'Kamala was always confident, relaxed about winning this'

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 79yearold man in Delhi too whose niece Senator Kamala Harris became Americas first woman vice presidentelect Gopalan Balachandran who has been following the news on the US presidential election for the past month spoke to midday over the phone from his Delhi homeI 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 winningVice Presidentelect Kamala Harris waves as she takes the stage before speaking on Saturday PicsAFPChallenges aheadSpeaking on what lies ahead for the presidentelect and the vice presidentelect 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 VPelect he said Continue to do what you are doingIn 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 secondhighest position in the US on her own merit said BalachandranVice Presidentelect Kamala Harris arrives to deliver a speech in Wilmington Delaware on Saturday PicAFPOne of the earliest memories Balachandran has of his niece is of her running amid the greenery at Southwest Londons 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 consultantAn inquisitive mindIt was after several years that Balachandran saw his niece again The next time I met her she was around 78 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 Shyamalas untimely demise that led to lifelong bond between Bala and his two niecesKamalas mother Shyamala her maternal uncle Gopalan Balachandran and his daughter SharadaIn 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 doesnt make sense for me to come back However they insisted Uncle Balu it doesnt matterhellipmother wants to see you I took a flight to the US that very night When I reached Shyamala told me that we couldnt 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 IndiaAlso ReadBiden and Harris won What happens nextCommitted to public serviceWhen asked what set Harris apart from her counterparts Balachandran said it was his nieces 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 yearsThe fact that she is deeply committed to public life became evident when she was studying law and immediately after graduating went into the public prosecutors 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 communitiesBalachandran 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 Kamalas swearingin ceremonyKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news