US vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris wished on India's 74th Independence Day. She congratulated India on progress 'our people have made in the fight for justice'. Earlier this week, US Democratic party presidential nominee Joe Biden named Harris as his vice-presidential running mate. Harris is the first person of Indian descent to hold a major-party national ticket in presidential poll. Harris took a trip down memory lane and shared story of her mother's journey to California from Chennai. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in Chennai before she moved to US. Shyamala moved to US to pursue a doctoral degree at University of California Berkeley. She was the daughter of PV Gopalan, who was active in Independence movement. Later, Harris' grandfather became a high-ranking civil servant and fought against corruption. Shyamala raised Harris and the younger daughter Maya Harris as a single mother. She had an early separation with Donald Harris, who had come to US from Jamaica. Shyamala Gopalan, who was a cancer researcher, died in 2009. Harris spoke about her mother's attempts to 'instil a love of good idli' in her and sister Maya and 'long walks' with her grandfather in Chennai during an event by 'South Asians of Biden'. 55-year-old Kamala Harris is currently the US senator from California.
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