Happy Obama Day

I had written this when Sen. Barak Obama won the US Presidential election in November, 2008.

What a day!! History is been made all over. Who could have imagined United States of America will be lead by an African-American President with in 50 years of Rosa Parks taking that front seat on the bus in Alabama. I have people telling me that this could only happen in the good old US of A. 

As Indians we always say that there are no grounds comparing democracies of United States of America and India, because one is 200+ years old and the other is 60+ years young. But Americans elected the, First-time, African-American Senator from Illinois, within 50 years of giving equal rights to African American. This is a ‘Progressive Democracy’. This is what Mahatma Gandhi was suggesting when he coined the term ‘Harijans’. Where are we, as Indians going? We are Balkanizing ourselves. A leader in a particular state doesn’t want people from other states. A union of state workers doesn’t want top posts going to people from different states. Most of us don’t even know how many states are there in North-Eastern region? Who are Naxalites and what do they want? The progress that we as Indians are making since last decade is concentrated in some parts. India, as a whole is not shining, but with the same breath I will also say that Manmohan Singh being the Prime Minister is the best thing that has happened to India in recent times.

            The lesson we learn from the historic day is that we can’t always look down on history and complain or blame others for our problems. We have to find an Indian, living in each of us and think how long we will keep on fighting each other for petty things. Although, I agree that I am not the right person to comment anything about India, and especially not her short comings, because I left my beloved country for my personal goals. But the question again arises why did I, and 100,000 other students leaving annually since 1999, left?

Hope India keeps on shining…For ever…Happy Obama Day!!

                                                                                                                                          November 2008