BARACK OBAMA – THE MAKING OF A LEADER

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: that all men are created equal " In 1963, Martin Luther King spoke of his dream for the benefit of his black and colored brethren in America.

Though it took long (many thought it would never happen), the dream has come good. By February next year the caravan of African American Barack Hussein Obama will hit Pennsylvania Avenue at Washington to stake the claim for the president-ship of America and occupy the White House, the single most seat of power and supremacy in the entire world.

May be then, we could call the presidential house: ‘Black house’, why not?

47 year old President Elect Barack Obama is a classic case of hybridism and diversity. His father was a Kenyan Muslim who later became an atheist. His mother Ann Dunham’s lineage comes from Native American, English and German ancestry. It looks as if Ann Dunham had a penchant for Muslims, as both her husbands (African Barack Obama Sr. & Asian Lolo Soetoro) were Muslims. Barack Obama’s step dad was of royal Indonesian ancestry and a Muslim by faith. His half sister Maya who is settled in Hawaii, is a Buddhist married to Canadian Chinese whose roots are in Malaysia. His half brothers and sisters through his father are living in Kenya, China, and England & America. His stepmother Jael (his dad’s fourth and last wife) lived long years in South Korea before reaching US to settle down. The list of the diversity is endless. The moot point is that it can happen only in the melting pot called United States of America, nowhere else. Only in US today can a migrant or his generation next aspires to become the head of the State. Rest of the world hasn’t grown up to reach that maturity yet. It wasn’t far when the king makers in US decided to have only a Protestant Christian, that too only white to have the right to sit on the gaddi. Indeed profound changes are happening in US.

Changes in the US are harbinger to the changes that would happen to the world. Today USA is indeed in a bad shape. It is standing against the wall and has its hands up. Rest of the countries of the world is truly focused on the developments in America, because the fate of all other countries is directly linked to the fate of America. George Bush had truly messed up the country economically and politically. Its foreign affairs smacks of authoritarianism and muscle power and lack finesse that is expected of a large mature democracy. No one can envy Obama. As the 44th President of US, he is going to inherit a country with an economy that is completely in shambles.

A lawyer by qualification, Barack Obama taught part time in the Chicago University Law School for about twelve years. He also worked in a Law firm. While teaching, he also became the State Senator of Illinois. At the appropriate time, he contested to the US Senate, representing Illinois and had the rare distinction to be a black Senator that too relatively younger. As a senator he was fresher and an inexperienced one. In the Democratic convention in 2004, the then Presidential candidate John Kerry gave him the podium to address and the speech endeared him to the party and people. The presidential aspirations of Barack Obama took shape then and he never needed to look back. The road ahead was rough and tough. He needed to ward of the great efforts of the determined Senator, Hilary Clinton (with full assistance from her former US president husband) to become the Democrat’s presidential nominee. The widely accepted and heavily decorated John McCain and his glamorous running mate Sarah Palin tried their best to beat him down with a negative campaign and he did not wither. And he won with a thumping majority to be the President of United State of America, beginning 2009.

If you trace back the life and times of Obama, you will realize that he had been preparing for the position all through his life. All his decisions in life and career were taken with a consideration of this aspect. He never wanted to be controversial. He also ensured not to carry the burden of the past. He did not want any skeleton in his cupboard. Because of this, many times, his associates saw a reluctant Obama when serious extreme issues were taken up. It looked like he would want to join the issue but he will bite his tongue. While he led people, student and his followers to debate, he never took an extreme position in any of the issues. Though he empathized with the poor, the minorities and the down trodden, he has never taken a tough stand as having done by Martin Luther King Jr. Therefore it needs to be seen how effective would Obama be when serious issues related to minorities, hunger and health reach his table for decisions. Or, wanting to be goody goody, will he stay at the middle path?

Obama knew that in America, it is possible for person of his background to aspire to be the president. He convinced himself and the American public that he could lead the change that America desperately needs. He mastered his oratory skills. His books, writings and speeches were very motivatory. He never coveted extreme cushy jobs and positions. He let go many opportunities that came in his direction to raise his living style. Within his means, he lived a decent life. And he bided his time. All through, you will notice that he had perfect sense of timing in his life and career. And then people say he was lucky too (?!).

Most of the religions speak of avatars or God’s representatives happening on mother earth from time to time, to mitigate her problems. God loved the world so much that he sent his only son Jesus to it to redeem it at its time of need. It is expected that he may come again. Bhagwan Krishna had taken many avatars from time to time to redress the world’s challenges (Sambhavami yuge yuge). Prophet Mohammed Nabi led his brethren and consolidated the framework of Islam religion. Bhagwan Buddha, Varhdhamana Mahavira, Guru Gobind singh…. the list is long and plenty.

I am not trying to portray Barack Obama as an avatar. But it needs an avatar to bring America back to its glory. There is a genuine, warm and concerned human being lurking inside him. He could bring it out to be the world most compassionate leader. Or, he could continue the synthetic image that he had created for himself to traverse the road to presidency. It is up to Obama. Time will tell whether he became an avatar or he ended up being an also ran!