THULASENTHIRAPURAM, Tamil Nadu: It was a moment to remember.

As Kamala Harris made history on Saturday by becoming the first woman, the first black person and the first person of South Asian descent to be chosen as US vice president, residents of Thulasenthirapuram, her ancestral village in India, embraced each other amid cheers and tears of joy.

Thulasenthirapuram, located nearly 350 km from Tamil Nadu鈥檚 capital Chennai, wore a festive look on Sunday with people bursting crackers, distributing sweets and offering special prayers in the village temple. Some had even decorated the outside of their houses.

鈥淲e all know that today is a very big day for all of us,鈥� Meenakshi Surya Prakash, an 18-year-old student and resident of the village, told Arab News.

鈥淎 woman of Indian origin has been elected as the vice president of the US. This is a proud moment for us,鈥� she said.

Harris鈥檚 grandfather, P. V. Gopalan, was born in Thulasenthirapuram, where the family still has a temple at which villagers converge to pray.

鈥淪he is from our soil. We also expect that Kamala Harris will take every step for the betterment and welfare of Indians living in the US and India,鈥� Prakash said.

Harris鈥� relatives said that they had expected her to win.

鈥淚t really feels good. I knew it would happen and I am happy about it,鈥� Harris鈥� maternal aunt, Dr. Sarala Gopalan, told Arab News on Sunday.

Based in Chennai, capital of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Dr. Gopalan said that she was 鈥渘ot tense鈥� during the vote-counting process, anticipating that US President-elect Joe Biden would win.

鈥淲e knew that Joe Biden had a good lead, but we didn鈥檛 know how to trust the samples . . . that鈥檚 all,鈥� she said.

Two days before Saturday鈥檚 announcement, Dr. Gopalan said that she had a brief chat with Harris, but the questions were not 鈥減olitical.鈥�

鈥淚 just asked her if she is all right and all is well?鈥� she said, smiling.

Harris has always been vocal about being proud of her roots and her mother鈥檚 role in that. After her mother鈥檚 death in 2009, Harris 鈥渃ontinued to stay in touch鈥� with her mother鈥檚 relatives in India.

鈥淚 am only worried about her welfare because her mother is not there, so I have to take care of her as a mother,鈥� Dr. Gopalan said.

On Saturday night, Harris, in her first address to the nation, recalled her mother鈥檚 journey from India as a 19-year-old in 1959.

鈥淚 am grateful to the woman most responsible for my presence here today, my mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris. When she came here from India at the age of 19, she maybe didn鈥檛 imagine this moment. But she believed so deeply in America where a moment like this is possible,鈥� she said.

Harris鈥� Delhi-based maternal uncle, Balachandran Gopalan, said that he was 鈥済lued to his TV but never for once doubted her victory.鈥�

鈥淚 have constantly been watching TV. I was expecting that. After hearing the CNN declare Biden as victorious my tension was gone. It鈥檚 a moment of pride,鈥� Balachandran told Arab News.

鈥淭he day she was nominated to be the vice presidential candidate it was a big moment for us,鈥� he added.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Harris鈥� victory.

鈥淵our success is pathbreaking, and a matter of immense pride not just for your chittis (aunts), but also for all Indian-Americans. I am confident that the vibrant India-US ties will get even stronger with your support and leadership,鈥� Modi tweeted on Sunday.

For some women, Harris鈥� win represented 鈥渁 new chapter.鈥�

鈥淲hat it also signifies is a new chapter in the long fight for global diversity,鈥� Mallika Shakya of New Delhi-based South Asia University, told Arab News.

鈥淗arris swept on to the screens of the media and social media around the world; it would have been difficult to tell a little brown girl that the sky is the limit. This is about the US media hegemony, but also about the everyday effect of this hegemony,鈥� she said.

All eyes are also on Harris over her future approach to thorny issues within India, such as Kashmir.

In the past, she has spoken about human rights鈥� issues in the valley after the abrogation of the region鈥檚 special status in August last year.

She has also been critical of New Delhi鈥檚 alleged highhandedness against Muslims in the country.

However, experts said that Harris鈥� selection would not have any impact on the administration鈥檚 foreign policy choices.

鈥淚t would be folly to assume that Kamala Harris鈥� personal connections with India will have an impact on the administration鈥檚 policy choices,鈥� Pranay Kotasthane of Bangalore-based think tank Takshashila Institution, told Arab News.

He cited the example of a recent survey by US academics, which showed that while a majority of Indian-Americans voted for the Democratic party, the 鈥淚ndia-US relationship is very low on their demand list.鈥�

鈥淚 expect policy continuity rather than any dramatic change. I don鈥檛 think those are issues which determine the overall US policy outlook toward India. They are important issues for which a resolution has to be found within India. US administration鈥檚 questions won鈥檛 resolve them.鈥�