'It's a victory of Tamils': Madurai cheers Kamala Harris' historic win

As Kamala Harris, of Tamil descent, makes history by becoming the first woman and first person of Indian origin to be elected as US Vice-President, ecstatic people here on Sunday have termed her winning as a victory of the Tamils and expressed hope that India-US will become "even better" under her vice-presidency.

Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden along with his running mate Harris clinched the winning threshold of 270 Electoral College votes in the US Presidential elections.

Harris will become the US' first Black and Indian-origin vice president, and the first woman to hold that office.

A villager said that people in Tamil Nadu are proud that a woman from India and Tamil Nadu was elected Vice President of the United States.

"The first woman to be elected Vice President of the United States and the first woman to be elected President of the United States from Tamil Nadu are welcome. We are proud that a woman from India and Tamil Nadu was elected Vice President of the United States. We hope that the relationship between India and the United States will be even better with the election of a female Vice President of Indian descent," Kalamegam told ANI.

"We see this as a victory for the Tamils and congratulate her on her excellent service as Vice President," he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, another villager said that the Tamil language is becoming extinct in India but it is gratifying that a woman of Tamil descent has been elected as Vice President of the United States.

"I am happy that a woman of Tamil descent has been elected Vice President of the United States. The Tamil language is becoming extinct in India but it is gratifying that a woman of Tamil descent has been elected Vice President of the United States," Sankar said.

Meanwhile, Harris' ancestral village in India made a ''rangoli'' to congratulate her on election win on Sunday.

Women in Thulasendrapuram village in Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu, the native village of US vice president-elect Kamala Harris, drew a special colourful ''rangoli'' to congratulate her. The message says, ''Congratulations Kamla Harris, the pride of our village,'' along with ''Vanakkam America''. In addition to this, locals in Thulasendrapuram celebrated her win by putting up posters, distributing sweets, and burning firecrackers.

Tamil Nadu Food Minister R Kamaraj offered prayers at a temple in Thulasendrapuram, the native village of Harris, for her victory in US polls.

"A woman hailing from this small village now holds one of the highest positions in US. It's a proud moment," said Kamaraj.

Kamala Harris was born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother Shyamala Gopalan, who was born in Chennai before she moved to the US for further studies. Shyamala was a leading cancer researcher and activist.

Kamala Harris's maternal grandfather was born in Thulasenthirapuram, located about 320 km south of the city of Chennai. Shyamala was the daughter of PV Gopalan, a high-ranking civil servant.