Kamala breaches a barrier that kept women at bay for 200 yrs

Joe Biden was sworn-in as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President in a historic ceremony on Wednesday to take over the leadership of a nation ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic and riven by deep political hostility.

The daughter of Shyamala Gopalan became the first Indian American, the first woman, and the first African American to be sworn in as the Vice President -- a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Biden declared after the oath ceremony, "Democracy has prevailed." Donald Trump, who boycotted the ceremony, had already left Washington for his new home in Florida.

“This is America’s day,” Biden said as he began his inaugural address. “This is democracy’s day.” The contrast between himself and his predecessor was immediately apparent in his speech, noted the New York Times. “Few people in our nation’s history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we’re in now,” Biden said, before explicitly acknowledging the devastating toll of the coronavirus in a way Trump never did, adds the NYT.

He went on, “To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America, requires so much more than words and requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy: unity.”

Four years after Trump spoke of “American carnage” in his inaugural, Biden seemed to offer a direct rebuttal, concluded the NYT report.

Central Railway Mumbai Division carried out maintenance work during mega block on main line between Matunga-Mulund Up and Dn fast lines & on harbour line between KurlaVashi Up & Dn harbour lines on January 17, 2021. 45 meters of rail replacement, packing and fitting of points, replacement of SEJ sleepers, 2.2 km tamping work done with Duomatic machine, besides welding work, boxing and ballasting work for 450 meters were also undertaken. Work of cleaning of 300 meters of centre drain was also done. Annual overhauling of 2.15 km OHE, close inspection of 1.55 km OHE were done along with retension of contact wires, replacement of 100 meters contact wires, 4 flash insulators and 38 droppers, checking of 18 C/G jumpers and removal of 13 excess C-jumpers.