The most striking aspect of the speech which Joe Biden delivered after taking oath as the 46^th President of the United States of America on Wednesday was the assurance that he will be the President of all Americans, a clear message to his predecessor Donald Trump that his era will be different from the last four years when racism raised its ugly head. The duty of bringing back America, the oldest democracy in the world to shape has been entrusted to Biden at a time when the challenge is not just limited to corona. The problems are far too many and that are with the economy, health, tendency of racial discrimination that has eroded the foundational blocks which kept the nation and its people together and many more. The word ‘tumultuous’ will be a light one for narrating what the preceding four years had been and in that sense it will be an extremely challenging task for the new President who will be assisted by Kamla Harris, the first Black American and the first person from South Asian (Indian-Jamican to be exact) origin to hold the nation’s second-highest office. The duo will be watched keenly as there is an overwhelming unanimity across the world that America is in dire need of sustained healing, as pronounced by the new President himself.   

While the phrase ‘melting pot’ is generally attributed to the city of New York, the entire US is nearly of the same hue with people from across the globe making it their home, driven by the urge of doing something big exclusively on their individual abilities and with the strong assurance that there is a high quality democracy. This quality of democracy, however, fell unprecedentedly during Trump’s regime and the alarming quantum of intolerance and divisiveness that have invaded the American society was evident from the ruckus engineered by the violent pro-Trump mob at the Capitol Hill to thwart the Presidential switch over. For India, America’s regaining of its erstwhile strength will matter significantly if viewed in the light of the current picture of South Asian politics. China’s rise as an economic superpower has emboldened it to pursue many a dirty game, of which wild territorial claims is a frontline one. From Hong Kong to Taiwan to India it’s the same game plan and for bringing geo-political balance in the subcontinent as well as in Asia, America’s regaining of strength and patronage will be urgently wished for.

It’s soothing to notice that America which definitely fell in wrong hands has been rescued and deep democratic consciousness of its people have only made it possible. India must immediately strike the right chord with the Biden regime and it’s a must for confronting an ever-hostile neighbour like China.