and will faceoff on Election Day on November 5.
