Obama’s win, time to re-adhere to what we preach in our country

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

``My idea of society is that while we are born equal, meaning we have a right to equal opportunities, all have not the same capacity,`` said father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and this was what proved to be correct in the recently held US elections where `the Black` what most of the news papers called Barack Hussein Obama captured the seat of United Nations’ Top Dog registering a landslide victory. ``The quote says, all have not the same capacity so a `Black’ may have the qualities which a `Wihte’ do not posses.


I do not know whether I should comment on the election of Obama but I am sure that the same sets an example for our country’s politics as well where most of the political battles are fought over communal and casteist issues. Obama belongs to a community that had been struggling to make its mark after inching up from the age old slavery. He also had many examples where forefathers of his community had failed to make their mark despite their sincere effort to make the world realize that no human being is big or small by birth.


Mahatma Gandhi and prior to him many thinkers and observers pleaded for the cause of equality but never achieved a complete success. Now when the whole world is looking and though a little bias is still apparent in the reaction to Obama’s election. Obama is at top and no wonder that our great leaders had tried first to initiate the society into equality besides creating room for the downtrodden and suppressed as their matter of right. I felt particularly happy while reading that Obama is impressed by the Gandhian philosophy.


Though it is indisputable that most of the observers and political commentators highlighted Obama’s victory but most of them said it to be a historic Black’s entry into the White House. Another matter as I read in one of the national dailies that Obama during his campaign never tried to take advantage of the colour of his skin. Ironically, most of the papers and other media eulogized his victory as a Black’s victory and those who did not write it straight painted the background of his picture black thus saying it through visual and not words.


Is it not enough to indicate the bias? Anyhow he had made history and what makes be happier over it is the fact that he got it riding on the Indian principle of equality. And all we need is to re-adhere to what we have been preaching to the world that all are equal and thus deserve equal treatment.