Synopsis
While the crisis in India has created diplomatic and humanitarian challenges for the Biden administration, for Harris it is also personal: Her mother was born there, and she s spoken emotionally throughout her political career about the influence of her many visits to India as a child.
US Vice President Kamala Harris family in India grapples with COVID-19
G. Balachandran turned 80 this spring a milestone of a birthday in India, where he lives. If not for the coronavirus pandemic, he would have been surrounded by family members who gathered to celebrate with him.
But with the virus ravaging his homeland, Balachandran had to settle for congratulatory phone calls. Including one from his rather famous niece: Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Personal ties: Harris family in India where COVID rages
FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2021, file photo, villagers release firecrackers and hold placards featuring Vice President Kamala Harris after her inauguration, in Thulasendrapuram, the hometown of Harris maternal grandfather, south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, India. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File)
Alexandra Jaffe
FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2017, file photo, then-Vice President Joe Biden, center, ducks down so all of the family of then-Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., second from right, can be seen for a group photo during a mock swearing in ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) May 07, 2021 - 9:46 AM
WASHINGTON - G. Balachandran turned 80 this spring â a milestone of a birthday in India, where he lives. If not for the coronavirus pandemic, he would have been surrounded by family members who gathered to celebrate with him.
But with the virus ravaging his homeland, Balachandran, a retired academic, had to settle for congratulatory phone calls. Including one from his rather famous niece: Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Personal ties: Harris family in India where COVID rages
ALEXANDRA JAFFE, Associated Press
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1of11FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2020, file photo, Vice President Kamala Harris maternal uncle, Balachandran Gopalan, talks to media outside his house, in New Delhi, India.Manish Swarup/APShow MoreShow Less
2of11FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2020, file photo, a villager points out the name of Kamala Harris written in Tamil language and the amount she donated for the renovation of temple through her relative, in Thulasendrapuram village, south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, India. The lush green village is the hometown of Harris maternal grandfather who migrated from there decades ago.Aijaz Rahi/APShow MoreShow Less
Kamala Harris Indian Uncle Unbothered By Delayed U.S. Response to Country s COVID Surge
On 5/7/21 at 9:29 AM EDT
The COVID-19 situation in India hits a personal note for Vice President Kamala Harris, as some of her family members still live there.
Harris uncle, G. Balachandranm who is retired, vaccinated and largely stays at home alone, told the Associated Press the conditions are pretty bad in India.
As cases in India began to surge in April, the United States faced criticism from Indian leaders for its slow response to sending aid.
After the delay in aid put a strain on the diplomatic relationship with India, the U.S. announced it would lift its initial export ban on vaccine manufacturing supplies and said it would send personal protective equipment, oxygen supplies, antivirals and other aid to India to help the nation combat the virus. Biden also shared a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.