Yes We Can!!!

I have never been happier to admit that I was wrong. I did not think that a black man could win elections in America but Barack Obama proved me wrong. My skepticism was not because I think there is rampant racism but because we often tend to take decisions based on perceptions than on reality. And Xenophobia forms a major component of our perceptions when we judge others. Xenophobia which is defined as” the fear/hatred of that which is foreign” has plagued mankind from the very beginning. The displacement of natives and aborigines by the Europeans, slavery, the crusades, the holocaust, 9-11, the Babri masjid tragedy and genocides in Somalia Darfur and Bosnia and the recent terror attacks in Mumbai are all examples of the hideous nature of Xenophobia. Yet xenophobia has been an important factor in survival of humans and animals in general. A strong sense of self and rejection of the foreign has been a key component of the evolution of life. In fact it is so deeply ingrained in us that it is present even at a molecular level. The first lesson our immune system learns is to recognize self proteins from non-self proteins which is how our body is able to fight bacterial, viral and other foreign proteins without attacking our own “self” proteins. Globalization is the only cure for xenophobia. As cultures are melting into each other, through the internet, TV/movies, free trade and immigration, people are realizing that their biases are only skin deep. Obama winning the election is a shinning example of how much progress we have made in defeating xenophobia.


On a personal level Obamas win has given me hope again. Hope, that was lost somewhere on the streets of Mumbai. During my recent visit to Mumbai I was shocked to read advertisements which were targeted against “foreigners”. There were boards with picture of a white man which said “Yeh Mumbai ka nahi Canada ka hai: (he is not from Mumbai; he is from Canada) or with a picture of Sikh with caption saying “he is not from Mumbai; he is from Punjab. Mumbai is the epitome of cultural, religious and economic diversity. Heck!! Mumbai has even formed its own dialect called Bambaiya which is an amalgamation of Hindi, Urdu Marathi, Gujrathi, Konkani and English. So it hurts that a handful of politicians are ruining the beauty of this most diverse city in the world. It hurts even more because India (and the sub continently civilization in general) has be a beacon of cultural liberation and equality for ages. Dr Zakir Husain was Indias first minority President in 1967, at a time when the US was deeply entrenched in segregation. India (Indira Gandhi 1966 to 1977 and 1980 to 1984) and Pakistan (Benazir Bhutto 1988-1990 and 1993 to 1996) both elected female prime ministers back in the 60’s and 80’s which is a stunning contradiction to the backward image of these countries that is portrayed in the “modern” western world, compared to that the US will have to wait for at least 8 more years before they can elect their first female president. And of course there was Mahatma Gandhi who was like a shining light house in the gloomy World War II era. Gandhijis influence extends way past his fight against apartheid in South Africa or his non violent struggle to free India. Gandhiji has influenced many of the modern leaders like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama and even Barack Obama. We surely need more leaders like the Mahatma in this present war hungry world.
As president Obama makes his own history, these recent acts of bigotry in Mumbai will remain only as very tiny stains in the marvelous history of this great city of the world. And I have just one thing to say to the religious and political leaders who want to use bigotry and racism for personal gains: “Yes we can!!!”