LILBURN, Ga. — LILBURN, Ga. — Watch our Voice of the Voter segment during The Georgia Vote Sundays at 11 a.m. on 11Alive.
The 11Alive political team is working to make sure that Georgians remain at the center of the political conversation.
Meet Dr. Umangi Shukla, a Gastroenterologist, in Smyrna.
Dr. Shukla grew up in Stone Mountain. She is a first-generation Indian American and says her parents immigrated from India in the 1980s. Dr. Shukla tells 11Alive that she grew up with the Hindu faith. As a child, her family prayed at a mandir, or Hindu temple, in Clarkston.
“When I think of the word mandir, we can break it down into two words, "man," which is the mind, and "dir," which is stillness or peace,” said Dr. Shukla. “The definition of mandir is a place where the mind becomes still,” she continued.
The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn was inaugurated in 2007. Now, a married mother of two, Dr. Shukla has stayed strong in her faith and says her family comes to the mandir every Sunday.
“We are in a world of different challenges, but when we come here, we find our cultural identity, we find those that are like us, like-minded individuals as well, but the reset and recharge that we get here is the most important,” said Dr. Shukla.
With early voting underway, did she vote early?
Yes. Dr Shukla says she and her husband have both cast their vote.
What key issue is driving her to the polls this year?
Dr. Shukla told 11Alive she didn’t have just one key issue that drove her to the polls this year, but she has noticed a lot of division.
“As a first-generation Indian American, physician and South Asian, of course, and mother of two, there are so many key issues at stake here,” said Dr. Shukla. “I feel like these days now, there’s a lot of division that they are more people spread across the table more than ever before”
What is she most optimistic about?
Dr. Shukla is very optimistic about the record turnout for early voting. She also tells 11Alive that she is hopeful that people in the country can unite after the election. She said the election takes place around Diwali, the Hindu New Year.
“Diwali is the spiritual victory of good over evil, of ignorance over knowledge. I do think this election season falls right into the steps of Diwali, and I’m hopeful that we as a country can come together regardless of our backgrounds or walks of life and find a unified path forward,” said Dr Shukla.