Kamala Harris’s uncle hits back at JD Vance over ‘childless cat lady’ comments: ‘Not a great thinker’

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Kamala Harris’s uncle has fired back at JD Vance over his sexist “childless cat ladies” comments, brushing off Donald Trump’s running mate as not “a great thinker”. She went to school in Oakland, she was bused while in school, she went to Howard University, a historically black college.” Kamala Harris’ uncle Dr Gopalan Balachandran during an interview in New Delhi in 2020 “Her early childhood photos show her in civil rights marches in which few Indians at that time were interested.” He added: “Sure, her mother took her to temples in the Bay Area, etc., but she took her oath at various swearing-in ceremonies on the Bible along with her nearest family friends in the US, who were all black. Kamala Harris with her mother Shayamala “Her experience of India as one of the most heterogeneous countries in the world, with multiple major religions, languages, and customs, will help her guide the US also in attaining its potential as a country with multiple nationalities, languages, and customs.” The vice president has often spoken of the importance of her Indian heritage and her family back in India, especially her grandfather Painganadu Venkataraman Gopalan, who she has called her “favorite person in the world”. A banner wishing victory for Kamala Harris at Indian village Thulasendrapuram “On the other hand, the symbolism will be very high and important, especially amongst girls from the Black, Indian American, and other minority communities.” He added that for Indians in India, her win would perhaps also mean “some greater appreciation and understanding of their view of the US as an open society with full opportunities for immigrants and their own views on immigrants.” Regardless of the excitment about Harris among the general public in India, how much her victory in November could impact the US-India relationship is yet to be seen.