Its a Big P question?

I have exams in a month's time and unlike all my college friends, I am home, not preparing., working on several articles and recently also went for 'Eklavya'. I love the advertisements shown at the time of interval as they give you a longer time to go get your snacks, but this time, I had a dinner to attend and sadly - no nachos for me. Sitting with a grouchy face staring at that huge screen, I saw Amitabh Bachan - no, not as Eklavya, but in an advertisement (advertisement and A.B. are quite synonymous). Strangely or rather not, it was not the Miss. Palampur ad, but promotion, not of a product but of a 'Government Party'.

It had a 6 feet 60+ man sitting in a white 'dhoti' on a 'chaarpai' with a village backdrop and many other 'gaon waalas' sitting and watching television, where a criminal (he was dressed in that black and white striped uniform of the prisoners) is addressing and in that 'typical neta ji' speech is talking of how he would cease crime from the states and the country, when Bachchan very proudly states that U.P. is without crime, to which the prisoner on T.V. changes his statement (lol...very neta ji-ish) and promises to bring it on in the state, and all those 'gaon waalas' start throwing rotten tomatoes and eggs on the T.V.. And then, very gallantly the 60+ 6 feet man looks straight into the lens and says "U.P. mein hai dum, kyun ki yahan hai jurm kam!!" (U.P. is the best state as there is no crime here!!) The best part of the ad is when my grouchy face notices a little cycle sign down left and you realise its BSP!! And I am reminded of a similar hoarding outside my college too.

The elections are coming close and Mulayam Singh Yadav is adopting all possible means to earn as many votes as he can. Lohia Path, a more than 10km stretched path for pedestrians and cyclists; better roads, an ad with A.B., et all. But more than what he is trying to do to gain the votes at the last moment, I can think of reasons to not vote for him - unnecessary interference in the Lucknow University matter, so as to protect the student leaders a.k.a. his party supporters; crime is noticeable (it was after all, under his Governance, when Meher Bhargava was shot dead and the ones responsible for it were friends with Akhilesh Yadav (his son) and many other such cases), irresponsibility in the Nithari case, personal property duprey, etc etc etc. .

Now, what shocks me is not MSY, we all know about him and how horrible a C.M. he always is, who is re-elected. But AMITABH BACHCHAN!! He has been too much in news and that too for all useless and pointless reasons. Be it 'Abhiash's' wedding or a cold war between him and Shah Rukh Khan, and now also 'nomination for PRESIDENTSHIP'. What!!?? Did I read the papers right? Amitabh Bachchan - the President of India?? NO! was my reaction! I loved what Nafisa Ali said "It will be a wonderful disaster". Yes, it will be. Though he personally thinks he is not capable of being a President (I am glad he thinks that way), yet I wonder what was MSY, Amar Singh and BSP( yes once again...its the cycle ) thinking?? Thinking on cheap lines, were they thinking that by nominating his name, A.B. would promote their party name in more of those silly advertisements without taking a crore? or is it the 'Amar - Amit ki yaari dosti'? I am aghast at the mere thought of such a nomination. How can a man, who sells, become the President of my nation? I do not want to humiliate Amitabh Bachchan because I understand his source of income, but to have him as the President is just a little too much to ask from an average Indian.

Maybe I am over reacting, for the simple reason that I am one of those spoilt Indians, who have been spoilt by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. After having such a wonderful peace loving positive President, the thought of having a new President scares me, makes my grumpy face look grumpier. I feel lucky to have attended one of the seminars where he came and addressed. I simply love him.

O.k., now coming back to the point, if I and many others are too daunted to have Big B as the Big P, then who can make a good President? Somebody very softly said 'Shashi Tharoor'. Immediately I had a smile on my face. I was previously worried and spent two days thinking, Whose next? Many want Kalam to stay for another tenure, so do I. But if not, then.......then I got my personal choice - Shashi Tharoor. Who is your choice?