The Mumbai-born writer, Salman Rushdie, has publicly supported Kamala Harris’s bid for US president and said that he is the person who will prevent former President Donald Trump from leading the country into authoritarianism.
Salman Rushdie made this endorsement at a virtual event organized by ‘South Asian Men for Harris’ where a whole host of Indian-American community people were present such as lawmakers, writers, political experts and entrepreneurs. This meeting was remarkable due to its high turn-out and support shown to Harris.
“This is a moment of truth. I am a Bombay boy so it is really amazing that an Indian woman is running for the Presidency of America. My wife is African-American so we are glad to have someone black and Indian in the race,” stated Rushdie during this occasion.
Following Joe Biden’s withdrawal on July 20th, Harris, aged fifty-nine, became the presumptive democratic presidential candidate and she is expected to be officially announced as one next month by her party.
Acknowledging that ethnicity alone cannot win elections, British American novelist Salman Rushdie argued that there was something transformative and optimistic about Harris’s candidacy and that her presence has substantially shifted the political discourse in a positive direction.
According to Rushdie “Hollow man” Trump can lead the nation into dictatorship; however, only through choosing Harris as his leader can this threat be countered. “For me it’s a 1000%,” added Rushdie.
He also expressed his admiration for Kamala’s charisma because he believes without doubt that while Trump sold himself based on celebrity status in 2016, Kamala could well make all the difference going forward with regard to these forthcoming polls. “Kamala looks like super star,” this author thinks “Charisma she brings into the campaign might become crucial within weeks.”
In response to concerns about electability of a woman with Black and Indian heritage, Mr. Salman Rushdie remained optimistic saying; “It’s different now how women are viewed as leaders.” He cited that recent opinion polls put Harris on par with Trump, indicating positive change.
Salman Rushdie urged the community to mobilize and support Harris, emphasizing the importance of voter turnout in the upcoming November 5 presidential election. “There’s not a minute to lose,” he warned, encouraging people to use their voices and efforts to ensure a victory for Harris.
Amongst others was Harini Krishnan, Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi co-founder of South Asians for Harris together with Sree Sreenivasan, CEO and Co-founder of Digimentors who hosted the event. They all rallied behind her in unity calling for mass voting as its power.
“We will not be complacent. We have to fight it out right down to the wire because I think it is going get there. But I do believe we’re going be first past the post,” concluded Rushdie at the end of his speech.
