November 08, 2020

Afghans anticipate Joe and Kamala to undo the damage

topic:	Election
located:	Afghanistan, USA
editor:	Shadi Khan Saif

Largely overshadowed by the defeat of populist US President Donald Trump, the victory of first female vice president Kamala Harris is likely to inspire women and girls across the globe.

As the dust settles with a clear verdict of US voters showing the door to Trump, the tale of the rise to fame of Kamala has become the talk of town in many different quarters of the world.

Regardless of all the geographical, geopolitical and cultural differences, the ripple effects of the US presidential polls resonated worldwide in this increasingly complex yet globalised world of ours.

No matter how much one tries to prove that all these distances matter there can be no escape from reality. Beyond the argument over gender-rights, her victory to the second-top office in the world’s biggest economy also gives voice and strength to migrants and minorities everywhere.

In her maternal ancestor’s country of India where a female head of state served long ago (Prime Minister Indira Gandhi 1980 -1984) women and girls particularly in rural parts continue to long for their due basic rights. That is hopefully to improve to some extent considering the close ties between New Delhi and Washington.

In conflict-ridden Afghanistan, where the American troops are engaged in the deadly war theatres since nearly two decades now – US’ longest war – the devastated nation is longing for sustainable peace and an end to their miseries.

True, Afghans are the authors of their own misfortune to a greater extent, but the entire world, particularly the US, cannot escape the moral responsibility of utterly failing the war-devastated nation that has clearly lost the sight of peace.

Women here, in particular, are all eyes towards the new US Administration to be honestly fair and committed to the future of this country and its people, which remains the frontline state against global terrorism.

Biden’s predecessor Trump has somehow managed to bring the Taliban insurgents to the negotiation table, but the price many Afghans believe has been too high: creeping violence with an additional layer of targeted killing of youth and the elderly. And, that proves this conflict involving many regional proxy powers can’t be handled or resolved like a business deal.

Securing a dignified peace deal for the Afghans while upholding democratic liberties and basic human rights would remain a big test for the new US administration under Joe and Kamala.

Image by  Christopher Michel,flickr, (CC BY 2.0)

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