Another name for Obama-Mania?

Imitation has traditionally been thought of as the sincerest form of flattery, and there is no reason for surnames to be exempt from this axiom. In India, the most famous surname to be attached to two very prominent but unrelated political clans — that too, from very different parts of the country — is Gandhi. But that is due to happy coincidence rather than deliberate action. If the surname happens to be an unusual or distinct one — such as Trump — the concomitant cachet is inevitable. Which is why the action of a woman in Assam to change her surname to Obama from Ozah — which will marginally affect her place in an alphabetical list — to show her admiration for the charismatic current US President is understandable. After all, there are less than 60 people with that surname even in the US, though there be many more in Kenya and Japan too where Obama is an indigenous name.

It is unlikely that India has any one born an Obama and the relative value of the surname in Assam is unclear — though it does have a Barak Valley. About if her intention is to stand out, Archana (Ozah) Obama has picked the right moniker. Had she chosen Modi or Gandhi, it certainly would not have guaranteed the same distinctiveness. If she ever decides to apply for a visa to visit the US, though, the reaction of American consular officials would be worth observing.