Ms. or Madam President?
“Who is Pratibha Patil?” asked my colleague. “Is she related to Shivraj Patil? Is she his wife?” as the news channels flashed the ‘Breaking News’ of her being nominated as the consensus candidate of the UPA for the post of President. That seems to be the level of knowledge about the (possible) incumbent President of India - though Ms. Patil is currently the Governor of Rajasthan and has earlier served as Minister 7 times in the Government of Maharashtra. Of course the media went into a tizzy and flashed a flurry of facts and titbits about the ‘achievements’ of Pratibha Patil including her ‘sportsperson’ credits from her college days.
As coincidences can be it also came out from the reports that both Ms. Patil’s husband and Mr. Shekhawat, the independent nominee from the NDA (and the current VP) hail from the same village! Some contest this is going to be. Even before this furore could die down there came the announcement yesterday from the Third Front (it appears even when there’s NO front, a Third Front springs up at the most inopportune times) under the ‘august’ leadership - among others - of ‘amma’ Jayalalithaa (I hope I’ve got her spelling right; else she might not let me enter Chennai the next time). The UNPA (the Third Front is called so for want of creativity) announced that it will ‘request’ Dr. Kalam to be their candidate. Wow! And, Mr. Shekhawat promptly followed suit saying he’d be very happy if Kalam becomes the consensus candidate of everyone and if so, he’d withdraw his candidature. Now, Rajnath Singh too has joined the chorus on consensus!
Why did the politicians not consider this in the beginning itself? Is this how we treat a ‘good’ President? UPA doesn’t want a non-political candidate. ‘Left’ doesn’t want ‘lightweights’ but is ‘happy’ with Ms. Patil (since she’s a ‘lighter’ weight).
Kalam for sure has proved his credentials as the President. A far cry from the days of ‘cronies’ of Madam or the party or ‘nincompoops’ that have adorned the Supreme post under the constitution.
To make matters interesting Pratibha Patil has left the Left fuming with her ‘choice’ remarks about the ‘veil’. Left probably would cry hoarse that it’s a ‘veiled’ attack on the minorities! Just when I wondered if her candidature would be withdrawn in the ‘light’ of her utterances, I hear the news that Sonia and the PM have signed her papers as The Candidate. “I’ll not be a rubber-stamp President” Pratibha grandly proclaimed to the news channels. May be this wasn’t heard by Sonia (even Man Mohan Singh dare not utter such a significant statement)! Or was it a part of the script ‘approved’ by the ‘High Command?’
Pratibha would be filing her nomination papers only by the end of this week. There surely could be more things ‘brewing’ than ‘decoction’ in ‘amma’s coffee filter’. But I only wonder in the event of Ms. Patil eventually becoming the President, would she be addressed as ‘RASHTRAPAT’N’I’? Or would Sonia invent an Italian neutral word for the seat?
Indian politics offers more drama, sabre-rattling, excitement, twists, turns and emotions than all the daily soaps put together. It just needs a little ‘marketing blitzkrieg’ to get more TRPs than the ‘saas-bahu’ sagas! Is Ekta listening? Of course Ekta should first find a ‘K’ word for the President!