'Lotus for POTUS' energizes South Asian voters around Harris

Indian American voters supporting Kamala Harris’ presidential ticket have a new rallying cry: LOTUS for POTUS.

Indian American voters supporting Kamala Harris’ presidential ticket have a new rallying cry: LOTUS for POTUS. 

It stems from a translation of the vice president’s first name. “Kamala” in the classical South Asian language Sanskrit means “lotus,” a flower native to the region that’s significant across many religions on the subcontinent. 

Abhay Dandekar took notice of this the Monday morning after President Joe Biden announced he was exiting the race. Between seeing patients, the 53-year-old pediatrician took out his phone and created a meme. It was Harris’ face behind white text that said, “In Sanskrit, Kamala means LOTUS. In America, Kamala means POTUS.”

“There was just a newfound energy … mostly because of how much in common I have with Vice President Harris,” Dandekar said. “It felt like something that resonated in the moment. And in all honesty, I made that in a couple of moments before going in to see patients.” 

After he texted the meme to a few friends, it proceeded to blow up on WhatsApp groups, a town square for members of the South Asian diaspora all over the world. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/lotus-potus-kamala-harris-indian-voters-rcna164323

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