The road will be difficult, but I know Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will lead us all together to a better future.
I am so proud to share this historical moment with my children.
And I invite all Indian Americans to join me, says Rupa Kale.
As a proud Democrat who has struggled through the past four years, I am beyond ecstatic that Joe Biden will be our next President.
When Donald Trump won in 2016 it felt like a stab through the heart.
I became depressed like many people in the country.
How could we have chosen such a wrong leader? It was beyond politics.
I was embarrassed to talk about the President with my children.
I did not know how to explain to them how someone like him could become President.
What started off as despair four years ago gave way to activism and starting my own political journey.
I became involved with the local political rising; organising, marching, and trying to find light through the darkness I found kinship with other Democrats in New Jersey.
My democratic ideals lead me to run for office myself the following year.
While I lost by a very tiny margin it invoked in me a love of the democratic process.
The following year I was elected Chairwoman for the New Providence Democrats and I along with two other Indian women broke through another barrier of entry for women in New Jersey politics.
In the past four years like many I have worked tirelessly to organise, march, lead and live by my democratic ideals through what has seemed like a difficult and dark time in our country.
Donald Trump proved to be a morally bankrupt leader that failed to lead America and it was difficult to look past the unsurmountable transgressions on a daily basis.
This feeling of elation I feel today with Joe Biden winning feels cathartic.
It symbolises the winning of good over evil and right over might and as a devout Hindu it confirms my faith.
My Hindu values and my democratic values have always aligned perfectly and this moment seems delivered just for me.
Joe Biden is a good man.
He has devoted 47 years of his life to public service and served this country with integrity while reaching across the aisle through deep personal tragedies.
Sure he is not a perfect man by any means and has made mistakes, but I know that he will not be a source of embarrassment for our country.
I have faith that he will navigate us through the raging Covid pandemic and the economic challenges facing our country today.
I am excited for a President that is pro science, pro equality and pro women.
But the one major reason this win is monumental is the choice of Kamala Devi Harris; daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, an immigrant from India.
A half black, half Indian and the 1st woman will become our Vice President.
As a woman of colour that has battled the glass ceiling her entire life; having a woman who looks like me become the first Vice President of the United States is something I can proudly share with my children.
America can finally heal from the pain of the past four years.
The road will be difficult, but I know Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will lead us all together to a better future.
I am so proud to share this historical moment with my children.
And I invite all Indian Americans to join me.
Rupa Kale is a elected Chairwoman of the New Providence Democrats, a PTA mom of twin boys, community leader and a local real estate professional.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
