Great leaders rule over the hearts of the people. For this, you need neither money nor a show of power. With all the celebrities by her side, Hillary Clinton lost. Hopefully, Donald Trump will wield power to strike the right chord. He can emulate Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner, who inspired the confidence of his subjects.

Winning Trumpcard: Donald Trump outpaced his opponent despite his sexist and racist outbursts. Hopefully, the weight of responsibility will help him to mellow down.

About a century ago, just shy of the first light of dawn, a young Rajasthani woman was bathing by a water tank.She caught the attention of a rider. Sitting upright on his well-built Marwari horse, looking away, he questioned the young lady, “Thaahne darr koni laage?” (Aren’t you afraid?) The woman sniggered and spoke with utmost confidence, “Saa main kaahoon darroon? Mhaare raaje ka naam Ganga Singh ae.” (Why should I be afraid? My king’s name is Ganga Singh). The man with a firm grip on the reins (literally and metaphorically) was the Maharaja himself — conducting an in cognito morning patrol. The king smiled, said, “Phalo, phoolo beti, Karni Mata ki Jai,”” (God Bless) and left.President-elect Trump’s triumph came as an enormous surprise. Most world leaders had dismissed him as a joke, as did the rest of us. It would be deceitful of me to hide that I lost a bet with KPS Gill, who was certain of a Trump victory even when Trump’s ratings were at their lowest. As for political pundits (almost all exit polls predicted a Hillary win), the only answer is that there is no answer. Hillary lost despite the massive support she enjoyed. Bill Clinton was a popular president and his presidency saw a policy of fiscal conservatism and reduced deficits. He presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history, with the Congressional Budget Office reporting a record surplus of $236 billion in 2000. Despite the Lewinsky scandal, Clinton left office with one of the highest approval ratings of any departing president. Backing Hillary was the state machinery. The FBI gave her a clean chit two days before America voted — suspicious much? Fuelling her campaign were larger-than-life celebrities — Madonna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga et al. And, of course, the billionaires.Wooing support from the upper echelons of wealth is not new for the Clintons. They have been experts at getting the “right” people on their side since President Clinton’s first election. Among others, Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey and Mike Bloomberg supported Hillary’s candidacy with their dollarsAbsolutely astonishing is the fact that only eight years ago, the very same America voted (twice) a liberal, half-black man — with Hussein as his middle name into the White House. Amazing how a boorish billionaire managed to defeat the former First Lady, Secretary of State, Clinton. It is certainly indicative of a colossal change. As John F. Kennedy said: “Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” We will perhaps never know why Trump swam to the White House with such ease but it wouldn’t be far wrong to say that Trump pinpointed the frustrated Americans and played to that gallery. Trump’s outbursts against immigrants, women, Muslims — it is remarkable how he got away. “America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence, without civilisation in between,” once said Oscar Wilde. Trump certainly went from barbarism to the White House, without civilisation in between Trump’s victory is a repudiation of President Obama’s tenure in no uncertain terms. President Obama put all his weight behind Hillary. No ordinary President he (he will stand among the finest), all in vain. All is well that ends well. Unfortunately, it did not end too well for President Obama. Trump’s victory has jeopardised Obama’s legacy. Of course, we will have to wait and see who has the last laugh (not ruling out an impeachment). Que Sera Sera… whatever will be, will be. The future is not ours to see. Candidates always promise much more than they can ever deliver and mellow down as the weight of responsibility falls on their shoulders. Trump is no exception. The only consolation, if any, (for us in India at least) would be President-elect Trump’s unwavering resilient stance against states perpetrating terrorism. It remains for the world to see how the United States will engage with state and non-state actors exporting terrorism. President Obama did strengthen ties with India, with Manmohan Singh being the most-honoured guest of honour at the White House. Nevertheless, Bin Laden (most wanted by America, ever) was found on Pakistani soil but the administration failed to cut back the funding to Pakistan. The supply of military hardware was never terminated. The US Consul-General Grace Shelton has already reassured Pakistan, saying, “Our foreign policy is based on national interest and it doesn’t change when the government changes.” America has no friends or foes; she has her own interests. Though it is high time that America distinguished friend from foe. Coming back to Maharaja Ganga Singh. What’s in a name? “A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” But deeply etched in our minds, is the sweetness, the innocent beauty, the unmistakable fragrance of this king of flowers. Similarly, Sir Ganga Singh’s name evoked a sense of security, honesty and integrity. It is a virtue of a great leader to be present everywhere, all the time. There is a sincere hope that President-elect Trump’s no-nonsense attitude will deter malevolent nations and send out a stern warning. It isn’t too much to ask from the commander-in-chief of the superpower. The leader of the free world ought to make this world a safer place. As Plato observed: “The measure of a man is what he does with power.” God bless America! The writer is a Master of Laws, University of Kent, England.