Tamil Nadu village in limelight after Kamala Harris’ nomination as Democratic VP candidate

Nagapattinam, August 15

A remote village in Tamil Nadu has shot to fame following the nomination of US senator Kamala Harris as the vice-presidential candidate by the Democratic Party for the American Presidential elections 2020.

Harris’ maternal grandparents belong to this village and it is gaining attention ever since the announcement.

The agrarian village of Painganadu is located near Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district near here in the Cauvery delta.

Harris’ mother, Shyamala, was the daughter of PV Gopalan who was active in the Independence movement and then became a high-ranking civil servant who fought against corruption.

Her grandmother Rajam belonged to the nearby Thulasenthirapuram village.

Though Kamala Harris’s ancestors left the village, they had kept their connection with the village temple intact.

Gopalan and other members of his family have made donations for temple renovation during various periods.

As recent as 2014, a donation was made in the name of Kamala Harris, says the temple trustee Ramani.

Digital banners have been put up in the village wishing her victory.

People of the area have been sharing photographs of the village, temple, her ancestral home and plaque in the temple carrying information about the donations made by the family members on social media.

US Democratic party presidential nominee Joe  Biden had on Tuesday named 55-year-old Harris as his vice- presidential running mate, making history by selecting the first black woman to compete on a major party’s presidential ticket.

Harris, whose father is an African from Jamaica and mother an Indian, is currently the US senator from California. — PTI