After four years of divisive politics that left the United States battered and dysfunctional, it was on January 20 that the country gathered the courage to see the great American dream together. The Americans also pledged to re-dedicate themselves to the development of the country.
On 20 January, when President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into their respective offices, it was the beginning of a new era for the country, one that will see a more responsible, democratic and representative government redefining the country as a multi-racial and diverse country where everyone is equal.
The election of Joe Biden as the President of the US represents a precarious and delicate moment in the history of the country which is at the cusp of making a transition from a pandemic to a post pandemic phase, from a divisive and immature leadership to a seasoned and experienced leadership. How the USA comes out of this transformation will depend on the next four years under the Biden-Harris Presidency. From being vice president to the first African American President of the US to becoming the oldest president of the US with the first African and Asian origin female vice president, Joe Biden has scripted history from time to time in his long political career.
From postponing his plans to run for the Presidency due to deep personal loss to letting that same loss fuel his journey to the highest office of the USA, it has been nothing short of a dramatic ascension for Joe Biden.
While the country is rejoicing in the aftermath of his inauguration, for Biden, the saying heavy is the head that wears the crown rings true as he has challenging times ahead. From reuniting a deeply divided country to tiding through a public health crisis that has just amplified the scale of economic decline for the country, Biden has a rocky road ahead of him. Biden knows he has to toil hard at the Oval office to restore the soul of America, rebuilding a nation that was once a formidable superpower but now looks lost.
It was in Kamala Harris that America saw the dawn of a new beginning for so many marginalised groups. The picture of an empowered African Asian American woman assuming the second highest office in the USA, was a source of inspiration for people around the world that will remain indelible for years to come.
Harris, becoming the first woman Vice President, while also becoming the first African American and Asian American to assume the role, has reiterated that she might be the first to assume these crucial responsibilities and hold power, but she has only set precedent for generations of women who will be free to nurture great ambitions.
With Kamala Harris’ roots traced back to Tamil Nadu, India, where her mother was born, it was a proud day for Indians too and the celebrations of the inauguration ceremony found resonance with Indian people, thousands of miles away from Washington DC.
The wishes from India were led by tweets from the Prime Minister as he congratulated both Biden and Harris expressing his hopes of building a robust and strengthened Indo-US partnership.
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