Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris ‘female Obama’ among potential Democratic presidential aspirants
Washington, Nov 13: Kamala Harris, the first Indian-origin US Senator also known as the "female Obama", is considering to run for the White House in 2020, media reports said, days after a strong showing by the Democratic Party in the recent mid-term elections.
Harris, 54, the first time Senator from California, made her first trip to Iowa about a month ago, which media analysts here said was in preparation for her potential presidential run.
Born in Oakland, California, she is the daughter of an Indian mother who migrated to the US from Chennai in 1960 and a Jamaican-American father.
Her mother Shyamala Gopalan studied science, specifically endocrinology and complex mechanisms of cancer. Her father Donald Harris grew up in Jamaica, where he became a national scholar and earned the opportunity to study economics in the US.
The 2020 presidential cycle would kick off on February 3, 2020 in Iowa, where the first primary is scheduled to be held.
Media reports indicated that Harris' multiple stops in Iowa indicated an Obama-like energy in her meetings.
"I haven't seen that kind of energy since Barack Obama," Sean Bagniewski, the chair of the Polk County Democrats, told lake County Record-Bee after Harris addressed several hundred people at a downtown Des Moines ballroom in Iowa last month.
Harris has not announced her presidential bid yet.
In multiple media interviews, she has neither denied nor confirmed reports of her running for the White House in 2020.
During the Obama era, she was popularly called as the "female Obama". A decade ago, journalist Gwen Ifill called Harris "the female Barack Obama" on the "Late Show With David Letterman". Later, a small businessman from Willoughby Tony Pinto called her "a young, female version of the president".
She is considered to be close to Obama, the first black American President, who endorsed her in her various elections including that of the US Senate in 2016.
Harris said her visit to Iowa was to campaign for party during mid-term elections. After a gap of eight years, the Democratic party wrested from the Republicans the majority in the House of Representatives.
In the past two years, she has emerged as the star performer of the party in the Senate and a leading Democratic voice against US President Donald Trump.
According to an online poll carried out by Axios, Harris would beat Trump most handily by a 10-point margin if the election were held now.
She polls well with African-American and white suburban women, but not with "Neverhillary" independent registered voters, Axios said in its report last week.
Harris is among the two-dozen potential Democratic leaders who are eyeing the US presidency in 2020. However, none of them have made a formal announcement yet.
Prominent among them include 2016 presidential candidates Senator Bernie Sanders and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton; and former US vice president Joe Biden.
Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker from Hawaii in the US Congress, is also considering to run for the presidency, according to sources close to her.
Several Democratic Senators in the potential race include Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Jeff Merkley, Sherrod Brown, Amy Klobuchar and Richard Blumenthal.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee are said to be in the race to take on President Trump in his re-election bid.
Former first lady Michelle Obama has ruled out entering the electoral fray.
In the recently-concluded crucial midterm elections, opposition Democrats captured the House of Representatives while Trump's Republican Party retained its majority in the Senate, an outcome likely to intensify the political bitterness and fighting between the two major parties in the run up to the 2020 presidential poll.
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'Fraud on Constitution': SC rules against religious conversion for quota benefits
New Delhi (PTI): In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court has said religious conversions undertaken solely to avail reservation benefits without genuine belief amounted to a "fraud on the Constitution".
Justices Pankaj Mithal and R Mahadevan passed the verdict on November 26 in a case filed by one C Selvarani and upheld a Madras High Court decision of January 24 denying a scheduled caste certificate to a woman who converted to Christianity but later claimed to be a Hindu to secure employment benefits.
Justice Mahadevan, who wrote the 21-page verdict for the bench, further underscored that one converted to a different religion, when they were genuinely inspired by its principles, tenets and spiritual thoughts.
"However, if the purpose of conversion is largely to derive the benefits of reservation but not with any actual belief in the other religion, the same cannot be permitted, as the extension of benefits of reservation to people with such ulterior motives will only defeat the social ethos of the policy of reservation,” he noted.
The evidence presented before the bench was found to have clearly demonstrated that the appellant professed Christianity and actively practiced the faith by attending church regularly.
"Despite the same, she claims to be a Hindu and seeks for a SC community certificate for the purpose of employment," it noted.
"Such a dual claim made by her," said the bench "was untenable and she cannot continue to identify herself as a Hindu after baptism".
The top court, therefore, held the conferment of scheduled caste communal status to the woman, who was a Christian by faith, but claimed to be still embracing Hinduism only for the purpose of availing reservation in employment, "would go against the very object of reservation and would amount to fraud on the Constitution".
The top court underlined a religious conversion solely to access reservation benefits, without genuine belief in the adopted religion, undermined the fundamental social objectives of the quota policy and her actions were contrary to the spirit of reservation policies aimed at uplifting the marginalised communities.
Selvarani, born to a Hindu father and a Christian mother, was baptised as a Christian shortly after birth but later claimed to be a Hindu and sought an SC certificate to apply for an upper division clerk position in Puducherry in 2015.
While her father belonged to the Valluvan caste, categorised under scheduled castes, he had converted to Christianity, as confirmed by documentary evidence.
The verdict said the appellant continued to practice Christianity, as seen by the regular church attendance, making her claim of being a Hindu untenable.
The bench noted individuals converting to Christianity lose their caste identity and must provide compelling evidence of reconversion and acceptance by their original caste to claim SC benefits.
The judgement said there was no substantial evidence of the appellant's reconversion to Hinduism or acceptance by the Valluvan caste.
Her claims lacked public declarations, ceremonies, or credible documentation to substantiate her assertions, it pointed out.
"One converts to a different religion when genuinely inspired by its principles. Conversion purely for reservation benefits, devoid of belief, is impermissible," the bench held.
The apex court opined in any case, upon conversion to Christianity, one lost their caste and couldn't be identified by it.
"As the factum of reconversion is disputed, there must be more than a mere claim. The conversion had not happened by any ceremony or through 'Arya Samaj'. No public declaration was effected. There is nothing on record to show that she or her family has reconverted to Hinduism and on the contrary, there is a factual finding that the appellant still professes Christianity,” it noted.
The bench said there was evidence against the appellant, and therefore, her contention raised that the caste would be under eclipse upon conversion and resumption of the caste upon reconversion, was "unsustainable".
