Speaking to The Hindu, G. Balachandran, policy commentator and technology expert, said here on Sunday that Ms. Harris was raised by her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who participated in the civil rights movement in the U.S. in the 1960s, and she may choose to speak out on human rights-related issues in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe will speak out if she is moved by something. You may not want her to say that but she will say, \u2018I am sorry but I will have to say this,\u2019\u201d Mr. Balachandran said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
He said Ms. Harris would not keep quiet if she disagreed with something happening in India. Ms. Harris, he said, drew from the rich legacy of civil rights championed by her mother, a biomedical scientist, who left a strong impression on her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u201cShyamala contributed immensely to the legacy of human rights in the U.S. Her contribution on that front is much greater than that of Kamala\u2019s,\u201d said Mr. Balachandran, who worked as a consultant at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. He maintained that the election result had sent a message of hope to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
The Biden-Harris campaign had maintained that India should restore civil and political rights in Kashmir, and Ms. Harris had indicated her disapproval after the August 5 decision last year on ending the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. When asked about the issue, Ms. Harris had said, \u201cWe are all watching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Mr. Balachandran felt his niece could speak on the present situation in Kashmir as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo not think that just because India has done something … she will keep quiet on that. She has spoken on issues like Kashmir earlier,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n