Barack Obama, Democratic front-runner for the US President, sees Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration and has a portrait of the apostle of peace in his office to remind him that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

“In my life, I have always looked to Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because he embodies the kind of transformational change that can be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things,”

Vowing to strengthen ties with the “natural partner” India, Obama has noted that the hardworking Indian-American professionals are adding to the “richness” of the US society and invited the community to join him in “renewing the strength” of this country.

“The world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy are natural partners, sharing important interests and fundamental democratic values,”

Well isn’t Obama the same guy who was pointing fingers at India’s outsourcing industry for America’s job losses? But aah, he finally eyed the vote bank which the Clintons have always been close to. Better late than never Obama!

Obama, who has edged past rival Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries, said it is his commitment to the critical relationship between the two countries that he voted for the US-India nuclear energy deal on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.