The ongoing presidential campaign has been called the “dirtiest” in the Republic’s history. The Prime Minister and the Congress have called the digging up of Pratibha Patil‘s past as “mud slinging”. But drawing the American analogy, Swapan Dasgupta argues in The Telegraph, Calcutta, today that a thorough background check is the only guarantee against any president being either blackmailed or becoming vulnerable to extraneous pressure.
“Disreputable characters have routinely passed electoral tests with flying colours partly because the electorate is ignorant about the background of the person it is electing and partly because there are negotiable standards of morality.”
Besides her goof-ups on the purdah, sterilisation and spiritual communication with dead gurus, by inference and imputation, Pratibha Patil has been accused of protecting killers, diverting bank funds meant for women’s empowerment, siphoning off donations intended for Kargil victims, and nepotistically getting interest waived.
This aspect of her life may have been completely unknown to those who chose her to be the ruling coalition’s candidate, writes Dasgupta.
“If this is indeed the case, the Congress will not look diminished if it re-examines its decision before June 30—keeping in mind the fact that it is choosing a head of state. A last-minute change, if warranted, may well lead to momentary awkwardness, but this is nothing compared to the long-term institutional damage if Patil is found to be not quite what she appears.”
Read the full article: Beyond the silly season
Related link: BJP trap won’t snare Pratibha
29 June 2007 at 12:41 pm
It is really strange that in a country of more than 1 billion population we could not find one [suitable or able ] person to be our president.
IMO, the post president of India no longer has any meaning or significance. I think we can do without that post.
May be its time to ammend the constitution.
29 June 2007 at 3:37 pm
Great people do bring new dimensions and meanings to the post they occupy. Thus, whatever little power Indian president may have, great people can enhance and extend boundries…
Prathibha Patil has been bit of let-down from so many angles -
- Looking at her credential, she looks more polically-correct candidate rather than any other qualification (no-doubt, any candidate must be politically-correct at least to some extent, but …)
- Even if she is not directly party-for many stories surfacing now-a-days, she seem to have at least soft-corner for some of them or failed to stand-up against some of those when occassion demanded..
In business world, there is lot of pressure on leader not-to-choose only the kind of people they are or they-like and encourage diversity for longevityof the enterprise. So, considering the natural tendencies of human being, many in the polical class is OK in electing Prathibha (they like kind of corrupt, shameless, ….less, …..less etc.)
I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS KIND OF NOBEL-WIN CALIBER, who can propel India to new heights
29 June 2007 at 4:20 pm
You bet it is high time they amended the constitution. It’s also time they changed the structure of the constitution from the current hybrid of unitary and federal to federal so that the executive powers are vested in a president elected directly by the citizens.
29 June 2007 at 4:54 pm
It is not unfortunate to have found a qualified candidate for a (a)political post. It is a fact that no qualified candidate is accepted by the system. It is a fact that qualified will not join politics. It is a fact that if every body is educated, the voting percentage in any election will be at a single digit figure, because only idiotic intellectuals will go and vote in a one sided election. Only ‘nethas’ and ‘annas’ will be governing as we had in earlier monarchical systems with ‘The greats’, ‘maharajas’ and ‘palegaras’. A sane man finds a way out of this chaos by not entering the presidential (s)election.
29 June 2007 at 4:56 pm
As is said ‘where ever there is smoke, there has been fire’. Pratiba Patil is not fit for this post. As was pointed out earlier WHO IS THIS PRATIBA PATIL? Let us not make the post of the President a Mokery! Great luminaries have occupied this post and walked the rampath of Rastrapati Bhavan. If Congress wants a women, they can always select another person- nonpolitical, for this post. We have plenty of them in our Great land. Suposing on a later date when an accused in the court of law quotes Praiba as an example, what happens? It will be a disgrace. Why not our Intalectuals come out with some solid solution for this at the earliest. Still there is time!
29 June 2007 at 5:03 pm
Pratiba Patil is quoted to thave said that ‘I thank Sonia ji for nominating me for this post’. If so how can she be denied this post?
Only person who can do anything positive about this is Mr Karunanidhi
29 June 2007 at 5:26 pm
Pratibha will be antithesis for whatever Kalam stod for. Sonia will see to it,Pratibha’s name is not withdrawn, nor Mr. Q is let in to the country.
29 June 2007 at 8:56 pm
Actually I see this kind of argument repeated ad-nauseam. That in a country of 1 billion people it is surprising that we can’t find …” This is used for any situation be it sports, politics and what not. I think this is not a fair assumption at all.
In fact is easier to find the best people in a less populated country or one that has at least one major unifying factor.
I don’t mean to say that it is impossible in our country but we have over a billion people divided on various lines – religion, caste, language and so on.
There is also a significant number who are just trying to eke out an existence and could not care less about such issues. In such a scenario it is indeed very difficult to find people who can fit the bill for any event even if they exist, leave alone finding people who would be acceptable to all.
29 June 2007 at 10:34 pm
Question is Do we really want PP to be the president of India given thats the only choice by UPA? Will she be able to command India during wartimes? Will she act impartially given her reputation as ‘Nepotism’?
29 June 2007 at 10:41 pm
the last thing the country needs right now is a RUBBERSTAMP Prez….especially after having two proactive presidents back to back KRN and then APJ….
what are her credentials apart from the fact that she is a sworn supporter of the gandhi clan…..
30 June 2007 at 10:10 pm
It is too late in the day for withdrawl and the Congress with its track record will only justify her candidature by specious reasoning which cary no conviction. The series of article appearing in The New India Express is eloquent enough PP’s connection both directly and indiractly a party for many finacial misdemeanours. Now the only thing open is for all the parties to exercise their conscience vote and if they fail the nation till now exhibited exemplary patience hoping that the system would get rid of the tainted ministers in course of time, that hope is fast receding and nation in its 60th year of independance has now to reconcile to the new ‘Tryst with destiny’, the gift of taint being attached to the highest office of India,. With this perhaps constitution should be amended specifying that the primary qualaification for being a President is the loyalty to the Congress party to the exclusion of any other attributes since it is party who are the true inheritor of India’s freedom.
1 July 2007 at 7:05 am
Well said Bapuji!
1 July 2007 at 1:50 pm
namma deshadalli prajnavantharige, prathibhe uLLavarige sthaana koDuvudannu biTTu yeshTo kaalavaagide. namage bekaagiruvudu haudappa/haudammagaLu. athava aa HIGH COMMAND heLi(RI)davarannu oppikonDubiduvudu. haagaagiye ii dombaraaTa/circus. Track record sariyaagiruvavau yaaru illave ilave ii brihad Bhaaratadalli…illi aatha/aake yembudu mukhyavalla, international levelnalli yochisuva ,stysnts dookta nirdhaaragaLannu thegedukoLLuvavau namage beku….allave mahajanagaLe..
12 August 2007 at 10:27 am
America dEshadalle inthaa (PP) doregaLannu sahisikondu jeevana maaduthiddaare Jana. innu nammalli kELa BEke.
Namma janakke oLLeyavaru BEku aadare avaru hELidanthe nadedanthe nadeya bEkendEnoo illa.
Allaa ashtu oLLEyavaraagidda Kalaamravarige oLLe chennaagi ‘maryaade’ maadi kaLisidaralla.
Idakkinthaloo asabhyathe bEke.
Ella office goo muthu rathnagaLE bEku. Andare hEge.
idannoo Anubhavisi.
Vote andare Enu antha gothillada saamaanyara jothege aarisibanda MP, MLA gaLoo YaarE nillali namma leader hELidavarige matha haakuthEve ennuvaaga namage namma Prajaaprabhuthvada artha gaothe?
Houdappana chaavadi, leadergaLellaa NERO gaLu, swarthakke EnubEkaadaroo madalu hEsadiruvavaru thumbiruva Prajaaprabhuthva ‘God Father’ nalliruva maafiaginthalooo Dangeroussu!
HushaaragirabEku!!