Thulasenthirapuram:
The small village of Thulasemthirapuram in Tamil Nadu is praying for the victory of US presidential Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, strengthening her family's age-old ties with the village. At the initiative of the locally elected councilor Arulmozhi, the priest of the temple of Kamala's family god performed a special ritual in her honor.
“This is a mighty God. We prayed last time and she had become the vice president. This time we are convinced that she has become the president of the USA. She is a sign of women empowerment and an inspiration for women to achieve greater heights,” Arulmozhi told Our.
Kamala's maternal grandfather, PV Gopalan, a bureaucrat, was born and brought up here before moving to the then Madras, where he took Kamala for a walk along Elliot's Beach. Kamala has said that her grandfather had a huge impact on her.
Many years ago, Kamala donated Rs 5,000 for the renovation of the temple and her name is still engraved in the list of donors.
“Kamala must win to save democracy,” says Kamala's friend Sharon, who now lives in Chennai. “She should be the first female president of the US. We are already quite late as many countries, including India, have had female presidents and prime ministers.”
A few posters put up in the village hail Kamala as “a daughter of the soil” and wish her well in the presidential race. TS Anbarasan, another man from the village who now lives in the nearby town of Mannargudi, compared Kamala to Sunita Williams. “We are all proud of their Indian connection and their achievements. They are role models,” he said.
Arulmozhi, the council member, plans to serve a free meal on Wednesday if Kamala wins. “We will serve her favorite idly,” she says.
However, some in the village are also unaware of what is happening. A man from the local tea shop near the temple added, “Kamala's grandfather lived here many decades ago. None of us know him and that's why we're not following this.'
