Indian-American girl becomes youngest delegate at DNC

PTI

Philadelphia, 29 Jul 2016: An 18-year-old Indian-American girl has become the youngest delegate at the Democratic National Convention here which has nominated Hillary Clinton as the party’s presidential candidate.

 

Sruthi Palaniappan from Cedar Rapids and a student of the Harvard University is a big supporter of Clinton, the first woman to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major political party.

 

Sruthi’s father Palaniappan Andiappan is also attending the convention as a member of credentials committee.

 

She has been the centre of attraction among the media here and the delegates along with a 102-year-old delegate from Arizona, Jerry Emmett, who is the oldest delegate at the convention.

 

In addition to being the youngest delegate, Sruthi made history on Tuesday when she was given an opportunity to represent Iowa during roll call votes.

 

"I am extremely thankful for the surreal opportunity to have represented the Iowa delegation as a roll call speaker and to have been a part of the historic nomination process of our next president," she said.

 

"Together, we have made history by electing the first woman presidential nominee of a major political party- Hillary Rodham Clinton," Sruthi wrote on her Facebook post.

 

Sruthi said being elected as the party’s delegate was a long process.

 

"But I’m extremely glad that I have been able to immerse myself at every step along the way and witness the political process first-hand," she said.

 

Highly impressed by the electrifying speech given by President Barack Obama, Sruthi said, "the American dream is something no wall will ever contain."

 

"President Barack Obama, thank you for gracing us with your beautifully moving words. It was simply an honour to be in your presence and witness the pure emotion that emanated from your voice.

 

"Obama’s legacy and efforts will live on when Clinton and her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine become the new President and Vice President of the United States," she said.

 

"We really do need to unite together in order to defeat the Republican nominee (Donald Trump). If we let Donald Trump take over the presidency, really terrible things will take our county several steps back," Sruthi was quoted as saying by the local KCRG TV.