Oh, Oh, Obama-An Open Letter to the President-elect

Let me, at the outset, congratulate you on your historic achievement of becoming the President of the United States. Your cheerful disposition, dynamism, neighbourhood and youthful look and dogged approach to fight against all odds took you to the pinnacle of glory, proving many wrong that a person from the Black community can never become the President of the United States. Your convincing victory also proves that the feelings of caste, creed and colour are irrelevant, and the people now look forward to world leaders with vision, compassion and erudition to lead them to the future.

Undoubtedly, Sir, you have been baptized by fire, as you have already gone through an arduous campaign. A whole lot of complex problems await your timely and deft handling and each and every issue demands your utmost attention in terms of its gravity, severity and complexity. Let me flag-mark those apparent insurmountable conundrums that would take more than a fair share of your time, possibly leaving very little time to celebrate your historic victory. 

Global meltdown is not only a financial crisis for the US alone but also an image issue. Worldover, there are murmurs to pin down the US for the present debacle. The working class in the US is restless and despises the earlier dispensations for whetting the huge appetite of ever-greedy people, who had manipulated every system to the their advantage and their cronies. Casino capitalism has now become a new coinage, inasmuch as it is dreaded by the future generations. I do not want to dwell on the calamities ahead, which the world is eagerly looking forward to not only your sympathetic approach but also an early foreclosure. And at the same time, there are no offhand solutions and we know that these systemic failures cannot be wished away by an Alladin’s magic lamp. They require strategic planning and cooperation of all nations, which, I am sure, you can muster since everyone is looking forward to your leadership to resolve. 

Let me confess that I am not an economist but a self-made IT entrepreneur, who was born and bought up in India and made good in the United States. That way, I have two nationalities – one by birth and the other by accomplishment. My loyalties are not divided but are in complete harmony and sync with the aspirations of both the countries. 

I have not yet come to my proposal. My sincere prayer is that let the new economic architecture be not dictated by speculation. Let not the stock markets around the world dictate our destiny. Let not some crazy guys influence the policy decisions with their glib talks and demeanour to their advantage. Let not the over-enthused media promote their views as the expressions of the majority. Let not the economists, self-styled financial wizards and management gurus of hallowed institutions, triggered by their egos and self-interest propound complex theories and concepts to suit their convenience. 

Sir, let your instincts and consciousness guide you. The attributes you have developed and shaped while growing up as an ordinary citizen, struggling, and yet with great adroitness, overcame every odd and reached the pinnacle of glory using only your hard work and inborn intelligence, and political acumen be your guiding star. Sir, by now, you have become a household name the worldover. Your name is known in the remotest hamlets of our country. I am sure that would be the case in other countries also. That way, you have to assume global leadership. That assertion may be different from what your predecessors have followed. You have a responsibility to make the world feel that the U.S. feels for them, cares for them and works for them. That requires a considerable image makeover, be it your geo-political approach, foreign policy and economic pursuits.

I am not competent to place before you any considered views in these realms. But I can dwell on an area where I am deeply involved and that is on information technology. Let me call a spade a spade. India increasingly depends on the US for its software exports. During the election campaign, apprehensions were being expressed about job cuts in the U.S. on account of outsourcing. Some hard facts were conveniently put on the backburner during the “silly days”. That is quite understandable. Political overtones have to be respected and followed during the election trails. That is the order all over the world. I am sure you are aware of the reality. Most of our software development and call centre operations are done on platforms and equipment imported mostly from the US. We are increasingly dependent on the US for our defence and aerospace imports. Millions of our students are pursuing studies in the US universities and business schools, accounting for billions of dollars inflow into your country. The just concluded nuclear deal is another stepping-stone for enhancing our growing economic engagement. 

Sir, it is a win-win game for both our countries in IT. We have to synchronize and blend to achieve each other’s potential. Our special relationship as the two largest democratic countries in the world should not remain as a mere rhetoric. It has to acquire a new meaning, content and direction since the destiny of our two countries and close-to two billion people is closely intertwined. For every job created in India, an additional job has to be created in the U.S. and vice versa. It may be across the spectrum. That would mean that a job lost in India by way of import compression in textiles or gems & jewelry, a new job has to be created in the automobile sector or so here. Going by the same corollary, a job lost in the U.S. by way of outsourcing, a new job has to be created in defence or aerospace triggered by the intensity of imports from India. That is the win-win situation I am talking about, which, I am sure, you would appreciate. That realization at the highest level will flow into the grassroots. That is the challenge before our two countries. 

I once again congratulate you, the members of your family and the people of the U.S. at large for your landslide victory. Let me seek your indulgence to remind you, Mr. President-elect, the world is looking forward to you for your visionary leadership.