Comments Related To: Challenging-Obama Mayawati

It is time for change world wide. This change can be good for India as with the change in the states with Obama.

This is an excellent article. The caste system in India has long been controversial and like any racism issue - often still very much a part of the culture despite being outlawed. It's also excellent that you pointed out Obama has a first class education and the backing of the Democratic Party which assisted in leading him into the Presidency despite his radical view on many issues. Perhaps Mayawati will actually be slightly more truthful in her actions than Obama has been in his. This just might make a huge difference between the two. Lastly, Obama had questionable backings and questionable ties to people many view as dangerous to the United States. Wasn't really the candidate of "hope" as was said in his campaign. I hope Mayawati follows her own path instead of taking a caste's society racism further down the dark road of racism. However, Obama is very much "politics as usual." - What he promised - he isn't delivering on. There is no change - only much greater debt, and much more greed. He isn't freeing a society, he's placing chains on it for generations to come.

I beg to differ. Lower castes are the majority in India. Her election is big, but not ground rules changing. I'd rather praise India's constitution and Dr. Ambedkar. And as far as honesty is concerned, she's no better or worse than an average Indian poltician. She did get the upper castes to vote for her in the previous election which is quite appreciable. She is something of an egotist;she's in trouble over the 1,000 crore she spent on erecting statues of herself.
And she is has an autocratic grip on her party. Not quite the 'democratic' leader. And in the last parliamentary election, she was thrashed, minority Muslims didn't like her at all. If i'd appreciate anything of her, it would be her steely will.

Whites are the majority in America. Obama's election should have been considerably more difficult. Although the fact that the emancipation of slaves was signed 150 years did help him.

So all i'm saying is don't read too much into such results. The election of Obama or Mayawati is a good first step, but the blacks continue to be discriminated and the untouchables still remain that way inspite of what the constitution says about its abolition. The real change is slow and sure, in the universities and sports fields.