Guest dada_rocks Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Prezing for a dummy Swapan Dasgupta I must shamefully confess to being in solidarity with those members of the non-voting classes who, in their naiveté, imagined that President APJ Abdul Kalam would be given a second term on the strength of SMS campaigns. I didn't actually participate in these slightly dubious exercises to swell the coffers of media organisations but I always entertained a profound fondness for the long-haired eccentric who enhanced the dignity of Rashtrapati Bhavan. As a keen observer of politics, what attracted me to President Kalam was his constant willingness to play with a straight bat. Throughout his tenure, there were many ticklish issues that came up before him. These ranged from exercising his Constitutional prerogatives to putting his signature on Constitutional appointments. On all occasions - barring, perhaps, the imposition of President's Rule in Bihar last year - he played strictly by the book. It is not that he disregarded the advice of the Union Cabinet - he is Constitutionally mandated to follow its guidance on most matters - but it was made clear to the political class that Rashtrapati Bhavan would not bend the rules to favour the ruling dispensation. It was his reputation as an impartial upholder of the Constitution that acted as a deterrent to attempts to subvert India's fragile institutions. Sonia Gandhi's dramatic resignation from Parliament last year was, for example, a pre-emptive move to avoid disqualification under the Office of Profit rules. Had there been an obliging rubber-stamp in Rashtrapati Bhavan, the UPA Government would have rushed through a highly dubious ordinance. Likewise, it is well known that President Kalam made many Ministers sweat it out with demands for details and clarifications before approving some less-than-wholesome appointments. What distinguished him from his predecessor was that while President KR Narayanan's awkwardness was based on political preferences, President Kalam's was centred on ethical norms. It was the fear of how President Kalam would react, rather than him actually asserting his independence, that made politicians uncomfortable. His reputation of being "non-political" was based on the fact that he didn't believe it was his job to be sympathetic to the political compulsions of the Government. Kalam was not an activist in the same way as Giani Zail Singh and Narayanan were. His conception of the presidency was deeply conservative. The sense of propriety that Kalam brought to Rashtrapati Bhavan stemmed from two factors. First, he did not owe his professional achievements in the scientific establishment to politicians. Second, he approached political disputes from the perspective of an outsider. He was not burdened by spurious labels of polarisations. He couldn't be reduced to a convenient stereotype. Finally, Kalam had a large public appeal - in all walks of life, particularly among children - which was totally independent of politics. It was this popularity that gave him a shield against reckless political pressure. Politicians instinctively knew that in any dispute involving the Government and Rashtrapati Bhavan, public sympathy would decisively be with Kalam. He was not someone they could afford to mess with - and so he had to go. It is this wariness which explains why the more manipulative sections of the ruling coalition, particularly the Left and Sonia loyalists, couldn't countenance either Kalam or someone blessed with the same level of integrity. That is why they kept harping on the importance of having a "politician" as President. But, it was not a case of finding a person with a distinguished and unblemished record in public life. Throughout these past weeks, Sonia has never concealed her preference for loyalty to the dynasty and malleability. She wanted another Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed who signed the declaration of Emergency in 1975 without batting an eyelid. This naturally ruled out Pranab Mukherjee who had walked out on Rajiv in the mid-1980s. The post-facto tokenism (the "first" woman was the sixth choice of the Congress) surrounding the selection of Pratibha Patil cannot take away from the fact that Sonia wants a dummy occupying the posts of both President and Prime Minister. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is the last remaining obstacle. PS: The charade of seeing virtue in dummy candidate in name of first woman-president is ON. Media pundits are busy with meaningless questiosn like "Is india ready for woman as president." These socalled pundits even broach up topic of USA not having a woman president til date and insinsuation is being made that we somehow are going to turn a big leaf in women's rights oneupmanship over USA through this choice. These people are oblivious of the fact what is president in USA is PM in India and we have had woman Pm for 15 years and even today we have woman as super-PM who has reins over everything. So If you are really bothered about women's rights do sthg about female foeticide, do sthg about women's literacy, do sthg about child-marriagse. This rubber-stump character from the most elite background in Raisina hills is not going to change anything. Most probably we have got another Fakhrudeen Ali Ahmad. What a step-back from presumably right-wing (read as intolerant) coalition of NDA choice of APJ Kalam. Audacity of sonia-mata is her solicitation of unanimous vote for her rubber-stamp choice after declaring her name without consulting the opposition. Learn sthg from Vajpayee lady, if u want support across party lines u talk to them before finalizing candidates rubber-stamp or otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suma25 Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 good article ..dont agree abt the vajpayee thing though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dada_rocks Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 don't agree with fact, fair enough. Vajpayee didn't go to opposition after finalizing and releasing the name of candidate. They were part of the loop all along and that's how it should be done for non-political postings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ram Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Pratibha Patil was "chosen" simply becasue it would be difficult for anybody eithr in the UPA , NDA or the third front to oppose her and still look good. And all this talk of this being a turning point in women's empowerment in India is total crap... All this would do is given another chance for the media pundits to sell India's image abroad.. with stuff like " See our PM is a Sikh, our president is women etc.. "... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 It would be a tragedy of highest propotion if this lady is selected as India's Rashtrapati(or patni if you will). I can safely bet than 95% of Indians have no idea about this candidate and why is even being considered when there are so many better candidates? A few months back the media was abuzz with Narayannurthy, Ratan Tata etc standing up for President and this is what we get?? Wonder how much more damage this Sonia Gandhi is gonna do to India :wilted_rose: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ram Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I can safely bet than 95% of Indians have no idea about this candidate Absolutely right Lurker.. when i first heard of her candidature , my first reaction was -- " Pratibha who ??" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC1981 Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 " Pratibha who ??" 72 years old, Lawyer by training and Governor of Rajasthan since 2004. One of her political highlights is to break with her own Guru and gurubhai (Sharad Powar) and continue her loyalty to Indira after Indira got defeated post-emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beetle Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Her only claim to fame is her loyalty of the Gandhi family.... I wonder how long this country has to suffer this family which now has an even better time...total power without accountibility. Saw a picture of her in some paper with sonia gandhi... Sonia gandhi had her hand over her shoulder with a patronising look on her face while pratibha patil was bent a little with a smile crying gratitude ..... That sums up the relationship between them.... These politicians should be barred from holding this post and it should be open only to non politicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beetle Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Third front apparently wants Kalam but he is unlikely to accept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beetle Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Third front apparently wants Kalam but he is unlikely to accept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dada_rocks Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Her only claim to fame is her loyalty of the Gandhi family.... I wonder how long this country has to suffer this family which now has an even better time...total power without accountibility. Saw a picture of her in some paper with sonia gandhi... Sonia gandhi had her hand over her shoulder with a patronising look on her face while pratibha patil was bent a little with a smile crying gratitude ..... That sums up the relationship between them.... These politicians should be barred from holding this post and it should be open only to non politicians. Nice picturization.. :giggle:would u mind posting that picture please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaurav Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 She got balls! New Delhi: The UPA-Left Presidential nominee Pratibha Patil courted controversy on Sunday by saying that the purdah (veil) system emerged in India to protect women from Mughal aggressors. Patil’s remark, made at a function in Udaipur marking the 467th birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap, has left historians and Muslim social activists astounded. Patil said though Indian culture always respected women, the veil system began during the Mughal rule to “save women from Mughal invaders”. “We had the concept of purdah to protect women from Mughal invaders. So, they stayed indoors and were veiled, ” Patil said. “Today we are citizens of free India. There is need to put a stop to such practices. That alone will ensure real respect for women. When women are progressing in every field, it is our duty to discontinue such practices,” Patil added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gorah_pindu Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 She is probably right - they would have been persecuted if they didnt follow Mughal social values - or at least, it was seen as more 'civilized' - something that is not needed now, in a world where idiotic views of what is civilized and what isnt have been put into more context. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dada_rocks Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 She may be right remember before advent of these peaceful folks we used to be liberal enough to erect Khajuraho temples.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC1981 Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Patil said though Indian culture always respected women, the veil system began during the Mughal rule to “save women from Mughal invaders”. Known fact is due to their culture, muslims/arabs cant deal with anything sexual in front of them without losing control...i call it CSB (critical sperm buildup)...which is why they blame the woman for wearing provocative dresses in Koran than the sick men who raped her....Indias, like any other ancient free-thinking tropical society had little or no problems with sexuality...as a result, pre-muslim India, it was not uncommon to have parts of India where women were topless...this is recorded by travellers to ancient India..plus Ajanta cave paintings...but this lady is 100% right abour purdah..she should also mention that muslim genociders are the reason sati started as a mass practice as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dada_rocks Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Third front apparently wants Kalam but he is unlikely to accept. Third front should have come clean earlier because other than communist and Soniajee noone had open objection, Maino too might have had to fall in line.. Now it's too late all hopes are now on against-the-party-line voting and second choice votes. It has happened in past N S Reddy lost to indira gandhi propped candidate after counting of second choice vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Outsider Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 The only relevant part of the President's job in India is meeting and chatting up with foreign dignitaries, which falls more in diplomacy than politics. How a nobody like Pratibha Patil can do that better than Abdul Kalam or so many other suave and internationally well known people is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beetle Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Breaking News.... VPresident Shekhawat offers to withdraw if consensus on Pres. APJ Kalam yipeeee!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beetle Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I hope President Kalam accepts....... tab aega mazaa..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beetle Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Kalam is by far the most popular people's president. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts