Beyond Black and White

Today is a very significant day to every American citizen; the day that needs to be carved with golden letters in the annals of not only American history, but the history of the world. On this day, Barrack Obama ascends to the presidential chair of the United States of America, and this is something that is amazing, significant and noteworthy. Times have changed, and the socio-cultural and political situations around the globe has changed considerably; but some of the deep-seated ideologies and prejudices about certain races and colors have continued to persist, even after centuries. What has been the fate of the Afro-Americans has been the fate of the dalits of the India; though there had been prophets championing the causes of the underdogs (we may as well include the “slumdogs” of the recent film Slumdog Millionaire), the result had not been altogether encouraging. Today as Obama makes history taking reins of perhaps the most powerful nation on earth, we look forward to brighter days ahead.

It is not often that people who are on the fringes of the society rise up to occupy the most prominent chairs in society; there are in-built mechanism in most of the societies to dethrone the people who do not necessarily fit into the pre-fabricated systems. Though victories of these underdogs ascending to top-most posts of the government may be short-lived, due to two opposing poles of attraction : on the one side is the feeling that these men and women may experience, an awkward feeling that they are just misfits in the system, and therefore would be compelled to walk out of the scene themselves; on the other side are the people whose sincere efforts to bring order and discipline in the system may end up with cold shoulders; there may be imperceptible resistance from the people who matter, and those in authority may be turned to blind alleys. Even as they contemplate quitting the scene, they may find themselves outside the system too soon. We are yet to see how Obama perseveres in his battle against the races.

It is obvious that every time a person from the lower rungs of the society climbs up the ladder, there are many who raise their eyebrows, and wonder if it is a mistake; some cannot even believe their eyes and ears. But history is known to reverse the fates of many a men and women, who considered themselves indispensable to history. It is hard for a single man or woman to fight a fierce battle against races, who are soaked in centuries of dominion over the natives. Unfortunately there are many in our society who know only how to be served; they cannot think of themselves as serving others. That is why when it comes to the question of extending an arm of cooperation and collaboration, they feel shattered, and their world crumbles. Today is the day that proves that the Black too have equal rights and opportunities to lead the Whites. What we would very much love to see is a society that goes beyond all sorts of discrimination, on the basis of color or caste, social status or stratification, religion or culture.

There are several men and women who have changed the face of the earth by their sheer grit, and thanks to their tireless service and selfless dedication, today we have a world that still yearns for peace and harmony, strength and stability. It is wrong time for us to enter into a debate about the personal credentials of the leader who is going to occupy the presidential chair; we would not also enter into arguments as to the means by which he had ascended to this position. There are camps for and against, and we would spare them for more volatile debates in schools and colleges, but for now, it shall suffice to look at the traditions the leader brings in to the presidency. Certain aspects of traditions live longer than our breath, and we betray the traditions we behold every time we present ourselves in public. Our speech, mannerism, facial expressions, face-cut, bodily features, smile, everything are here to betray our identity, good or bad. Here then we stand not to condemn anyone or anything, but to behold and ennoble them.

I may not be wrong if I were to say that the universe gets the leaders she deserves. History has seen umpteen leaders, good and bad, selfish and selfless, introvert and extravert; each time phase in history begot her own leaders. Today we pause for a while to bring to mind all the leaders who in some way or other control my life and existence, and to whom I am accountable. There are leaderships at every sphere of my life, religious, cultural, social, political and economic. At the other side of the spectrum, I can see myself in leadership roles, controlling the life and destiny of the people under my care. Sometimes I have the power to care or condemn people, and sadly some of them are under my mercy, and my whims and fancies determine their fate. Today let me reflect for a while, what sort of leader am I, and what do I wish to achieve through this leadership quality that had been bestowed on me. If at any time, I am able to lay down my life, or at least my personal priorities, for the people, then I can be proud to be their leader! (Rome)