The US President Barack Obama has completed one year in office and since his assumption of the office of Presidency on January 4, 2009 each word that came off his lips, each step he took have come under intense scrutiny from different quarters of the world. Before dissecting his scorecard for the last one year it would not be out of place to take a look at the backdrop against which he created history by becoming the President of the United States. He stepped in to shoes of a predecessor who earned a lot of ignominy by his militarist world-view and committed a series of bloomers which played havoc with the image of the United States as a war-mongering nation. On the economic scenario, the unprecedented financial crisis which engulfed the world which is still struggling and reeling under it. The social tension which has followed in form of job-loss and worse could be traced to the recklessness which characterized the Bush administration. Thus the hands of the newly elected were full. He literarily inherited throne of thorns!

 

The emergence of Obama in the political arena had all the elements of a drama. He was least expected to become President when the presidential race started off. Contrary to the expectations of many who thought that Hillary Clinton would emerge as the nominee of the Democratic Party, he made it a thrilling contest by ultimately edging past her to win the nomination. The rest was history. He just swept the American voters off their feet by being extremely articulate on his theme “ Vote for Change”. The American voters who were weary of George Bush's two presidential terms simply were charmed by Barack Obama's personality and shining eloquence and plumped for him to elect the 44^th President of the United States of America.

 

On his immediate assumption of power he acted with alacrity to get down to the brass tacks of managing the wobbly US economy as well as stabilizing things politically. In doing so, he accorded greatest importance to the role of diplomacy which was given a go-by by his predecessor who was almost paranoid about finding military solutions to all global problems. While displaying remarkable restraint, President Obama has not failed in striking a firm posture in matters relating to terrorism which has turned into a global scourge! His show of firmness in reading the Riot Act to Pakistan which has been acknowledged to be the hotbed and epicenter of international terrorism. From the Indian point of view his recognition of India as natural in his fight against terrorism augurs well for us.

 

Despite his modest success as US President for the last one year, there are palpable signs of loss of popularity among the US voters. The results of the Massachusetts special elections which followed the death of the popular Democrat senator Edward Kennedy must be particularly galling to him as this seat has a strong and traditional base for the Democratic Party. This must be a wake-up call for him The Election of the Republican Scott Brown would be a stern blow as the Democrats have lost their majority in the 100 member Us Senate which would have significant repercussions on the proposed law to reform American health care. With 41 seats in the chamber Republicans are like to filibuster any health care legal initiatives.

The question which must be agitating our minds is whether President Barack Hussein Obama is likely to turn out to be one-term wonder like Jimmy Carter!

 

The Manmohan Singh government’s assertion that there can be no forward movement on statehood for Telangana until the Andhra Assembly passes a resolution supporting the state’s bifurcation should set at rest any fears that the issue would be bulldozed through. Clearly, so long as legislators from Telangana are not joined by a substantial number from the rest of the state to cobble up a majority in the assembly, the carving out of a new state is ruled out. With the winter session of the state assembly having been adjourned sine die on Monday, well ahead of its scheduled December 23 date, and resignations of 138 legislators lying with the Speaker in protest against the Centre’s in-principle decision to work towards statehood for Telangana, the issue will doubtlessly remain in cold storage for now. Consequently, politicians who had raised the pitch in West Bengal for a separate Gorkhaland, in Maharashtra for Vidarbha, in U.P. for Harit Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Purvanchal, besides similar demands in other parts of the country, using Telangana as a convenient pretext, would now be deprived of that prop.In Andhra, the supporters of Jaganmohan Reddy, son of the late chief minister Rajsekhar Reddy had been nursing a grouse against their leader not being allowed to succeed his illustrious father. Their acceptance of K. Rosaiah as chief minister was forced and half-hearted. The Telangana issue had given them an opportunity to settle scores with Mr Rosaiah and through him with the party high command. It would require deft handling to restore a modicum of unity in the party. Other political parties are equally divided along predictable regional lines.

 

While it is but fair that there be no further movement on the Telangana issue until an assembly resolution is passed, it is time that politicians stop fanning the embers of hatred. Andhra Pradesh has frittered away a full session of the assembly with no business transacted. Losses from work stoppages have also been on a massive scale. Neither Andhra nor West Bengal’s Darjeeling region, nor Maharashtra or UP can afford disruption of economic activity in these difficult times. It is indeed vital that sanity prevails.

India is a great democratic country. In the world united state of America is considered to be the greatest democratic country and India is the second. The definition of a democratic government is : "It is a government of the people, by the people and for the people." So the government is to be formed by the people. The people's representatives are elected through voting and they are sent to from the government. So in democracy election is very important. Usually election is held in every fifth year. Sometimes there is a mid-term poll to the unusual situation. When and how the election is to be held is decided by the Election commission. When the election is announced the political activities begins. There are so many political parties in the contest. They announced the names of their candidates. Some independent candidates also stand in the contest. All the contestants announce their symbol of election. They prepare banners for the propaganda. They also distribute pamphlets and handbills. All the candidates attract the voters by promising different items, which remain always promise. They use mike to communicate their voice to the people. They sing patriotic songs on the mike. Every contestant condemns the rest all. All the contestants address public meeting separately and try convince the public the genuiness of their candidature ship. On a few days before the election, on the roads of towns or villages only the vehicles of contestants are seen with banners and flags. All the muhallas and villages seem colourful with the colourful flags, banners, pamphlets and hand bills. Everywhere there is a noise. A day before the election the propaganda is banned by the election commission. In this case the candidates go in group from door to door and from shop to shop. They ask their problems to fulfill after election and then beg their votes. On the day of election there are several booths in the schools, colleges and other public places. The voters stand in queue to cast their votes. Sometimes there is a clash among the party men. Different political parties try to take undue advantage due to which clash and chaos occur. Sometimes the climax gose up to the murder and severe physical injury. The police force and military force are also available there. But sometimes the situation gose out of control and unwanted occurrences take place. The election is the democratic pattern of forming government in the democratic country. But the election cannot be fare unless the morality of people develops. The voters are sold or influenced by so many sources. The candidates apply to influence them the slogans of caste and religion. The whole society is divided under so many camps. The candidates spend a huge wealth and power to win the election. Only wealthy persons can win the election or even fight the election. This system must be removed by the government. The true development of the country cannot be possible without fare election.

India has produced many great men. One of them is former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. His name is known all over the world as a great statesman and lover of peace.

Nehru was born with a silver spoon. His father Motilal Nehru was a rich lawyer at Allahabad. Nehru had completed his college education in England. He led a princely life in his early days.

One day he met Mahatma Gandhi. It was the turning point in his life. He took a leading role in country’s freedom fight against British. During the struggle for freedom, Nehru went to prison many times. He bore his sufferings of prison bravely. Even though he lost his father and his beloved wife, he did not give up. He was a man of great daring and courage.

Nehru was a great speaker and writer too. Some of his books have won lasting fame. ‘The Discovery of India’ is a famous book written by him. Another famous book of him is ‘Letters from a Father to His Daughter’. It is a collection of letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter Indira Gandhi who is also a former Prime Minister of India.

When India got freedom in 1947 Nehru became its Prime Minister. Till his death in 1964, he dedicated his life to make India great and prosperous. He also did his best to promote world peace. He loved children very much. His birthday November 14 is celebrated as children’s day on every year. He was a great patriot and lover of mankind. He put red rose in his shirt usually. In Tamil Nadu which is one of the states of India, he is praised as “Rojavin Raja”. His name will shine for ever in the pages of history.