It may be the hotbed of Indian style Talibanization today, but Karnataka is homeland of a variety of tasty and well-flavored indigenous alcohols and liquors. There were mild and strong ones brewed from rice, ragi (sweet barley), palm and ichala (wild palm) and milder ones prepared from grapes, mangoes, jackfruit, coconut, and dates flavored with flower essences. Sculptures and Kavyas depict drunkards and drinking scenes, attesting thereby that drinking was fairly prevalent and provided necessary amusement and essential relief….luxuries that are now being denied by some goons because they want to score some political points (or extort money from pub owners).

In ancient India drinking was undertaken as a leisure activity, now the health minister of the country – blames the pub culture for the stalled progress of the country! Back then perhaps common sense prevailed – it were the youngsters who helped themselves to liquor. Lovers, married couples, family members, friends and relatives also joined in drinking bouts. Drinking among women along with gossip was common….Mr. Muthalik’s eyes may burn, but a little research shows many ancient figurines depicting fully intoxicated women holding empty drinking bowls, men intermingling with women and offering them drinks or even a seductress with a wine glass.

Kanakadasa, the well-known saint-poet, in his Mohanatarangini has given a  realistic description of drinking bout in the colony of working class of 16th century. Sculptures of drunk women are common. Besotted women who lost control over their body and dress had to be carried off are depicted. Classics provide vivid description of such scenes: and yet India as a nation survived.

Muthalik does not deserve jail – he deserves a forced history class where his twisted mind needs to be set right. The Mangalore molester needs to be told that the Indian ethos has respected women since the ages, that women enjoyed far more freedom in ancient India, than under the BJP, that slapping abusing and assaulting women is not really an ‘ethos’ that we should be proud of. 

Bangalore’s pubs can be traced back to a hundred and fifty years – people of Karnataka have always tolerated drinking and knew the advantages and disadvantages of alcohol. The youth of the state knew when to drink why to drink how to drink and what to drink. But Muthalik and his men want Prohibition – a move that never really has met with success either in United states on various states in India at any given point of time. But why look at history when people are willing to believe in your rabble rousing – when you can quickly become from a nobody to a national figure. So want if a few women were molested in the process. . .

This article has been modified from a paper presentation given by Dr. Jyotsna Kamat at the Karnataka History Academy Conference held at Hampi on 8th-10th, July 2000.

Just a few weeks ago analysts were predicting that India would be ‘largely’ better off compared than the rest of the world, in terms of corporate earnings and job losses. That line now has dramatically changed, sample this; 50,000 jobs to go in software sector this year and an estimated ten million jobs in the export sector at risk. The world is here and its going to stay for a while.

From banking to finance to aviation to tourism, from manufacturing to information technology, companies have been bleeding and how, a glace at India’s best and brightest companies will give you a scary perspective.

#GAIL – India’s monopoly natural gas distributor, profits down by 59 percent.

#Hindustan Petroleum – Nation’s third-biggest state-run refiner, losses have widened to 4.22 billion rupees

#Maruti Suzuki – Country’s biggest carmaker, profit down 53 percent

#TATA Motors does not look good either – quarterly net profit is 50.95 crore, a sharp 92% fall from the previous quarter. 

#ONGC: India’s largest oil producer reported 43 percent decline in third- quarter profit

#Max India: The Insurance and healthcare bigge reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 94 crore for last quarter, last year it was just 4 crore

While these may be cold hard numbers, the recession is hitting and hurting bad – and much closer to home. Job losses are being witnessed across sectors and from high-end jobs to low-end jobs. Till recently the ‘sunrise sector’ – now over 50,000 IT professionals in the country may lose their jobs over the next six months due to the impact of global economic meltdown on the export-driven industry.

The employees of Motorola India were one of the first to get a taste of the global impact on India – with 500 employees being fired from its Bangalore and Hyderabad units. Even the high and mighty are not being spared – TCS, India’s largest software company, is planning to move about a fifth of its employees working onsite at various locations in the US to India, as client requirements have declined significantly.

Even IT services bellwether, Infosys, who till now claimed to have stayed away from layoffs, has put at least 5,000 employees or 5 per cent of its total global workforce under the performance scanner. Microsoft announced a cut of 5,000 jobs, the first ever lay off for the computer conglomerate. Even Google India has terminated the jobs of some – from its finance department.

Move away from software and it gets worse – Indian exporters have shed as many as one million jobs, more than 15 times a December ’08 estimate. Indian exporters expect to cut about 10 million jobs by March as the global recession sees buyers canceling orders form across . Tata owned steel maker, Corus announced that it was slashing 3,500 jobs – that’s 10% of its work force. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg – this does not even account for the massive belt tightening and restructuring extersise that most Indian companies have undertaken. First to go were the Expatriate executives, who were the flavour of the season when India was riding high on a 9%-plus growth rate – hit by the slowdown, companies are looking within the country for inexpensive hires. But every action has a reaction – the H-1B visa programme is quickly becoming a dirty word in the Us, now Indian companies are being investigated to see if the companies firing Indians and other foreign staff – before getting rid of American workers. It really seems that the world is getting fired.

That line more of less sums up the message that Obama has beein trying to send out. That idealism is not dead, that politics can be played without drama, that dreams – black or white – can still come true. By the time – Obama made that historic victory speech in Chicago – more than 120 million Americans had pulled a lever – pushed a button or mailed a ballot. Obama won more votes than anyone else in U.S. history, Obama won over men, women ….54% of Catholics, 66% of Latinos, 68% of new voters and ofcourse almost 100% of the black vote.

Obams victory is a multicultural, multigenerational movement that shatters the old political ice pack…but as they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Question now is – will “Obamamania” survive the realities of governing? It is difficult to think of a U.S. president who has come to power with a more complex and pressing web of domestic and international burdens.

Obama has offered hope and change, what he has also got in bargain is sky-high expectations! For starters, Obama top domestic priority would be to stabilize the troubled financial system, implementing a tax cut for 95 percent of American workers. (If taxes go up for the richer – his popularity will take a immediate hit) Then there is the business of creating jobs. How? No one really knows. Virtually impossible would be the fulfilling of his promise of bringing universal healthcare coverage by the end of his first term. It’s a promise that even Bill and Hillary Clinton had made, they failed miserably to deliver.

To the worst financial crisis since the great depression – add the international woes. A simmering crisis with Iran, renewed tensions with Russia, and the rise of China as a global economic powerhouse….no wonder Obama’s plate would be pretty full form day one. The world has been seduced by Obama’s vision of change, but will be be able to reverse the enormous anti-American sentiment after the stains of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and the Iraq war? We don’t quite know.
In his victory speech the President-elect did say that “a new dawn of American leadership is at hand” Atleast that was a bold, positive start; a clear indication of no more BUSH style – with us or against us – diplomacy. But will Obama be able to balance – a belligerent Israel and a burning middle east – a defiant Iran and a crumbing Iraq? Will the “Hussain” in the Barrak Obama, be able to reach out to the Muslim world? These are questions would be haunting the president – elect in the days and months to come.

It was not too long ago – that the press was monitored with a hawk’s eye in Pakistan… one of the key functions of the ISI was to keep a tab on ‘rogue’ journalists. Intimidation was not rare and I recall my seniors recount incidents of being ‘tailed’ by ISI men when they were granted rare access to a nation. No wonder then that despite being a neighbor, more Indians may have been to Ireland or Istanbul than Islamabad.

As I pulled away from the Lahore Airport there were no ISI men tailing me, I guess the ISI couldn’t care less that I landed or took off… but what did surprise me was when I pulled out my Headlines Today/Aaj Tak ID card in front of the Pakistani Parliament – the guards did not even blink an eyelid before letting me inside Pakistan’s most sensitive compound that also happens to house the Presidency (Pakistan’s Rastrapati Bhavan!). For a country that is blamed for the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001 – they consider Indias to be remarkably trustworthy! In Pakistan if you are a journalist – your equipment may be checked – but after that no questions. Wish I could access my county’s own parliament with so much ease.

MUSHARRAF GOES WITH HIS TAIL BETWEEN HIS LEGS – screamed the main headline of ‘The Nation’…. MUSHARRAF BLOWS HIS OWN TRUMPET – screamed another. While I could not get what the Urdu news papers were saying – there was no missing out on the vindictive words that were being spewed out by the Pakistani Press against ironically the man who set them free form the shackles of governmental control.

Perhaps the press was angry for a reason against the former general, and rightly so. After the private news channels like GEO TV flashed images of Musharraf’s men cracking down on the protesting lawyers – Musharraf lost his cool – and sense of direction. It seems like only yesterday – when I was with Times Now – that Hamid Mir (Pakistan’s most respected journalist) was doing a walkthrough and showing how troops had entered the newsroom of the channel and forced it to shut down. This entanglement with the press was tactical hara-kiri for Musharraf – the price of which he is paying even now. More than the political developments – many in Pakistan say that his unpopularity has largely scripted by a hostile media.

The news channels in Pakistan are young and dynamic – driven by a purpose – they haven’t fallen into the TRP trap– and are only hungry for more news – besides, they know that they are functioning at a vital phase of Pakistan’s history. A small incident must be narrated here – the day after Musharraf’s resignation, hectic political parleys at the Zardari House in Islamabad (which is more of a fortress and less of a ‘House’) … the PPP top brass is guarded by its own mini army of security personnel. Moments after Nawaz Sharif entered the house for more talks – two of the PPP guards got into a argument – one of the numerous camera persons present there started to film the heated exchange. One of the guards in a fit of anger – pushed the camera.

Had this been a few years ago – the camera person would have gone back home with a black eye and a broken camera…but in the new Pakistan the camera person dared the security person to touch his camera one more time. A brief stand off followed and then a message came form inside the house – and lord behold! The beefy security guy actually apologized to the cameraperson … clearly then the new dispensation in Islamabad is aware of the power of the 4th estate.
Ironically in India, Journalists are loosing power and respect. Policy of appeasement has overshadowed the policy of confrontation. TRP meters have subverted the journalistic ethics of in-depth analysis inquiry. So even the politicians seem set to quibble once again in Pakistan – here’s a toast to the county’s new power centre – for once its not the army – or the ISI – or the politicos – it’s the free press.

Bungee Jumping from commercial bungee towers – that sprout from nowhere, in the middle of the city for example – are rather boring. They offer you only a limited free fall and the sights are nothing to write home about. But tucked away in the extreme corner of Nepal (only 11kms form the Tibet border) is the The Last Resort. It boasts of the world second highest freefall bungee jump (160 meters) and if the spectacular view of falling into a gorge is to be factored in – many say it’s simply the best in the world.

I was in Nepal to cover the historic elections that were taking place in the Himalayan Kingdom … with the elections passing off smoothly (some say rather too smoothly!) and the Maoists emerging as the clear winners – I got an opportunity to work on other stories as well…like the fact that after going downhill for years … Tourism in Nepal has been witnessing a massive growth since the peace process began in the nation … and what I found out was the Nepal does have a few aces up its sleeve – when it came to adventure tourism.

The bridge that you see me standing on – is a special bungee jumping bridge – made by swiss engineers no less… though also used only for pedestrian traffic … the bridge has a massive load factor of 4X….or 2.5 tons. The central segment of the bridge allows you to plunge to your doom from a modest 160 meters ! … in layman terms – the Bhoti Koshi river below looks like a tiny ribbon….yet the location – the view – and the sheer audacity made me go for the jump…and that too while concluding my tourism story on camera!

The resort is run by a German woman called Sam and the Bungee Jumping instructor Prakash took us through the pre flight tests and inquired if we had any heart condition problem (He however was candid enough to admit that he could not do much about a broken heart problem!) Briefing done – we got out weights measured (the bungee cord is calibrated as per the jumpers weight – wrong maths and the road stretches too much and you hit rock bottom)…then it was onto the real part.

Thinking that you are strong at heart and watching others plunge close to 200 meters are two completely different things. I did have 2^nd 3^rd and 4^th thoughts – but there was a job to do now… my camera person Mr. Negi was ready and armed with the camera to record my brave and historic deed J So finally my turn came – and I took position – mind you inches away from a 160 meter fall …. To make matters worse I had to speak in Hindi and English …. My legs were shaking and I was fumbling all over the place….

Anyways speech done about Nepal tourism – I jumped – the only problem was that I forgot that I also had a rope attached to my legs… the first few minutes were pure horror !!!!! ‘My god – I have jumped to my death’ I thought… but then the bungee rope pulled me back and all was well … the valley was not going to gobble me up and I would live to tell the tale to my grandchildren….;-)

It’s not everyday that nations are created – and when they are – the world calls it a ‘historic’ event. So when initially i read that elections in Nepal were being termed as ‘historic’, i did raise an eyebrow….after all this wasn’t exactly the first time that the nation was going to the hustings?? However my perception did an about turn after i witnessed firsthand, what elections meant to the violence hit/economically starved Nepalese population….

7.00 am – polling begins on the dot, enthusiastic election officials were actually taking time out to teach people how to vote… after all not many in nepal have had the opportunity to vote on a regular basis…International Election Observers who i spoke to were quite impressed, one gentleman from the EU said that he wished that people in Europe voted with so much enthusiasm!!!

Ofcourse elections in Nepal are nothing less than ‘historic’, to out it in perspective, what is happening in Nepal today is something that happeded in India 50 years ago. The constituent assembly is going to give the nation a new constitution – the virtual bedrock for its democratic future…and as significantly the CA will ensure that monarchy as a system and a symbol of power is dumped – never to be retrieved.

However all this may sound great on paper – but there is ever-present threat that if the elections results are unfavorable to one side – then it might renege on its promise to follow the democratic norms. The Maoists upset with the results could take to the jungles once again – and the Nepali Congress if unhappy with a possible defeat – may just call out the Royal Army…then there is the question of the King pulling strings in the background to ensure Nepali polity remains dodgy.

The elections however did pass off peacefully – much to the dismay of the doomday lovers – voting in only 33 polling booths were countermanded and 2 persons lost their lives.. in Nepali terminology – that amounts to a amazing election – compounded with the fact that voter turnout was close to 70%. If everything goes according to plan the next move now would be a smooth counting of votes and then the formation of the CA which will be the interim parliament for the next two years – besides ofcourse trash out a spanking new constitution -that will make Nepal a new ago republic from medieval monarchy…. however the real violence may just being now…when ballot boxes may be targeted while in transit.

Its not an uphill teask for Nepal – it’s an upmountain task – but the Nepali’s are hardy people…if the political leadership is right, the nation could be set to achieve new highs. Now the challenge is that political parities not put profit and personal ambition over nation – and get nepal moving on the track of democracy and republican way of life.

Not only Chidambaram, traditionally when any finance minister rose to make his budget speech – the country waited in anticipation – with bated breath and for weeks before that, the cumulative attention of India remained focused on what the FM carried in his budget briefcase.

But in a liberalized economy a questions arises, ‘Is the Union Budget as important today – as it was say – 20 years ago?’ Is a 2008 P Chidambaram speech as important as a Manmohan Singh Budget Speech in 1991? Or for that matter, does all of India bother to track the activities of our finance minister?

There is ofcourse good reason why the union budget is loosing its sheen….The budget traditionally had had three functions;
1. Presenting last years report card
2. Outlining the plan for the coming year’s Income/Expense
3. And IMPORTANTLY announcing major policy decisions.

But with increasing liberalization and synchronization with the global economy, the budget has been reduced to just a report card and income/expense accounting procedure.
The very curtail function of policy decision is made along the way as India zooms at a rate of 8 – 10 % growth. Sample this;

1. RBI credit policy
2. FDI rate caps
3. Policy over PN Notes and
4. Petrol price hike

All of the above didn’t wait for the FM’s speech! And too add insult to the injury, even the Sensex does not hang on to every word that the FM utters. These days it’s the Sub Prime Crisis in the US and Middle East Crude Oil Prices that move the markets.

There was a period in the history of India where 5 year plans ruled the roost – the government was the MAI BAAP for all and the SUB 6% HINDU RATE OF GROWTH was the norm….no wonder then the finance minister’s speech carried the hope for change amongst the masses.

But now after the uncertain 90′s – the finance minister’s job has been to just FINE TUNE the direction of the nation economy. (besides ofcourse appeasing vote banks!) And perhaps the only important announcement that people now wait for, is the possible reduction in Income Tax Rates
Anyways it’s a backhand compliment to Dr. Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram himself, that fewer people tune into the budget speech today … for they were the ones who originally put India on the track of being a full blown global economy… and thus not being left at the mercy of politicos. Hopefully, soon market forces will give even lesser room for politicians to play their dirty games. Till then – handing it over to Mr. Chidambaram !!!!!

They may be as similar to each other as chalk and cheese, but Rakhi Sawant and Raj Thackeray represent the worst form of media exploitation. The only difference is that while Rakhi continues to slap her way into the headlines … Raj may well be getting a tight one across his face, very soon.

13^th Feburary 2008 – it was Raj Thackeray’s day in the sun. After a fortnight of dithering over Raj’s anti North-Indian tirade and playing Who blinks first – the state government finally arrested the MNS supremo. As fears of large scale violence spread in Mumbai, the news channels went on overdrive…covering every aspect of Raj’s movements. Even this reporter was bundled on the first flight out of Delhi to make sure that the channel had adequate strength on ground zero.

But Raj’s ‘dramatic’ arrest was dramatically short-lived…in less than two hours the Vikhroli court had let him off – with a slap on the wrist. Raj Thackeray had surely won on that day – he had championed the cause of the Marathi Manoos – challenged the political order – and won. As Raj drove back home to a hero’s welcome, political analysts blamed the media for making Raj the hero he became that day, blamed the forth estate (read TV) for giving him national prominence.

Now it’s no secret that select (pro MNS) channels were informed well in advance about the ‘hotspots’ where violence would erupt. So when taxi drivers from UP/Bihar were pulled out of their cabs and thrashed mercilessly – the entire drama was captured and broadcast instantaneously. 24 hour news channels demand action and Raj’s men gave it – as the police stood around helplessly – the channels had a headline story. However if the MNS thinks that it can use the media to climb the political ladder, then what Raj and his goons are forgetting is that Breaking News has a notoriously short attention span.

As soon as the cosmetic violence abated and Raj was back home, the camera’s were packed up and OB vans powered down. When we rolled a special bulletin from Shivaji Park that night at 10.30 – we had a few stray dogs for company. Few hours ago Mumbai was facing the prospect of rioting – now news channels were gearing up for the next day’s big story.

14^th Feburary 2008 – There was violence in Mumbai, but it had nothing to do with Raj Thackeray. Rakhi Savant had struck again – this time hitting out at her ‘estranged’ boyfriend who had come to apologize on Valentines Day. As the well rehearsed drama was played out in front of cameras – TV channels went to town. India’s own Paris Hilton had given ANOTHER headline story and she of course took time out to speak to all channels – before walking into the Valentine sunset with her now-again boyfriend.

Head to head Rakhi got far more coverage than Raj. Going by the logic that the media ‘helped’ Raj’s political career – Rakhi should be ruling the roost in Bollywood !! But that is where Raj and Rakhi are strange bedfellows – they are the nuisance that people love to watch. Rakhi’s media antics may actually get a few bit part roles in movies – but it surely would make Raj the joker in the political pack.

Raj seems to have learnt precious little from his uncle (or he is just plain desperate) But the fact is the Shiv Sena included north Indians only after it realized that screaming Marathi Manoos will not take it anywhere close to critical mass. (alienating close to 50% of the population of Mumbai is not a wise strategy!) Besides parties are not built by playing to the gallery – Unlike the Sena – the MNS is not been able to develop a organizational network – unlike the Sena it does not even have a clear ideology (Nirman – or development, seems to have gone for a toss) … even the real support base of the MNS is very dubious. Uncle Thackeray seemed to have learnt his lesson – one hopes that Raj gets the hint sometime soon…otherwise he like Rakhi Sawant will continue to provide comic relief for viewers.

It’s become fashionable of late to blame everything on the media … in the days of Indira Gandhi it used to be the ‘foreign hand’ that was the root cause of India’s pathetic plight. Now everything – from rising teenage sex – to falling Sensex – is because of the media. One only wishes that in this age of fast paced Breaking News – the media had such paranormal powers!

And it’s a residence befitting the role of the person who stays in it, The President is the first citizen of a multi-dimensional political state – that India is …. He is the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces, and the central authority in the formation of new governments, he also has the powers, to dissolve them in instances of crisis. He is supposed to be neutral without any political leanings – and yet should have solid background of internal politics.

The President is not merely a Chancellor sitting at convocations, but an important constitutional Functionary. The President requires to act independently and his actions require constitutional knowledge as well political wisdom Many presidents from Rajendra Prasad to A P J Abdul Kalam have done just that – acted with political wisdom – while others – like Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Zail Singh – have been accused of meekly towing the line of the central leadership … whatever the case may be – the supposedly ornamental office of the president, something people often call a rubber stamp, has been far from non-controversial – we travel back in time – and find that the 11 presidents of India had their own unique style – and their share of controversies.

Though not explicitly stated in the constitution – Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first and perhaps most eminent prime minister had favored the appointment of only ‘eminent’ persons to the post of president. That thought was sadly implement only half a century down the line – with the elevation of A P J Abdul Kalam to the post of president –

- A P J Abdul Kalam–

Kalam or INDIA”S MISSILE MAN – as he is also referred to – did something that perhaps no other president had ever done before… he threw open the gates of Raisina Hill to the public – , meeting children, school students and youth, earning him the title of the “people’s president” but despite his
widespread popularity, and his considerable mass appeal, Kalam’s presidency was not without it’s share of controversy…

On the night of the 22nd of may, 2006, the Union cabinet decided to go with then Bihar governor Buta Singh’s report, seeking the dissolution of the Bihar assembly… the governor, in his report, said that no party in the state had to strength to form a government, even hasty alliances cobbled together gave no respite….. president Kalam, visiting Moscow, was called late at night by Manmohan Singh, explaining the rationale of the cabinet’s decision, and it was from foreign shores that Kalam gave his consent to the union government’s move… a decision for which he had to face considerable flak… Senior politicians of the opposition BJP even terming the move as “murder of democracy”

But Kalam fought back, and restored his reputation, when he refused to rubber stamp the controversial office of profit bill.. the self serving legislation that gave retrospective sanction to the violation of the
rule against a politician holding more than one position which grants him prestige and perquisites…. however Kalam had to sign the controversial bill eventually to avoid a national crisis – a move that many still don’t agree with.

But with the president asserting his authority – the UPA despite its best efforts could not impose presidents rule in UP – they feared that Dr. Kalam would not repeat the mistake he made by approving presidents rule in Bihar. president rule…..a proclamation that later struck down as “unconstitutional” by the Supreme Court

But at the end of the day – people will remember Kalam for the good things he stood for……

- Mr. K. R.Narayan-

In the general elections of 1998, K. R. Narayanan became the first sitting President to vote (16 February 1998), casting his vote at a polling booth in a school within the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex after standing
in a queue like an ordinary citizen. He insisted on casting his vote, despite the departure from precedent being pointed out to him, Presidents are, after all, supposed to be politically neutral.

Almost every president of India has to fight the governmental itch to use article 356 against state governments that are incidentally ruled by rival political forces…. President Narayanan somewhat cured the itch when he returned for reconsideration the advices from the Union cabinet to impose President’s rule in a state, in accordance with Article 356, in two instances: one from the Gujral government – seeking to dismiss the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh, and the other from the Vajpayee government seeking to dismiss the Rabri Devi government in Bihar. In both instances, he cited the Supreme court judgment of 1994 on S. R. Bommai vs. Union of India and exercised his discretion.

But the real controversy over the Narayan presidency came AFTER Narayan had vacated Rashtrapati Bhavan – that was when news leaked out that the president had written a stern letter to then Prime Minsiter A B Vajpayee – criticizing the government’s inaction in the aftermath of the Godhra incident …. The contents are thought to have been so explosive that despite the Nanavati-Shah Commission’s request for a copy of the letter – the secretary to the President P M Nair – flatly denied access to the letter saying that all correspondence between the prime minister and the president was secret and cannot be divulged

But the fact that the fact that the President did write a letter – proved that the corridors of Rashtrapati Bhavan were not exactly silent – while Gujarat was burning …. Expectedly relations between
Narayan and Vajpayee were at best FROSTY in the aftermath of this ‘presidential intervention’

- R. VENKETARAMAN and S D SHARMA-

The Presidential terms of R. VENKETARAMAN and S D SHARMA saw what many call the colorless period in Rashtrapati Bhavan…. devoid – thankfully of any major controversy…. The only time that Venkataraman clashed with the executive was when he stalled the pension bill in Early 90′s – interestingly the bill aimed at giving MP’s more pensions and was passed on the last day of the outgoing assembly… the president rightfully termed the move as self-aggrandizement.- and withheld his assent……

Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma was known to be a stickler for parliamentary norms. He is known to have broken down in the Rajya Sabha while witnessing the members of the house create a din on a political issue. His grief is said to have brought back some order into the proceedings of the house… Shankar Dayal Sharma completed his presidential years grappling with his failing health….

While the decade 1987 to 1997 – saw peace prevail at Rashtrapati Bhavan – the scene for a DECADE AND A HALF BEFORE THAT WAS quite the opposite – it was the dark years of the president – the puppet presidents….

- GIANI ZAIL SINGH-

Its no secret that Prathibha Patil was the congress’s backup choice and her name was put forth after there is was bitter opposition to Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s nomination – but for 10 Janpath – there was some precident in the move…. In the early 80′s – Indra Gandhi in a similar manner placed her trusted lieutenant – Giani Zail Singh – (the then home minister) in the Rashtrapati Bhavan … many political commentators have labeled his – as the most disastrous Presidencies of India….. Zail Singh as a show of gratitude – described young Sanjay Gandhi as his mentor and then declared, “My leader has asked me to be President. If she had asked me to sweep the floor, then I would have picked up a broom and done it”

When he was president of India, Indira Gandhi ordered the army into the Golden Temple …. The president did not even know that Operation Blue Star was underway…. even though the Army is under the direct command of the President of India.

It is a different matter that Giani Zail Singh who initially went out of his way to make Indra’s son, Rajiv Gandhi, climb to Prime Ministership, had a very bitter relationship with Rajiv – certainly the worst that any president and PM have shared in the history of the nation….

And the only time Zail Singh asserted himself was when he withheld assent to a Bill passed by Parliament that gave sweeping powers to the State to intercept mail. This was considered by the President to be an encroachment on citizens’ freedom of speech and liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution……another instance of how Rashtrapati Bhavan keeps a watch over the parliament’s attempts to overstep its limits ….

-NEELAM SANJIVA REDDY–

The ’70 and the early ’80 can be termed as the most controversy ridden times for the presidency – if there was a F A Ahmed who had allowed emergency to be imposed… then there was Z Singh who’s servitude to the Gandhi family was well known…. Sandwiched between these controversial presidents was N S Reddy….

In 1977 Neelam Sanjeeva reddy dismissed a grand total of 9 state governments in one go including those of Bihar, UP, Raj, MP and Haryana – he of course was doing the bidding of the newly formed Janta government… the justification for the dismissal was even more interesting… since the congress was swept out of power in the centre… the states had lost the moral authority to rule in the states!!!!

The bizarre twist in the tale continued – when Indra Gandhi again swept back to power in 1980 …. She got the same N S Reddy to dismiss the governments in the same states all over again…. Mrs. Gandhi really knew how to take revenge… By them dismissals had become so common that the constitution had to be amended to prevent the repeated summary dismissals of state governments….

- FAKHRUDDIN ALI AHMED-

Educated at Delhi’s St. Stephen’s College and St Catharine’s college, Cambridge, F A Ahmed subsequently became an active member of the Congress Party. He was chosen for the presidency by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1974, becoming the second Muslim President of India. He would later use his constitutional authority as head of state to allow her to rule by decree once emergency rule was proclaimed in 1975…. One the most controversial presidential moves ever…..

In the Congress hierarchy Ali Ahmed enjoyed an enviable position being a member of the Congress Working Committee for several years. In the Great Split of the Congress (in 1969), Ali Ahmed remained with Indira Gandhi, maybe his deep-rooted association with the Nehru family made him adhere to Indira Gandhi’s leadership till his death.

When Opposition leaders threatened a civil-disobedience campaign to force Indra to resign, and many of her oldest Cabinet colleagues and Congress Party advisers urged her to step down…..she instead followed the advice of her ambitious younger son, Sanjay on June 26, 1975, Mrs. Gandhi persuaded President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to declare a national emergency, which empowered her to do whatever she considered “best” for the country for at least six months – It is said that Ali was roused from his sleep at the dead of night to sign the proclamation declaring Emergency rule ….and as the story goes he didn’t even bother to check whether the measure had the cabinet’s approval.

What followed was the blackest period of Indian Democracy… J P Narayan, as well as hundreds of others who had protested Indra’s actions – were picked up and put behind bars….. Practically every leader of India’s political opposition was jailed or kept under house arrest for almost two years, and some of India’s most prominent journalists, lawyers, educators, and political activists were muzzled or imprisoned. She also blacked out the press and appointed Sanjay Gandhi as her trusted personal “censor” of all future news leaders and editorials…..” India is Indira, and Indira is India,” was the call of Congress Party sycophants…and there was no one to stop her….

In the wake of the Emergency Ali Ahmed became the target of criticism of his detractors….and many believe that Ahmed could have put his foot down – as V V Giri had done in a similar situation.

Before the likes of V V GIRI came onto the scene – the politicization of the post of the president was largely limited…. both Dr. S. Radakrishnan / Zakir Hussain were persons of eminence – who brought in considerably amount of prestige to the Rashtrapati Bhavan….

-RAJENDRA PRASAD–

Rajendra Prasad the first president of Independent India – was also the only president to occupy the post for more than one term… occupying the Rashtrapati Bhavan from 1950-to 1962…. And he was more than a handful for Nehru, both because of his conservative views, as on the Hindu code bill relating to marriage, and because of his tendency to transgress the limited role ascribed to the president by the constitution.

It’s not only that this times around that there is intense politicking over who will become the next president – even for the election of the first president there had been daggers drawn…. S B Patel engineered the election of his man Rajendra Prasad as the Congress candidate…… Jawaharlal had been completely bypassed; he was so surprised that he actually asked Prasad to withdraw and propose Rajagopalachari’s name himself. Prasad cleverly suggested that he would do whatever Nehru and Patel agreed upon, at which point Nehru understood and threw in the towel…..so there was nothing of a consensus over Prasad…. Politics over RB it seems is as old as the Presidency itself!!!!!!!

Back to the present – where the presidential elections have perhaps seen the worst political bickering – many say time had come to institutionalize the practice of NON POLITICAL presidents – like Kalam … This, they say, will ensure presidential neutrality. But those supporting the move of electing a political President are equally right when they argue that a non-political President may not be able to understand the intricacies of modern day coalition politics – a reality that is here to stay in India.

But the simple truth is that this nation is yearning for a President that everyone likes, trusts and looks up to; a President who is free from prejudices; a President who unites everyone and divides no one; a President who transcends caste, creed, religion or region; a President who holds a clean image and truly desires the betterment of the country. Anyone who imbibes all these qualities in him truly deserves being the constitutional head of the country irrespective of whether he has a political background or not.

The controversies – they will always exist – but the construction has enough built in safeguards to ensure that neither the President or the Parliament overstep their limits … and for the vibrant Indian democracy – there is one statement that rings true – today’s controversy is tomorrow’s consensus … !!!!