In 1967, six-year-old Barack Obama was taken by his mother to Indonesia. But the mother's decision that day had a far-reaching impact on the life of the current US President Barack Obama.
A child has the shadow of its parents. In that shadow there is sometimes the influence of the father, sometimes of the mother. Sometimes both parents are equal in that shade. US President Barack Hussein Obama did not have the closeness of his father, nor the companionship of his mother for a long time. Whose shadow is more in him?
In this case, it can be said very easily that he got the acumen needed for politics and state management from both his parents. Obama's father, Barack Hussein Obama Sr., was a prominent economist in his native Kenya. In 1959, he went to the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA for higher education on a scholarship. He was the first foreign African student at that university. Later, he returned to the country after completing higher education in economics from Harvard University. Build a bright professional life.
Stanley Ann Dunham, Obama's mother, has a heavier weight in education. He has a PhD in Anthropology.
In his book, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, which played a key role in Obama's political rise, he wrote of his mother, "a shy little city girl who was fascinated by the genius and majesty of a young African American."
After that, the description of Obama's mother in different chapters of the book reveals a picture of a prophetic young mother in a distant land, who had the unique quality of embracing unknown people and unknown environment.
Anne Dunham's acquaintance and love with Obama Sr. from studying at the University of Hawaii. Obama Sr. is six years older than him. As a result of love, she became pregnant in 1960. Conceived today's President Obama. Anne was only 17 years old at the time. Being able to have children, she learned the ropes of study. They got married on February 2, 1961 in Maui, Hawaii. The marriage takes place against the will of the guardians of both the families. At that time, about 24 states of the United States had legal barriers to the marriage of blacks with whites. Obama Jr. was born on August 4 of the same year. But their marriage did not last long. Obama Sr left his wife and children in Kenya. He didn't tell Anne that while they were making love. Ann found it difficult to accept this revelation after the wedding. They got divorced in January 1964. Before that, however, they were separated for several years. Ann went back to school, leaving Obama Jr. in charge of her parents.
In 1964, Ann married Lolo Soetoro, a native of Java, Indonesia. This is also a love marriage. Lolo went on to study geography at the University of Hawaii. The following year he returned to Java. Meanwhile, Anne graduated from the same university with a degree in anthropology and went to Java in 1967 with her six-year-old son Obama.
Obama was in the warm company of his mother for the next four years. At that time he was called 'Barry'. Baby Obama's gradual understanding of the world begins with his mother. Consciously or unconsciously, mother's values greatly impress him. Four years of expatriate life in Indonesia have taught Obama about the hustle and bustle of the world, manners and culture, as well as training him to deal with hostility.
Ann has often traveled to different places with her son. Ms. was seen holding the hand of a young white mother with her half-American black son. At that time there was an American woman named Elizabeth Bryant in the city of Yogyakarta. Anne was very close to him. While recalling the events of one day, Elizabeth said that they were invited to have lunch at another expatriate's house that day. Ann appeared there with her son in a long skirt. The skirt was made of Indonesian fabric. The boy vigorously shakes Barry's hand as he introduces him. Ann brought an English work-book on arrival. Barry sat on the sofa reading the book. There was no agility in him.
Elizabeth said, recalling four decades ago, "Anne has been in Indonesia for almost four years on that day. At one point, he asked me how many days I will be in Indonesia. In response, I can stay in Tenetun for another couple of years. Then I will return to the country. Ann asked why, it's hard to live here. There is no good doctor. No healthy environment. But Ann disagreed with me on this. That is, although the environment in Indonesia at the time was not what could be expected for an American citizen accustomed to a relatively affluent life, Anne adapted to it.
After dinner, nine-year-old Barry was eager to go downstairs to play. Mother said, "Take the permission of the one who invited us." Barry did just that. On the way back Anne and Elizabeth continued to talk side by side. Barry was running ahead of them. At one point some local boys started throwing stones at him from behind the wall. At the same time they were chanting "Black" at Barry. But Barry didn't listen at all. Bivoar is at your disposal. He played in his mind. Ann then said, her son is used to these things.
In this way, Obama got to know the surrounding world directly from the proximity of his mother until the age of 10 years. Learned which action to take in which environment in which situation. It was from his mother that Obama learned how to reach the top of success.
On August 15, 1970, a daughter was born to Ann and Soetoro. Her name is Maya Soetoro. Obama's sister said while remembering her mother, she was a child-at-heart. He used to say such sweet words at least a hundred times a day. He used to get emotional over small achievements of children. At that time tears came to his eyes. He also knew various handicrafts including embroidery. Maya said, 'We got a lot of things in life from his presence.'
After the first edition, the next edition of Obama's book Dreams from My Father was published in 2004. In the foreword of the new edition of the book published nine years after the death of his mother, Obama frankly said that his mother was going to die like this, if he had known earlier, he might have written another book. In it, the issue of proximity rather than absence of mother in his life was described. It was written about someone who is always with him like a shadow.
Source: The New York Times Magazine. Shariful Islam Bhuiyan Date: 19-08-2011
