US Vice President Kamala Harris becomes Democratic presidential nominee
Washington, Aug 2: US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Indian and African heritage, was declared the 2024 presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party on Friday after she won enough votes from Democratic delegates in a virtual roll call.
Harris, 59, would face Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump, 78, in the general elections scheduled to be held on November 5.
"I am honoured to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. I will officially accept the nomination next week. This campaign is about people coming together, fuelled by love of country, to fight for the best of who we are,” Harris, who was abruptly thrust into the role of presidential candidate late last month after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race for the White House, said.
A step away from breaking the last glass ceiling of the United States, Harris became the first ever woman of colour to be on the top of a presidential ticket of a major American political party. She is also the first ever Indian American to be nominated as presidential candidate of either the Republican or the Democratic party.
“I am so proud to confirm that Vice President Harris has earned more than a majority of votes from all convention delegates and will be the nominee of the Democratic Party following the close of voting,” Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison said after the end of a virtual roll call of votes from the elected delegates across the country.
Harris’ mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was Indian and her father, Donald Jasper Harris, is Jamaican; both immigrated to the US.
Harris will be officially accepting the nomination once the virtual voting period is closed next week. She will ceremonially accept it at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22. Over the next few days, she is likely to announce her running mate.
“We love our country. We believe in the promise of America, and that's what this campaign is about. Of course, I will officially accept your nomination next week, once the virtual voting period is closed. But already I'm happy to know that we have enough delegates to secure the nomination," she said.
"Later this month, we will gather in Chicago, united as one party, where we're going to have an opportunity to celebrate this historic moment together,” Harris said in a phone call with the delegates soon after she secured enough delegates to win the nomination.
Harris said this campaign is “about all of us coming together, people coming together from every walk of life, every lived experience, and being renewed by our love of country, knowing that we are prepared to fight for the best of who we are”.
“The beauty of our democracy is we, each, every one of us, has the power to answer that question, and that is why I say and know the power is with the people," she said.
Harris said, "We are going to win this election, and it is going to take all of us, whether it is making calls, connecting with our communities, engaging online, or even talking with people where we go every day, whether it be to the grocery store, our church, we are going to talk together.”
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First-ever life-size Vivekananda statue in US unveiled in Seattle
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New York (PTI): The first-ever life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda in the US was unveiled in Seattle, honouring the renowned Indian philosopher and spiritual leader.
The life-size bronze statue, installed at the busy Westlake Square in downtown Seattle, is the first such installation hosted by a city government anywhere in the US, officials said.
Sculpted by Indian artist Naresh Kumar Kumawat, it was jointly unveiled on Saturday by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Consul General of India in Seattle Prakash Gupta.
"From Chicago 1893 to Seattle 2026! Seattle's skyline has a new Indian icon: Swami Vivekananda! City of Seattle becomes the first city government to host the Swami Vivekananda Monument in the heart of downtown Seattle," the Consulate General of India in Seattle said in a social media post.
Addressing the event, Wilson said the monument reflects Seattle's inclusive spirit and strengthens cultural ties between India and the diverse metropolitan tech hub in the US Pacific Northwest.
The statue has been gifted by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the City of Seattle in recognition of its "in recognition of the city’s rich multicultural character and spirit of inclusivity", the Indian mission in Seattle said in a statement.
The unveiling of the statue was held on the occasion of the celebration of ICCR Day and is part of India's broader cultural diplomacy initiatives aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties between India and the US Pacific Northwest, the Consulate said.
Located at the bustling Westlake Square, which sees over 400,000 visitors daily, the monument stands near prominent landmarks including the Amazon headquarters ‘Spheres’, the Seattle Convention Centre and the Seattle Centre Monorail.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by several local leaders, including mayors from cities in the Greater Seattle area, community representatives and members of the Indian-American diaspora.
Swami Vivekananda had delivered his historic address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, introducing Hindu philosophy to a global audience.
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