"You see, by the time that we were going there as children, my grandfather was retired from his career as a civil servant. And his morning routine, every morning, consisted of taking long walks on the beach with his retired buddies. And they, as retired civil servants, would debate the issues of the day," said the vice president.
"I would hold my grandfather's hand on these walks and listen intently to him and his friends. I will tell you, as a young girl, I don't think I fully appreciated the essence and the import of the debates that they would have. But, I did clearly understand and do recall stories about the freedom fighters and the nation's founding heroes and about the independence of India. I remember them talking about the importance of fighting corruption and fighting for equality, regardless of one's belief or caste," she said.
AdvertisementThe Vice President said conversations with her grandfather at a young age influenced her thinking.
"Throughout these walks, I recall my grandfather teaching me lessons about not just what it means to have a democracy but to keep a democracy. I do believe it is these lessons that I learned at a very young age that first inspired my interest in public service. I look back now and I do fully realise how much these conversations influenced me and my thinking, and how they have guided me ever since," she added.
"In fact, it is a large part of who I am today -- these lessons I learned from my grandfather, P.V. Gopalan, and from the dedication, determination, and courage of his daughter, my mother, Shyamala. And it is that being the reason that I stand before you today as vice president of the United States," Ms Harris said.
She thanked Modi for his role of leadership to help India emerge as a global power in the 21st century.
"You have helped to reinvigorate the Quad. Your leadership of the G20 is making new strides on climate finance. And you have been a proponent of international institutions and global solutions to global challenges," she said.
"And as a point of personal privilege, as chair of the National Space Council, I thank you for your leadership in space and for our joint work on an earth science satellite, which will help us address the climate crisis. And I will also thank you because when you and I first met at the White House, I asked you to join the Artemis Accords: a commitment to the safe and transparent use of space. I am happy to report, as you have, that you have joined the Artemis Accords," she added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
