145;Obama146;s win comes as a blessing for the coloured races146;

With Obama becoming the President of the USA, the American democracy has come of age. He was born at a time when even the effort of voting put in by a 8220;coloured8221; person invited death sentence. And now, America has one such president.

Obama, however, should realise that holding the most important office in the world has its share of responsibilities. He has to address several issues, including the Iraq problem and the ever-increasing tentacles of Taliban.

His predecessor has left a 8220;bed of thorns8221; and the new president-elect is expected to have several sleepless nights before he savours the bitter-sweet fruit of his triumph.

Obama8217;s victory comes as a blessing for the coloured races and the immigrants residing in America. The US has always been infamous for its racial discrimination.

The hate crimes that were unleashed after 9/11 are proof enough that Americans have a dominant streak of racism in them. The pride of being a 8220;white8221; has made them overlook humanity and their collective responsibility as a civilised society.

For once, the coloured can hope to breathe easy. There is a flicker of hope that racial discrimination will now be dealt

with by someone who has experienced it first hand.

Obama8217;s win may also prove beneficial for the Indo-Pak ties. While George Bush was always accused of having a biased stand when it came to Pakistan, the change of guard may help the relationship between the two neighbours.

Obama must not forget that the entire world is watching him with great expectations. He needs to work hard to justify

his victory.