Barack Obama’s stunning victory in the US presidential elections has been hailed by almost all sections of Indian society, including by those who would be hesitant to accept the fact that his middle name is ‘Hussein’. The brilliance of a man’s personality is like the sun’s light that dispels the fog, in this case the fog of prejudice. And Obama is nothing if not brilliant, in ideas as well as in articulation. His acceptance speech in Chicago on November 4, one of the best political speeches in modern times, was oratory turned into poetry and music. Moreover, it was music of a kind in which the performer and listeners got attuned so completely that there was a kind of jugalbandi between Obama and his audience, both saying (wasn’t it singing?) ‘Yes We Can!’

For a country that was descending into the depths of despair, even simple words like ‘Yes We Can!’ were suffused with the hope and expectation of change. Of course, the most difficult journey for a political leader to traverse is that between expectation and achievement. In the months ahead, America and the rest of the world will be closely watching Obama’s journey. What content will he put into his promise of change? The election of the first African American to the country’s highest office has no doubt already marked a big transformation in the US. But the significance of Obama is far greater than the colour of his skin. It will lie in his policies and performance. Let us wait and watch.

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