If Joe Biden defeats Donald Trump and makes it to the US presidency, an Indian American of Karnataka origin is expected to occupy an important post in the new administration.Dr.Vivek H Murthy, who was President Barack Obama’s youngest surgeon general in 2014, is one of the key strategists of Biden’s election campaign.
The 43-year-old is originally from Hallegere village in Maddur Taluk of Mandya district in Karnataka.
Vivek is the grandson of HT Narayan Shetty, a backward class leader and a close associate of former Karnataka chief minister late D Devaraj Urs.The people of Hallegere are delighted about the prospects of their man occupying a high post in the White House.They say that he has not forgotten his mother tongue Kannada and still speaks it at home.
Dr.Vivek Murthy has not forgotten his roots.He visits Hallegere every year and has donated millions of dollars to promote education in his ancestral place.
Dr.Murthy is the son of Dr.HN Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy, alumni of Mysore Medical College, who served in various capacities in the UK.Dr.Murthy’s sister Rashmi is also a physician in Florida.With his roots in Hallegere, he makes annual trips and conducts free camps under his family-funded Scope Foundation.
A team of doctors, along with his family members, have conducted free eye camps and operated on 60 people in the past.
