Obama's historical inauguration inspires the world

Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of United Sates of America before a crowd of 2 million people who waved flags and cheered, heralding a new phase of politics in USA.

As the first African-American president lifted his right hand to take the oath there was a hush amongst the people who had come from as far as South Korea, UK, Kenya, Sri Lanka, France and Dubai to be part of this historical moment viewed by millions around the world.

International and local tourists started flooding in to Washington DC filling nearly every patch of ground from Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument since Monday when the CNN which was the official broadcasting network began the countdown, giving moment-to-moment reports from the Swearing-in grounds.

Initially when the hope-filled spectators were greeted by frost-bitten weather, a strong doubt was voiced as to whether the anticipated 2 million will turn up to witness the historical moment, but as the day progressed with more people filling up the grounds it became clear that no wintry weather however freezing was going to deter the multitudes of people from being part of history in the making.

Many who were inspired by this moment felt a compulsion to be part of it and one such youth was Sri Lankan-born Canadian Ayendri Perera who boarded a bus for three days from Toronto to Washington in the hope of catching a glimpse of Barack Obama.

Ayendri, a social-minded student from Kent University wrote to her Dean of the faculty regarding her wish to be part of this inspirational moment and her wish to share her experience with other colleagues. The Kent University eager to encourage such initiative amongst their students was eager to assist by sponsoring her three-day bus ticket.

Ayendri Perera boarded a bus from Toronto to Washington to witness Obama's inauguration.

The inauguration of the first African American President was held on January 20, the day after Martin Luther King's Day which is a public holiday celebrating a great African-American freedom fighter who sacrificed his life for the rights of African people in USA.

Thus, in keeping with this theme many Civil Rights Activists declared that "Martin Luther King marched so that Obama could run". Obama's presidential inauguration will also go down in history as the most costly with 150 million spent on security, transportation and pageantry.

The security effort involved Secret Service agents; 8,000 police officers from the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions; 10,000 National Guardsmen; about 1,000 FBI personnel; and hundreds of others from the Department of Homeland Security, the National Park Service and U.S. Capitol Police.

Another 20,000 members of the National Guard were ready to respond if there was an emergency, said Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security secretary.

The president-elect throughout his campaign pledged to unite a country divided over the decision to invade Iraq, the handling of the economic crisis, religious beliefs, race and countless cultural wedges.

And as Obama gave his speech he made an attempt to speak to all sectors of people from the Armed Forces, millions who have lost jobs to elderly without health care, to under privileged schools children and he tried to assure that measure will be taken to improve their conditions.

And to the international community this is what he said: "To all other peoples and Governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity and that we are ready to lead once more."

And coming back to his promise to his countrymen he offered solemnly, "I won't pretend that meeting any one of these challenges will be easy. It will take more than a month or a year, and it will likely take many," the president-elect told the throng of people at the Lincoln Memorial Sunday. "Along the way there will be setbacks and false starts and days that test our fundamental resolve as a nation."

Obama's work begins immediately. He plans to hold a series of meetings on the economy, Iraq and other issues that will dominate his first year in office. Even before taking office, he won approval from the Senate, by a hair, for the remaining $350 billion in financial bailout money. Now he's trying to push an economic stimulus package that will likely cost more than $800 billion.

Gayathri Samarakoon Los Angeles