Manmohan is a Joke, Mamata a Joker

I write this with great empathy for an 80-year old economist who also happens to be the Prime Minister of India. Perhaps for the first time, I feel for Dr. Manmohan Singh and the continuous rebuff he is facing from his party and allies alike. Because all things said and done, Dr. Singh is our country's Prime Minister, the supposed all powerful man in the Indian democracy. The fact that his name was propped up as a probable Presidential candidate speaks a lot about the lack of trust his leadership is generating. He is no more even a lame-duck PM, he is crippled and perhaps amputated beyond repair and recovery.

The sheer audacity of Double Ms- Mamata and Mulayam to name Manmohan as a probable occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, shows that these regional chieftains are fluttering their wings a bit too much. The move is a near endorsement of S&P's scathing attack on leadership qualities of the Prime Minister. There is a growing unease within the UPA ranks regarding Dr. Singh, and many believe that he is more of a liability than an asset for the government.

This move is unprecedented in truest sense of the word and much beyond that. A sitting PM has never been nominated as the President, although this seems to be an 'elevation' in profile, at least in the constitutional terms. Making Manmohan the president will be an admission of his failure as the Prime Minister, a surrender to the grim circumstances that stare this government in face. No doubt Manmohan Singh has proved to be an incapable premier, more so in his second term, there has been rampant corruption, ample mis-governance and lack of reforms in the economic sector. But, there is little doubt over the credibility and integrity of Dr. Singh himself. Yes, he is a weak Prime Minister but I can not imagine him indulging in wrongdoings, whatever Team Anna may say. So, if at all the Congress and the UPA thinks that time is up for Manmohan Singh, they should convey this clearly to him. Singh's phasing out has to be graceful and gradual, without any lollypop attached as 'compensation'.

Also, the post and authority of India's Prime Minister can not be undermined at any cost. Two regional cartoons can not be allowed to show the door to the PM, even if India is a multi-party democracy. It is the right of the people, and the single largest party/alliance to choose the Prime Minister. A couple of opportunistic leaders must not be allowed to humiliate the office at 7, Race Course Road. Embarrassment and defeat at the hands of nonsensical politics is the last thing that a sitting Prime Minister deserves. If Mamata and Mulayam are so fade up with the PM, what forces them to support his government? Do they have the courage to openly speak against the PM and the way he functions (or does not function). A gesture of this kind will strengthen a multi-party democracy, not the silly tactic of one upmanship.

Mulayam is a known gold digger. Dont be surprised if he changes sides tomorrow, in case he is offered a better bargain by the Congress. But what amazes me is the sheer lack of political sense that Mamata Banerjee is displaying. Right from the day of taking oath as the Bengal CM, Mamata has been behaving like a spoilt kid. Her opposition to almost every other UPA decision is bizzare, she is almost etching to ease out of the coalition. Sadly, she has done nothing worth mentioning as the Chief Minister. All the headlines she has received over the last one year has been because of her lunatic behavior, from calling students as 'Maoists' or pushing PM as the President. In the last 48 hours, she has made a joker out of herself and reduced Dr. Singh to a mere joke. Not only this, she has made Kalam a divisive figure, using his dignified name for her narrow gains. Mamata is in dire need of counseling. And Manmohan deserves a bit of pampering.

Political slug-fest is bound to happen in a multi-party democracy ahead of a crucial election, but the cheap theatrics involved in this drama has devalued the post of India's first citizen. Also, source -based reports of 'bargain', where Samajwadi Party may switch sides in return of a cabinet berth or relief from CBI probe, are appalling. One does not expect consensus on a candidate in the current Indian political situation. In fact a contest is what fuels a healthy democracy, and it is much more acceptable than 'Madam' Sonia simply sending her nominee to the Raisina Hill. But decency and civilized politicking is the least we can expect for, specially at a time when the nation is facing challenges at numerous fronts.

Too many backdoor meetings and deal crackings. Too many jokes and jokers around. Is it time India chose its President directly through people's voting?

India Needs A President Who Speaks Like Obama

Who is the President of India? I am sure you know this. What role does the President play in Indian democracy? Yes, this is the tricky question. If you go by what a certain Satan Bhagat says, 'President is nothing but a 'freeloader-in-chief'. And a third world country like India can not afford to have a titular head of state.' Really?

Our President is neither all powerful as his American counterpart nor is he/she as politically volatile as the one in our immediate neighborhood. But one must not underestimate the president's role to be mere titular and ceremonial. Indian president is the guardian of the constitution, head of the armed forces and decision maker of the key governmental and non-governmental procedures. From taking a call on amnesty to convicts sentenced to death to using all his/her political and practical wisdom during mad days of government formation, a president is like that eldest member of the family who is responsible for maintaining order in the house. The President carries a lot of diplomatic baggage on his/her shoulders, visiting and receiving foreign heads of states and cementing out those crucial bilateral deals.

Rashtrapati Bhawan Will Have a New Occupant in July

But significance of the President of India goes beyond what is prescribed in the constitution. In these times of omnipresent corruption, prevalent gloom and a sense of defeat, India needs a President who is willing to give the healing touch. A President with stature and profound wisdom can actually help India resurrect its growth story and revive that missing 'feel good factor' amongst the masses. How? Imagine we had a 'pro-active' incumbent President and what joy would he or she have brought by giving a emphatic address to Indians on key issues like say Lokpal Bill. Furthermore, what if the President would have passed a snide remark on the recent petrol price hike by merely stating that he/she is planning to cut down on travel within the country! These small 'gestures' and symbolic statements/ pronouncements would mean a lot to Indians at large. The President does not need to take on the government in power head on to prove that he/she is the 'people's president'. In fact, an Indian President is not empowered enough to take on the might of the central government, but certainly should be brave enough to cause embarrassment, wherever and whenever required.

We have enough netas and babus who follow protocols, and know how to play around the rules to pull their own ends. India needs a President who is willing to come out of that cocoon called Rashtrapati Bhawan. Presidential tenure should not be perceived as a dream retirement plan but rather as a wonderful opportunity to serve the nation, in the truest sense of the word. We know the President is Head of Indian State only in theoretical sense. No one expects the President to literally 'rule' us, but yes His Highness/ Her Highness can definitely try and rule our hearts. Trust me, nothing will hurt an incapable government more than a bold and dutiful President who is ready to ask a few questions every now and then. Could not a President simply summon the Petroleum Minister and ask for an explanation for the Petrol Price Hike? Obviously, the government may or may not agree to what President says or suggests, but at least the country would know that there exists a constitutional authority which is somewhat concerned about nation's plight. 

Sadly, we rarely had such a President. After the Holy Trinity of Rajendra Prasad, Radhakrishnan and Zakir Hussain, only Kalam has managed to touch the nerves of the Indian public. Its high time we had a President who is ready break a few protocols, willing to walk the extra mile and genuinely involved in the matters affecting this country. We need a President who knows how to 'talk' to masses, knows to use those big words and does not need to refer to any written speech on Republic Day. Power of oration is the cornerstone of politics and democracy and India's highest public office certainly deserves to have it.

This reminds me of Barack Obama. In his much-anticipated tenure, he has done little more than giving inspirational fiery speeches to Americans, some of them even moving many to tears. We can not even imagine such an animated incident in India. Yes, the time is ripe to have a President who at least indulges in 'lip-service' to the nation. Time we had a President who revived 'hope' in our hearts and 'inspired' us to collectively work towards bright 'future' of the nation, much on the lines of an Obama.

We need a talking President. A President who speaks likes Obama. There needs to be some balance in the house. Plenty of dumb dolls are already around. (Pun Intended)


(As for Satan Bhagat, he is also a dumb doll, albeit with a difference. He is dumb enough to speak too much, way beyond his intellectual level and way below the levels of the author he claims to impersonate.)