Barack Obama has broken many barriers and has fulfilled many dreams that many thought not possible. He brings something new, not just for the United States, but also to the rest of the world.  The initial response to his election has been overwhelmingly positive worldwide. However, on the long run, let me explore how President Obama is good news for India, South Asia and for the rest of the region.

Firstly, Obama brings a breath of fresh air to the White House which has been occupied for long by a president who has an approval rating of around 29% within the country, but statistically insignificant internationally. Regardless of any change in foreign policy, just the fact that Dubya is replaced by a man named Barack Obama will bring such a dramatic and positive change in the good will that United States currently hold worldwide. President Obama would also change the outlook of the United States in terms of foreign policy in such a way that it will restore America’s standing, authority and esteem in the world. He will restore Habeas Corpus, respect civil liberties, end torture by United States and fight corruption so that  America will once again become the beacon of freedom and liberty that billions across the world admire.

As for India, it has always enjoyed good relationship with the United States recently, starting with President Clinton. Many incidents in the recent history like the 9/11 have aligned the interests of India and the United States and there is no better ally for the US in the fight of terror than India. After all, India has been fighting the war on terror for over half a century now. However, the over aggressive image of President Bush has been a hindrance for the Indian government in building a consensus in the country in improving the ties with the US. Barack Obama presidency would change that. Also, he has clearly understood and articulated the fact that the Musharaff government had diverted the US aid for the war on terror to preparing for war against India. This is a remarkable point of view coming from a presidential candidate who reflects the long time complaint of India that many elements in Pakistan, especially within ISI, its spy agency are always plotting against India.

However, his remarks about killing Bin Laden in Pakistani soil have been a concern for many of my friends who I have been talking to. However, to understand what he meant, one would have to understand the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. These are regions that are practically outside the control of the Pakistani government. Even the British tried hard but failed to bring about any level of serious governance in those regions that are ruled by certain tribes for centuries and where Osama Bin Laden and many of the Al Qaeda top brass are believed to be living. In this context, what Obama said was that if the US government has actionable intelligence of Bin Laden or high profile Al Qaeda terrorists to the effect that they are in sight at a location within the Pakistani border and IF the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take action, he will. Clearly, this is not about attacking Pakistan.

Another area where an Obama presidency is favorable for South Asians is immigration reform. He calls for improving and streamlining the legal immigration process. He helps for the cause of legal immigration by supporting and pushing for policy proposals that remove the incentives for illegal immigration by cracking down on employers hiring illegal immigrants and also to create a system for employment eligibility verification system. He also supports securing the border as well as for a plan to bring the illegal immigrants out of the shadows by giving them a path to citizenship if they pay a fine, learn English, not commit any crime and go back in the line for citizenship. Another reform that he supports is in the H1B visa where it would remove the dependency of the employees to their employers for their right to stay in the country so that the rampant abuse of the employees is reduced.

One concern that many of my friends have raised is his stance on outsourcing. He surely calls for cutting the tax breaks for companies that outsource the jobs. While he mainly talks about the manufacturing jobs that are lost by the United States, it also applies to the offshoring in the fields of IT and IT enabled services. While these policies are aimed at protecting American jobs, he has also admitted that outsourcing to India and China is an irreversible process of globalization. All his policies ask for is to stop giving tax breaks from the US government to companies that send jobs overseas. I find it reasonable. It does not mean that he is going to ban outsourcing in any manner. Also, it is not something that can be done by a president even if he chose to.

A final word of caution aired by many is that due to his relative inexperience and unusually high expectations, he may end up as a big disappointment. However, with the kind of competent people like Warren Buffet that has surrounded himself with, I feel that the team that he is going to build will be capable enough to govern well and to change the way America is perceived in the world. For me, and many others who are numb from eight years of incessant politics of dumb, fear and propaganda, the very basic attitude that he brings to the oval office would be good enough for a while. For us who are disappointed that the much promised compassionate conservative never materialized in the form of Dubya, President Obama is a sweet respite from the last two presidential terms. If he turns out to be the president that he has promised to be: calm, collected, reflective, intelligent and smart, it will be change enough that we can believe in.

- This article has first appeared at Splice Today Magazine

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