President of the Republic

Pratibha Patil sworn in as first woman President of India. Ye, a reason to celebrate. Finally, a Lady President. Now, we can hold our heads high and say that there is no discrimination in our country on the basis of sex or religion. Our status in the eyes of other nations will increase manifold.

Yeah...right.
I had been following the papers closely about news about the Presidency once I came to know that Respected Sir APJ Abdul Kalam's tenure was drawing to an end. He was a people's President and I hoped that he would be back for another term. But that was not to be. His aloofness from politics; which had brought him closer to the public; also distanced him from the political parties.
The parties were looking for a candidate who, in his right mind, would never think of returning the "Office of Profit Bill" for reconsideration. They wanted a puppet. A figurehead who would meekly submit and obey their commands like a slave(Something like what Giani Zail Singh was to Mrs. Indira Gandhi).

Now, the current government is a coalition of parties with ideologies that are poles apart. Congress, Commies...unlikely allies.
The candidates backed by the Congress did not find favour with the Left. The Left wanted their own candidate in the country's highest office. The situation of Stalemate was threatening to break apart the government.
Then, in a fit of desperation, somebody mentioned Mrs. Pratibha Patil. The Left could not object to a woman candidate. They felt rejecting her would make them look like male masochist pigs. Having a woman President would also elevate their position in the eyes of the general public. So, the UPA nominated the Governor of Rajasthan as their choice for President. Many other parties backed the decision. And then....

Slowly, skeletons began to emerge out of Mrs. Patil's closet.

She was Governor of Rajasthan when Gujjars went on a rampage to be recognised as a minority. The Meenas; another caste in Rajasthan; took up arms against the rioting Gujjars. Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of the state, did nothing. The Governor; Mrs. Patil; did nothing. The country stood on the verge of a Civil War, just because of their sheer inactivity. Thankfully, the situation was controlled before it threatened to rip apart the country.

Then, evidence was found that Mrs. Patil had used her position to influence goverment decisions. Discrete favours made to her family members were revealed. Her involvement in the working of a erratic CoOperative Bank was disclosed. Her family had no answers.

Slowly, it seemed that the decision to nominate Mrs. Patil would blow up in the face of the UPA. However, thanks to the easily delayed judicial system in our country, she contested the elections without any fear of going to jail.

More deserving candidates were left stranded. A mockery of democracy was made. A Governor turned into the President of the largest democracy in this world, ...not because of her qualities, but because she's a woman.
Who says being a woman in this country is a punishment??
After all, the only quality of Mrs. Patil, that made her President of this ancient nation, was her GENDER.


Jai Hind!