NOBEL TO OBAMA; FOR WHAT HE

HAS DONE OR FOR WHAT HE IS TO

DO
The conferment of Nobel Peace Prize for
2009 on Barack Hussein Obama, the US
President has triggered a debate across the
world that whether it is a premature decision
or it is a wrong decision altogether. Many
news channels and newspapers have started
online voting on this issue. Prior to Obama,
three US Presidents, one after retirement and
two in the office have also been awarded this
prestigious and perhaps the most coveted
and recognised award, they are Theodore
Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in
1919 and Jimmy Carter in 2002. But in none
of the case did controversy and public
interests arise to such a magnitude.
The decision was so unexpected and
surprising that even Obama himself, who was
in sound asleep in White House was made to
awake to break this news on him, was
astonished on the decision. Although
diplomatically, he reciprocated with words
like ‘Humbled and Honoured’, it was not

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easily palatable to him also; it was like a
pleasant dream for him.
The decision of Norwegian Nobel Committee,
which was established in 1901 by Alfred
Nobel, the ‘Inventor of Dynamite’, the
explosive, presently comprising of five
eminent people from Europe and headed by
Thorbjorn Jagland, the former PM of Norway,
to award Obama was not an easy task
because a all time record 205 nominations
were on the board, including persons like
Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe and Chinese
dissident Hu Jia, Martti Ahtisaari etc.
WHAT OBAMA HAS SO FAR DONE FOR
PEACE- Many people including some think
tanks and world leaders are asking that what
Obama has so far accomplished? Walesa, the
former President of Poland and himself Nobel
Peace Prize winner also openly criticized this
decision by saying that Obama has so far
accomplished nothing.
People say that Obama has opened many
fronts in international diplomacy of course,
but results or logical conclusions of these
‘back or front door diplomacies’ have not yet
come. He has been desperately trying to
solve vexed and seemingly unending ‘West

2
Asia problem’ and has appointed ‘George
Mitchell’ as special envoy to initiate dialogue
with warring factions including Hamas on the
one hand and Israeli government on the
other. The victory of Benjamin Netanyahu in
Israel has made Obama’s task only difficult
as former has openly but diplomatically not
accepted Obama’s ‘two Nation and Stop
Settlement theory’. The famous ‘Cairo
Speech’ of Obama which stirred hornest nest
in the Muslim world and was termed as
Obama’s bold and farsighted effort to avert
the imminent ‘Clash of Civilisations’ as
propounded by Samuel Huntington. Obama
wanted to end or at least mitigate this hatred
in the Muslim world for Americans in
particular and European in general, a
grotesque legacy which both senior and
junior George Bush had left for him.
Although, a lot more is required to be done
both by the international community and
Obama in this regard, a humble beginning
was definitely made by Obama, for which he
rightly deserves appreciation. At least, he
could muster courage and showed political
sagacity and diplomatic audacity to accept
that America has done some wrongs, for
which time has arrived to mend ways and
rectify and nullify the wrongs done.
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On Afghanistan, Obama’s policy is yet to
take definite shape and yield results. By
appointing Richard Holbrook as special envoy
for Afghanistan, he sent signal to the world
community, especially the Muslim world, that
he is all set to change the old stereotypes
and colonial mindset towards South-Asia.
Although by the time Obama could arrive at
White House, huge collateral damage had
been done both in terms of man and money.
Many American politicians and many security
experts also including Stanley A. McChrystal,
the chief of NATO forces in Afghanistan say
openly now that America and West is fighting
a lost war in Afghanistan. McChrystal in a 66
pages report has demanded 40,000 more
troops in Afghanistan; otherwise, he said, US
will lose the war. This report has shaken
confidence security and defence
establishments including Pentagon. Joe Biden
in not in favour of sending more troops and
Obama is not yet made up his mind, which
way he will go. It is not possible for him
either to eschew or to end the war abruptly
and abjure attacks on Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
The USA is to decide and choose between
devil and the deep sea. Eight precious years
and loss of billions of dollars has brought for

4
America only causalities, defame and
injuries. Obama has to overcome from this; a
huge and stupendous task of finding an
amicable but lasting solutions. The hope
generated during Afghanistan election also is
going to be a fiasco. But so far Obama has
been able to play very cautiously and
intelligently and he requires consistency as
well as continuity in this regard and this
award is definitely a prize and a go ahead
signal for him.
As far as Nuclear disarmament and arms
race are concerned, Obama has taken bold
and decisive steps. Although, it is premature
to give him a certificate of victory or
accomplishment, a beginning is made, the
process has been incited, which had been in
hibernation for a long time. The controversial
‘Europe Missile Defence plan’ has been
abandoned by Obama, a decision which was
very difficult to take under the prevailing
politico-strategic global environment. By
doing so, Obama has tried to lessen the
tension with Russia, the arch rival even after
losing its superpower status.
Even during Georgian crisis, which led to
establishment of South Ossetia and Abkhazia
as independent nations, Obama maintained
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‘outstanding restraint’, a posture which was
unheard of during recent times by White
House.
In UN General Assembly session, Obama’s
initiative brought CTBT and NPT again on
international agenda. In recent times, both
these treaties had been put into ‘mode of
pause’. The Nobel Committee must have
taken into consideration these aspects also
before taking a final decision on this issue.
The US’ posture of ‘ready to take on those
who dare to challenge’ has been bid good-
bye by Obama. He repeatedly utters
‘conciliation and not confrontation’ and
advocates for ‘peaceful co-existence’
rather than dominance. These are some of
the steps taken by Obama, which has
definitely ushered in a new era of difference,
for which Obama must be encouraged.
The experience of ‘policy of economic and
military sanction’ has been proved
disastrous and has done more harm than
good. This perhaps due to this mindset,
Obama did not act the manner his
predecessors would have acted with North
Korea and Iran on their defiance of
international opinion by test firing N-Missiles
etc. He is trying to end economic sanctions of
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Myanmar also, but not unilaterally but by
taking into confidence Suu Kyi also.
Last but definitely not the least is the
decision of release of hundreds of detainees
in Guantanamo bay. Though it was criticised
by many including his compatriots, Obama
did not hesitate and took a historic decision
to show that he really cares for all what he
says. The results in terms of prevail of good
will in the Muslim world is still a distant
dream, but Obama has tried to undo many
wrongs which has been done by his
predecessors including George Bush, the
junior.
Thus there is no denying the fact that
Obama’s actions have yet to be translated
into achievements, his efforts are inculcated
with sincerity and honesty for which he must
be praised and suitably rewarded. And Nobel
Prize for peace was definitely the best
available option for the Nobel Committee.
However this award will ever be remembered
for making a departure in the sense that all
previous Nobel Prizes had been conferred for
‘What has been done’ but this year’s
award perhaps for the first time has been
given for ‘What is to be done’. Perhaps due

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to this departure, even chairman of the
committee Thorbjorn Jagland also said ‘If you
look at the history of the Peace Prize, we
have on many occasions given it to try to
enhance what many personalities were
trying to do’ he added ‘It was because
we would like to support he is trying to
achieve’. The message clear; Obama has
been awarded for what he is to do and not
what he has done.