Maha-rashtrapati

19^th January 1966, Indira Gandhi, the ‘first’ female Prime Minister of India, takes charge of her office. 21^st July 2007, Pratibha Patil, the first ‘Female’ president of India, takes charge of her office. The thrill of experiencing something for the very ‘first’ time is overwhelming. But, surprisingly this does not hold good for the latter. Even the people at power do not seem to have one opinion on it.

APJ Abdul Kalam shunned all the previous tags of a president being a ‘rubber stamp’.

He had his own way of handling things, looking at things and he made sure to communicate them too. Calling him the youth icon won’t be a misnomer.

In the present scenario our Madame President has been the most talked about person for the media leaving behind any of the Bacchans for that matter. Tainted, targeted but standing tall. After 60 years of Independence we have a female president ‘per se’. The reason I do not want to highlight the ‘female’ factor is because that does not affect her credentials at all. Mrs.Gandhi may rejoice at her ‘find’ for this one. The ‘female factor’ becomes a tactic to lure the attention of the common man and the Indian leaders too.

Recently I had to face an interview and I was quizzed upon varied questions. They looked at me inquisitively. “So, why do you think is Shiv Sena suppoting Pratibha Patil?” Clad in a white salwar kameez I must have looked like the upholder of Shiv Sena regime or so. The little girl inside me managed to say “because she is from Maharashtra.” Perfect, that was precisely what the enemy camp wanted.

I felt like MTV bakra at that time- when the whole world is, against you, ogling at your antiques. The board was expecting this and raised another question, rejoicing at their sound interviewing skills “So, you mean to say they want a Maha-Rashtrapati and not a Rashtrapati?” I could hear the death knells now. Even Mr. Thackery does not have an answer for this one but nobody seems to ask him. “May be” said I and they triumphed in glee.