The Blacks finally make it

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

On August 28, 1963 when Martin Luther King made the famous 'I have a dream' speech from the Lincoln Memorial, Washington he would have dreamt of a certain 4^th November (US Time), 45 years later when history would be made. The day has finally come and a man of African-American descent has been elected as the President of the world's oldest democracy. The day has taken tears, struggle and sacrifice of thousands of black African-Americans over the years.

Although they were accepted as equal citizens and granted all the rights by the law American Presidency was something that eluded them. Not anymore Barack Obama has become the 44^th President of the United States of America and the first African-American to do so. Finally a Black American will be helming the affairs of the most powerful country in the world and in true sense helming the globe.

Barack Obama's win has portrayed the true nature of American democracy and proved to the world that ethnic minorities can climb up the ladder in America if they deserve it. It was a testimony to the liberal thinking Americans who did not let the skin colour come ahead of the candidate's potential. The whites and the blacks equally voted for the Harvard Law School graduate. Unfortunately for Vietnam veteran John McCain he was up against too good a candidate and was even undone by his running mate Sarah Palin a insane lady to the core.

Indian Americans came out in support of the Democratic candidate for the first time in history as they were traditionally known to be Republican polarised. Many of Democratic bases were shattered by Obama's charismatic debates and arguments. The tumbling US economy and the failed military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq by the Bush administration made sure that the Republicans were not too popular with the common Americans any more.

Back home in India the pros and cons are being looked up in Obama's victory. Many are sceptical whether this will strain the Indo-US relations in the fields of nuclear power, military co-operation and economic sectors. True the relationship between the two countries have been the best under the administration of George Bush but it is too early to tag Barack Obama being bad for India. Its time to celebrate a victory over divisive mindset as we need to emulate this in our politics when efficiency of a politician should be voted over the surname he uses.