Politician + Puppet = President Patil

The honorary post of the President of the Nation for the first time goes to a woman. Something we all should be proud of, though it took 60 years for a woman to come so far. And in my opinion, undeservedly.

I speak for over 50% of the population when I say, 'Kalam should have been back and I do not like Patil.' The reason why it even makes a difference to the country all of a sudden, who the President of the country is because of Kalam. He raised the standards, made each citizen actually fall in love with him, inspired them and made them realise what a President should be doing. Until Kalam came, not only we did not bother, we also did not know what did we have Presidents for and were confused why The President of America is more important to us than our own President. Probably because, when Bush and Clinton were making big decisions and making America more powerful, our President was relaxing and sipping on his tea in the gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Rashtrapati Bhavan is not merely an Office of the President. From a common man's eye, it looks like a building of hope and honour. Standing on the crossroad, with Rashtrapati Bhavan on one side and India Gate on the other, I remember that being the most proud moment of my life. Both mean to me. I do not call myself a patriot, but I am definitely extremely proud of my country. But I am also sad, shocked to see President Patil. She does not appeal to me one bit.

How I am left speechless and helpless, when I see a POLITICIAN turn PRESIDENT. And not just that, but to have a President, who has been under the scanner of CBI for a murder case and more. She may not have been involved directly, but she was definitely involved in 'using' her 'political powers'. This, scares me. Will she do the same with her post as a President. Then I realise 'neah', she is a 'Puppet'. Sonia Gandhi, very politically changed Patil's life. (Seems like she is a master of bringing new old haggard forgotten unknown faces to the two top Posts of the Country.) How nicely, she announced Man Mohan Singh as the P.M. and now Patil as the President. Both, being her puppets. Not like I dislike Singh nor do I dislike Sonia Gandhi, but the sole point remaining - IS PRATIBHA WORTH IT?

I still remember that picture of Kalam on the front pages of all newspapers, when he sworn in as the President. There was confidence dripping, a sparkle in his eye and an aura of self dignity around him, that instantly made many of us feel - 'HE IS THE MAN!' And so he proved. Keeping all biases aside, the first day I saw Patil's picture in the papers and on news channels, when she was nominated. I could not even recognise her. Came across as some 'wannabe' politician who is being pushed up by her Party members. Not even today, now that she is THE PRESIDENT, do I feel that she has the same spark, that new energy that Kalam brought with himself. We are back to square one. A new President who shall be remembered by the next generation as ONLY the First Female President of the Country.

The Changing Face of Lucknow - Part I

Today is a big day for this famous city of culture, etiquettes and Nawabs. Today is the fifth phase of polling.

Barely 50% voting for the elections this time, but definitely we have had a 100% talking about them, cribbing about the ruling party and guessing the 'next ONE'...Well even I am a part of the other 50%...not voting...cribbing and guessing...Which party, this time has managed to scare the maximum poor souls with hired gunmen into voting for them? Who has managed to lure people with hope with their fake promises and their rattling speeches?Is it the 'Cycle', BSP, Sonia's party or the patriotic party with the national flower??

In my opinion and in many others, it is NOT the 'cycle', Mulayam Singh Yadav, unfortunately will not get much out of the support shown by the Bacchans or Amar Singh. He may have an advantage of Muslim votes, which BJP lacks, yet unsuccessful 'reigning' years in Lucknow has not left the state happy enough to bring him back in power. BJP....hhhhmmm...very successfully won the Mayoral elections, a few months back, but has the C.D. fiasco done any damage? OH hell yes!! In fact I remember reading this interview of Rajnath Singh, where he proudly avers that his party leaders are the only party leaders who have no personal negative records and the very next day in the very same paper the first page was full of BJP's 'Anti-Muslim' C.D.. But I wonder, does it make any difference?? Either way, they did not have much support from the Muslims. Now coming to Congress...ruling the country...but why does it fail to gain enough votes in U.P.? It did give an extremely tough ride to the BJP during the Mayoral elections and losing it with a very thin margin against BJP, but would it win this time? It could and I like that party so it would be great if it does win, after all the only party which has the maximum educated people involved with it, comparably.

But sadly, U.P. elections are usually not very surprising because in the past few years it has been noticed that it has been a Mulayam v/s Mayawati war. They both try and rip off each other every time during elections and the other one is elected. It is like an alternate game between the two. Once Mulayam then next Mayawati and then Mulayam again and then Mayawati...U.P. elections may sound very interesting and important to the country but have been almost stereotyped to the SP and the BSP...So obviously, Mayawati has maximum chances to come back into power, keeping the last few elections in mind. Also, after Mulayam, state folks feel Mayawati is the next best option for them. Where you have a Mulayam, during whose constituency, the crime rate graph increases, with Mayawati in power, you do see a considerable change in terms of safety and security, which is the prime concern of any state.

This was my analysis of the U.P. Elections. Will have to wait and watch, how far have I won in this guessing game... And will the face of Uttar Pradesh change this time??

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?