Obama Inaugural..

When Barack Obama takes over as the President of the US on January 20, Thavakkara in Kannur will have much to cheer about. Gita Ram, who has roots here, is among the invitees to the inaugural.The 24-year-old Gita is the granddaughter of former Director General of Police P Vijayan. Born and brought up in US, she is the daughter of Anitha and Sunder Ram of San Jose, California, who are now settled in USA.Says Gita, who works for an international public relations firm in Washington DC: “I was overjoyed when my dad called me to say that I’ve been selected to attend President-elect Obama’s inauguration.” The invitation had been sent to her San Jose address on her 24th birthday — “a birthday gift I’d never forget in my life.” Gita had set her mind on public service even while she was a high school student. An active member of the Cupertino High School student-government body and as one of its ‘commissioners’, she had the responsibility of motivating fellow-students to involve themselves in community activities.