Dr Abdul Kalam is undoubtedly the people's choice for the post of President. He wanted us to dream, we dream to see him again as the President of India.
(Picture courtesy: Facebook)
The political class must bring him back now as a propitiation for not having given him an extension last time. For the people, Dr Kalam is a picture of solace and satisfaction in the midst of a depressing political India.
While we can heave a sigh of relief that the Congress has not mooted Diggy as its nominee for president ship and even reserved the post for Rahul for a later date when Sonia would have completely run out of tricks to make him the Prime minister, we cannot remain a mute spectator to the machinations of bringing dumb-heads as the Nation's head. The President must be non-partisan, not a politician in the past and must be one capable of inspiring confidence in the people and brining dignity to the nation and the post he holds. Unfortunately none of the candidates mooted now fit into these. The VP Ansari also brings back the memories of the poor show and cowardice he put up on the mid night when Lok Pal bill was discussed in the Rajya Sabha. Definitely he is not the candidate for President ship if we have Nation's welfare as the prime goal for any appointment.
Astrologically speaking Dr Kalam's best time comes now. Even though Paranab Mukerjee is running a good period, if he competes with Dr Kalam, only Dr Kalam will win, as his horoscopic features are far stronger than Paranab's. But it is also not right to make Dr Kalam face a competition. The apt course will be to choose him as the unanimous candidate by all political parties – which would hold well as a People's choice also.
- Jayasree
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From
Kalam for President clicks on social networks
CHENNAI: In the race to Raisina Hill, Pranab Mukherjee may be getting the support of many politicians, but A P J Abdul Kalam remains the popular choice of netizens.
Social networking and microblogging sites are replete with messages in support of the missile-man who completed a term as President before Pratibha Patil took over. "A P J Abdul Kalam is the only person who fulfills the minimum qualification for the post of President," tweeted Sumit Nagpal.
"Highly educated", "humble" and "people's President", are some of the popular expressions that go with Kalam's name on the net. And rooting for him are people of all ages. A group has started a Facebook fan page in the name 'We want Shri A P J Abdul Kalam as President again.' Another group called 'Abdul Kalam for President' says this is the first time the people of India are having a voice in a Presidential election.
'The President is not one to ask anything for himself,' screams an online poster showing Kalam giving a salute. Below that: Click share if you support Kalam. "He's an apolitical leader and, as the rocket man of India, put the country in a great league", says Nargarjun Shetty who uses social networking sites to muster support for Kalam.
Then there are those who comment with their tongue firmly in cheek. "Seems APJ Abdul Kalam can't be the President of India because he has no family to take on foreign tours and he does not grab land," tweeted Jiten Gajaria. Social media expert Anivar Aravind said the social media is accessed only by 6% of India's population, but their voices are heard by the powers that be. "Opinions of these people since they are seen as representatives of the educated middle and upper classes.
Aravind added that the posts and threads created for Kalam had interesting characteristics. "When some of the posters made for Kalam are widely being spread by his supporters, people who are not for Kalam are also using them to post their disagreement," he said.
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From
http://news.oneindia.in/feature/2012/does-india-need-another-puppet-president-997090.html
Does India need another 'puppet' president?
Sreekumar Narayan
Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 13:59 [IST]
The run up to the presidential election has been interesting but it makes one wonder, don't Indians as a whole deserve better? Over the last few weeks, all sorts of names have been floated by different outfits and pressure groups. While most were just hopeful wishes of the respective organizations, others highlighted distinguished individuals who had made a mark in their respective fields. Though none of them have publicly professed any interest in the top job, there is no denying that they would not mind becoming the nation's first citizen if the opportunity arises.
As expected, the leading political parties ignored these capable personalities and instead chose to focus on the 'usual suspects'. Initially the Samajwadi Party indicated that they will only support an apolitical candidate. This led to intense speculation about the likelihood of Dr A P J Abdul Kalam becoming the country's president for the second time. However, the BJP proclaimed a preference for him before supposedly discussing the issue with their allies and thereby ended up harming his chances.
Confusion in the NDA meant that Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, supposedly the choice of the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress party, emerged as the frontrunner. Although Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee is yet to spell out her party's stand, major constituents of the UPA like the DMK and the NCP have already backed Pranab's candidature. Normally it is the ruling dispensation that calls the shots in the presidential election. Given a lack of majority in the electoral college, Congress cannot impose its will this time. Hence the party is trying to build up a consensus but the opposition has not been included in its effort so far.
There is still some time to go before we all get to know who our next president will be. Nevertheless, it is quite clear by now that the person concerned will belong to the political class and in all probability be another undesirable facsimile of some of the weak presidents which we had in the past. And therein lies the real tragedy. In a nation of over 1.2 billion people, surely it should not be that hard to find suitable candidates from other sections of society. An eminent scientist, industrialist, entrepreneur or even an artiste can very well fit the bill, considering the fact that the post is a largely ceremonial one as the titular head in our parliamentary system.
The country benefited much from the guidance of able statesmen like Rajendra Prasad and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in the 50s and the 60s. Both of them laid down notable benchmarks for their successors. Nevertheless, we got a president in the mid 70s who did not hesitate to sign the proclamation of Emergency on the advice of Indira Gandhi's cabinet. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed's unfortunate decision marked the beginning of the sorriest chapter in our democratic history. It was a time when the government trampled upon the people's freedoms and the press was muzzled.
A few years down the line, we witnessed another subservient president. Giani Zail Singh reportedly used to come out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive Indira Gandhi whenever she paid him a visit. It is another matter altogether that he did not do the same later on when Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister. According to political observers, Zail Singh did not feel as beholden to Indira's son as he did to her.
The President becoming a mere puppet in the hands of his or her political masters is not just a travesty but also a scary scenario for all those who believe in the vibrancy of our democracy. Let us keep our fingers crossed that such a thing does not ever again happen in India.
