Desi girl!

Nina: Nana, Nana. I am so excited.

Nana: You usually are but what for this time?

Nina: Oh come on, Nana. Even you must have heard it. Kamala Harris is the VP nominee for the US election. Desi girl, ya, desi girl.

Nana: Yes, I know. So what?

Nina: Oh, come on Nana. Even Lavanya was excited when she heard about those much hyped Besant Nagar beach walks of Kamala with her Chennai based grandfather all those years ago. In fact even CNN ran special coverage on how those Besant Nagar walks shaped her political views. Lavanya is just so psyched that she can settle a long running debate with Kanika as to which of Chennai’s beaches is the better one. You see, Kanika was rooting for Marina while Lavanya was totally for the Bessie beach.

Nana: Yes, yes. It’s good to know someone from the desi community is aspiring for the almost-highest office of the world through hard efforts and undoubtedly, she will serve as a role model to many little girls like you for her smarts, articulation and efforts but do remember Nina, we have our own trailblazers here.

In fact, the US lags India in this aspect. India has witnessed many strong women political leaders such as Indira Gandhi, Jayalalitha and Mamta Banerjee. It’s odd that for a deeply misogynistic soceity like ours, we accepted the rise of these women leaders easily while a supposedly more egalitarian soceity like the US took 200 years to acquire acceptance for a woman leader for a higher office. Let’s not forget what happened in the last US election. And I say that irrespective of whose ideology one prefers. In fact, I am a politically right-eous person.

Nina: I don’t doubt that at all, Nana. But you are growing better at your punning. Way to go!

This post is a part of the #NinaAndNana series I co-host with Kanika G.