| Published on 06-11-2008 In General | | Viewed 893 times | | Oh yes, It's Obama--- A King's dream fulfilled |
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| Written by
Girish Nikam | 
"It has taken a long time coming-------- Change has come to America!" In those charged words of the President-elect of US of A, beckons a future, not just for that country, but to the nations around the world. A world less prejudiced, a world less racist, a world more just and a world of much hope.
It is not often that one sees hard boiled journalists, for whom cynicism is a part of their tool kit, dropping their guard and shedding tears while performing their job. And when Roland Martin, the African-American contributor of CNN did just that, it did not seem unusual for once. As the channel made the phenomenally historic announcement this morning (Indian time), that Barack Hussein Obama would be the next President of America, the newsroom full of veteran journalists assumed a somber air. As Martin choked recalling how just five years back, it was impossible to think of what had happened today, when Obama had dared to contest for the Illinois Senate seat, his co-analysts, also barely managed to raise their voice, even as they choked taking in the enormity of the occasion.
It was if all these journalists, veterans of many a Presidential election were jointly purging the sins of slavery and racism committed by their forefathers.
It was an extra-ordinary moment for all those who witnessed Obama taking centre stage at Chicago after he had got the concession call from his Republican rival, John McCain. What was most impressive, after the long and unprecedented bitterness witnessed in the campaign, was the grace and dignity displayed by McCain, at Phoenix, which forced even his worst detractors accept that he was a Gentleman. His supporters were however not upto him, unfortunately, as they booed and hissed, when he congratulated Obama.
The race is over. And some feel racism too, in America. But that would be taking things too far. As a friend, a white American lady, who has been fervently wishing this change for the last eight years, warned long distance over the phone soon after the historic declaration, "Look out for that white man with a gun". Ominous as it may sound, and maybe totally out of place on a day like this, that is still the reality. Those boos and hisses in Phoenix were a sign of that.
It was however a sight to behold as all those gathered in various cities of America, late into the night, wept openly and cheered lunatically at the historic verdict. And thousands and thousands of them were white, as much as blacks and browns and what have you. It is said that this election was not about race, but about the need for change. In fact Obama all through the campaign took a lot of trouble to underplay the issue of race. But when he said today, "It was a long time in coming-----Change has come to America", the "long time" he meant was not about George Bush's eight years. It was the 232 years after the declaration of independence in 1776, that he has was obviously talking about. And when he meant change has come, it was about the people of America finally accepting a coloured man in the White House.
In the recent times, probably there is no other US President-elect who has raised so many expectations all over the world. And of course no other US Presidential candidate had so much support from people all over the world.
It proves two things---- one how fed up and disgusted the world, not just America was about the retiring President Bush. And second how much this bi-racial kid of a white Kansas Mother and a black Kenyan father has managed to convince the world about his ability.
And going by the way, the man himself reacted today to his victory---- serious, somber, reflective, no elation, no hysteria, no euphoria----- he knows more than anyone else the enormous burden of expectation he carries on his lean shoulders. And it certainly is not just of all those black Americans and all the blacks around the world, who are empathasing with him like they had never before to a man, but firstly to a nation which stands badly wounded and to a world which stands badly divided.
The cyber world is already abuzz with petitions and memorandums, reminding him of his campaign promises. One of them hoping to have a million messages from all over the world is planned to be displayed on a huge wall near the White House! It reminds him of Iraq, climate change, elimination of nuclear weapons, Guantanamo Bay, energy policy, electric cars--------!
No other US President has probably arrived at the White House with such a massive baggage of problems and demands to set it right, like Obama would be doing in January. But again no other black man had shown the kind of audacity he has to make it to that residence cum office.
As far as India is concerned, it is rather strange that the reaction is mixed. Just the other day, a leading newspaper asked its readers to SMS (text message), if they thought McCain will make a last minute rush past Obama. 48 percent thought he would, 46 said he won't. A measure of how the right wingers in this country (who dominate the cyber world) also have got carried away. The same right wingers are now saying that Obama may not be the best thing for India, and not so strangely even the leftists have their ideological reservations. The latter feels that the hegemonic ambitions of the US administration don't change with the change of a President. There are concerns over Obama's stand on outsourcing affecting us, his stand on CTBT affecting the nuclear deal, his proactivism on Kashmir issue is another concern being expressed.
There are also contrary views--- that India is too important now for him to take it for granted. All these concerns can be tackled later. What one needs to savour at this moment, as the world celebrates the phenomenal shift in America is that the country may finally have lived upto the dream of Martin Luther King, when he had said, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.". |
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