The Inauguration of Obama

The obligatory post-inauguration twitters swung rapidly in an unexpected direction - a vigorous give and take about the cost of the event and whether it should have been toned down in the prevailing economic conditions. Latha and Murali came down strongly on the side of exercising restraint while Vanitha and Sangeetha joined me in mostly believing that the costs for today's events were justified. Interestingly, our reasons were different - To Vanitha (& me), the historical significance trumped the cost issue, while for Sangeetha the festivities were a way to bring everybody under one tent - essential for the long struggles ahead. I wanted to mention this Twitter exchange because it was interesting, but this post is not about that.

Instead I want to reflect a little bit about the import of the main event, partly to bookend my previous post. Acknowledging the historical significance of Obama's election has become so reflexive that most of us scarcely give it another thought. As I saw the events this morning, unfolding in an ordered and civil manner, I felt almost like I had an epiphany - how remarkable is this peaceful transfer of power? Scenes from 'The Story of India' were fresh in my mind - the bloody history of India being no different than that of any other nation - and I felt a rush of pride that India is among those countries were such a transfer of power happens on a regular basis. This is especially significant since India is a poor country and higher order concepts such as democracy are usually the privilege of the well-fed.

I found my attention wandering at times during Obama's inaugural address. It was infused with an unusual amount of current-world talk and eschewed some of the soaring rhetoric that I was expecting. This may be the genius of Obama at work - his ability to capture the pulse of the nation, the mood of the moment. We need to feel hopeful, but be fully aware that we are in desperate times. When he talked about how his father would not have been served in a restaurant 60 years ago and here he was taking the oath of the Presidency, some of the real significance sank in. This was not some ordinary glass ceiling being shattered - this was the son of a immigrant who would have been a slave just a few generations earlier, the product of an inter-racial marriage, born during a time when inter-racial marriages were illegal in 13 states, a person without privileged upbringing or political connections - taking over the reigns of a most powerful nation. Could this happen anywhere else? Think of the xenophobia that erupted when Sonia Gandhi seemed the front runner for PM.

Another only-in-America moment was the performance by Izhtak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero (a Venezuelan citizen), and Anthony McGill. Very PC in its composition, but escaped being a cliche due to the quality of the performers.

Now that the pomp and pageantry is over the hard scrabble of everyday life can begin, but this day will remain special for a long time.