NEW DELHI: In a heartfelt reflection, the grandaunt of Usha Vance, the wife of US vice-presidential candidate JD Vance, spoke candidly about her roots and her hopes for the nation. Speaking to news agency ANI, Professor C Santhamma expressed immense pride in Usha’s achievements, noting that the Vance family’s connections to Andhra Pradesh run deep.
“Naturally, I feel happy… She belongs to our family and it is the most important thing,” Santhamma said, recalling Usha’s origins in West Godavari district, a region rich in cultural heritage. “She was born somewhere in West Godavari district. My relationship is through my husband. My husband has 5 brothers. The eldest brother has 4 children. Usha is the daughter of one of his sons,” she said.
Santhamma, an academician herself, also shared two key pieces of advice for Usha, which she believes are crucial for India’s future.
“My advice is to concentrate on India if possible and see that Indians don’t drift to various other countries,” said Professor Santhamma. She emphasised the need for India to create opportunities that will encourage its brightest minds to stay in the country. “You must protect them. You must help the country to such an extent that their intelligence is retained in India,” she said.
In addition to focusing on talent retention, Professor Santhamma stressed the importance of reviving ancient cultural knowledge, particularly Sanskrit. “The second thing is, that our Sanskrit is lost. Our Sanskrit should be brought back to India,” she remarked. For Santhamma, preserving and promoting India’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage is as crucial as its economic development. Sanskrit, as one of the oldest languages in the world, holds key insights into ancient Indian wisdom, philosophy, and literature.
While Usha Vance, who grew up in Ohio, may be far from her ancestral homeland, her family’s connection to Andhra Pradesh and the advice from her grandaunt offer a reminder of the deep ties that still link the Indian diaspora to their roots.
For Usha, whose journey has taken her from rural West Godavari to the heart of American politics, Santhamma’s words serve as both a personal reflection and a guiding principle. In a time of global interconnectedness, the future of India may hinge not just on economic policies but also on how the nation preserves its cultural identity and intellectual capital for generations to come.