Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Experts have their take on Obama

Thiruvananthapuram: There will be no major change in the policies of the U.S. government under Barak Obama, Minister for Education and Culture M.A. Baby has said.

Inaugurating the public forum on U.S. President-elect Barak Obama, organised by the Kerala International Centre here, Mr. Baby said that the new President would try to change the U.S. establishment as much as the U.S. establishment would try to influence him. He, however, did not undermine the importance of Mr. Obama’s election as the first black President of the U.S. In a well-prepared speech, he drew parallels between Abraham Lincoln and Mr. Obama. The only difference was that during Lincoln’s time, women did not have a vote.

Former Additional Chief Secretary D. Babu Paul said that Obama’s presidency would witness the emergence of multi-lateralism. He said it was significant that a black, a dark horse, would enter the White House.

Former Planning Board vice-chairman V. Ramachandran, saw a reversal in the climate change and environment policy, with greater emphasis on nuclear power. Management expert Rajiv Sreenivasan felt that the Obama administration would witness move towards multi-polarity. The U.S. cannot solve the economic crisis on its own and would require help from outside including the Arabs.

Former Technopark Chief Executive G. Vijayaraghavan focused on the positive impact of Obama’s policies on India. He said the labour policy was a matter of concern, but outsourcing would not end. At present, Americans are witnessing jobs cuts, but this trend can reverse once the economy picks up. At that time, American industry would have to outsource work to cut costs, he said.

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