End of Obama era

After eight years, covering two terms, the tenure of the first African American President of the United States of America came to an end on January 20. It is for the Americans to evaluate President Obama's performance. We offer our views, distant as we are from the USA, but nonetheless influenced by the consequences of some of his policies.

Obama's tenure, as was his campaign, was one of hope. His contributions for the benefit of the minorities in America, his forward thinking policies, including Obamacare, his great oratory skills and his conduct will be, and for good reason, remembered. Despite a hostile Congress, he strived to rise above partisanship, and till his last days fought to achieve what he believed in, from closing Guantanamo to ending Israel's occupation of Palestine through a two-state solution.

But, as Guantanamo showed, his administration was marked with its lows as well. The unprecedented number of drone strikes in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan under his command tops the list. His commitments towards withdrawing troops from Iraq remained unfulfilled as did his stated intentions of bringing stability in the region. The lacklustre efforts of America in the refugee crisis should also be a reflection on the extent of his actions.

What he did do was show that dirty mudslinging need not be the way of politics. Obama, till his last day, remained aloof from parochial and exclusionary rhetoric. He was a cerebral President with a global outlook and a desire to make public administration inclusive and people-centred. His contributions, whether in terms of social security or climate action, now face uncertainty. History will be the best judge of the man. But, it is, without exaggeration, the end of an era that promised hope.