Will the insult go unpunished this time?

The recently concluded Presidential elections in India has been widely perceived as a big joke that was thrust upon the hapless people of India against their wishes. This was a case of the politicians (well, almost all of them) brushing aside the popular will of the people to ensure that the 'prestige' that came with the highest office of the country was retained within the 'political class'.

The people of India wanted the highly popular current incumbent Dr Abdul Kalam to continue for another term, but the politicians (as usual) were not willing to listen. There was no major election coming up, so they had little to fear. Given the short memory of the voters, by the time the next election came about, this incident would have long been forgotten.

The reasoning that only a politician should be President was put forth, but it was not the least bit convincing. The general perception was that the politicians looked upon the post of the President as their exclusive birth-right. In the long run, such an attitude may not sit well with the citizens of the land.

The final insult came about when many politicians started throwing verbal jabs at the Dr Kalam when he agreed to contest the election at the behest of the 'Third Front'. The ruling coalition took their banter to a new level when even veteran leaders came out criticizing Dr. Kalam for his decision. Never once did they think that by making digs at a Bharat Ratna, they were undermining their stature in the eyes of the people even further. It looks like the politicians are quite a distance away from learning to understand that if India is to make strides into the future, it is essential that the prominent posts of India should be represented by accomplished, younger beings in the class of Dr. Kalam (politician or not). Gone are the days when such posts were reserved only for old hags or politicians on the verge of retirement.

This incident has brought back calls from various groups to make the election of the President of India a direct election where the people elect him/her instead of the present format where the politicians get to elect the President (and the VP).
I can only hope that, come election time, the people of India don't forget this insult that was thrust down on them by their elected politicians.

The politicians may justify their decision by saying that India was ready for a female Head of State, but that argument is pretty feeble. I think India is past the stage where we will have to have a Head of State from each sect and category. India, at this stage of her economic journey, is ready for Heads of State who, among other things, will be able to rub shoulders with the leaders of the world on an equal footing and who will be the face of a knowledgeable India to the world. In this era when information and knowledge is king, a politician is the last person that anybody would turn to in search of such a face.

In hindsight, it may go down in history that the lady at the helm of the Congress party didn't want Dr. Kalam to continue in office. The reason? My opinion: Vendetta. Revenge. Three summers ago, the lady almost became the Prime Minister of India. It was widely believed in several circles that she was advised by the President's office not to take up the post. What did Dr Kalam tell Sonia on that fateful day when she decided to 'give up' the seat of power? We may never know, but it may well turn out that the whole drama that unfurled in front of us over the last few weeks may be a direct result of that piece of advice that Dr. Kalam gave Sonia on an eventful summer day.