The week before last was eventful. Now that the dust has settled let’s step back and examine exactly what went on. Well, three women Presidents of India made the news.
Ok, so I made it up, but I am not that off really. I am thinking ahead. Only one of the women became the President of India, but the other two, mark my words, are solid President material and will be in the chair in a few years.
Pratibha Patil:
A great choice for a President. A Congress loyalist, enough skeletons in the cup-board (well not so much in the cup-board anymore) to keep her from doing anything rash like dismissing a Congress run State Govt and a veritable no-body. She is corrupt, unimpressive and obedient. I really cannot think of a better choice for President of India (if I put myself in Sonia Gandhi’s shoes).
What was really heart-warming was to see how it was tom-tommed as a watershed event in empowerment of women in this country. The significance is not lost when you consider the giant strides we have already made in this journey by having had a woman Prime Minister (Indira Gandhi), a woman puppet master or is it mistress (Sonia) and of course so many women minsters (Sheila D, Sushma S, Rabri D, Renuka C etc). And that way in women’s right Pakistan also ranks high as it had Benazir. The most progressive by the same yardstick o fcourse is Bangladesh who have had 2 women PMs and they also incidentally lead the two main opposition parties today. How very unfair it is that the US, which in its indepent history of 200+ years have never had a woman President is so far ahead in Women rights compared to all the countries named so far.At times the hypocrisy is really deafening.
Ok, so I made it up, but I am not that off really. I am thinking ahead. Only one of the women became the President of India, but the other two, mark my words, are solid President material and will be in the chair in a few years.
Pratibha Patil:
A great choice for a President. A Congress loyalist, enough skeletons in the cup-board (well not so much in the cup-board anymore) to keep her from doing anything rash like dismissing a Congress run State Govt and a veritable no-body. She is corrupt, unimpressive and obedient. I really cannot think of a better choice for President of India (if I put myself in Sonia Gandhi’s shoes).What was really heart-warming was to see how it was tom-tommed as a watershed event in empowerment of women in this country. The significance is not lost when you consider the giant strides we have already made in this journey by having had a woman Prime Minister (Indira Gandhi), a woman puppet master or is it mistress (Sonia) and of course so many women minsters (Sheila D, Sushma S, Rabri D, Renuka C etc). And that way in women’s right Pakistan also ranks high as it had Benazir. The most progressive by the same yardstick o fcourse is Bangladesh who have had 2 women PMs and they also incidentally lead the two main opposition parties today. How very unfair it is that the US, which in its indepent history of 200+ years have never had a woman President is so far ahead in Women rights compared to all the countries named so far.At times the hypocrisy is really deafening.
Let me spell it out, a woman President means nothing in the journey towards woman empowerment.
Kiran Bedi:
Well, she could not be more different from Pratibha P. Independent, brilliant
Kiran Bedi:
Well, she could not be more different from Pratibha P. Independent, brilliant
track record, a much admired and in some cases feared personality. Listening to her is a pleasure. She is of course presently going through a rough time (see link), but then she has seen worse. I am sure with the example of ex-President Kalam who for the first time in recent memory (approx last 20years) seemed a lot more than merely a rubber stamp, it is not so much a question of whether Kiran B wil be India’s president, rather when.
Monica Bedi:
Hey don’t snigger I am serious here. Just look at her… she is beautiful, is a failed Bollywood actress, has seen the highs and lows of life and is after-all just another girl who tried to make it big. I think it takes tremendous courage to still have a go at Bollywood after all she has done and has seen been done to her.
Think about it, small town girl, tries to make it big in bad Bollywood, gets some underworld support, is swept off her feet by a Don, as a true Bhartiya Naari helps her husband (or partner) in his enterprise and even goes to jail for that in a foreign country. However, she then regrets, returns to home country, does some more prison term and then when set free, clearly states her goal of taking another shot at Bollywood. And I really appreciate her guts and singleness of purpose, no tongue in cheek. Somehow we are too eager to find faults in the Rakhi Sawants, M Sherawat and Monica Bedi’s of the world. But think about it, in her short life, Monica has seen a lot more and shown more mettle than Pratibha Patil will show in her term as President of India.
I’ll be glad if I am proved wrong.
Hey don’t snigger I am serious here. Just look at her… she is beautiful, is a failed Bollywood actress, has seen the highs and lows of life and is after-all just another girl who tried to make it big. I think it takes tremendous courage to still have a go at Bollywood after all she has done and has seen been done to her.Think about it, small town girl, tries to make it big in bad Bollywood, gets some underworld support, is swept off her feet by a Don, as a true Bhartiya Naari helps her husband (or partner) in his enterprise and even goes to jail for that in a foreign country. However, she then regrets, returns to home country, does some more prison term and then when set free, clearly states her goal of taking another shot at Bollywood. And I really appreciate her guts and singleness of purpose, no tongue in cheek. Somehow we are too eager to find faults in the Rakhi Sawants, M Sherawat and Monica Bedi’s of the world. But think about it, in her short life, Monica has seen a lot more and shown more mettle than Pratibha Patil will show in her term as President of India.
I’ll be glad if I am proved wrong.
Personally, I think talking about Monica and Kiran Bedi as potential candidates is much more fulfilling than talking about our talent of a president. And this has nothing to do with subtle chauvinism. Given that it's largely a ceremonial post, presidential elections are hardly of any significance as far as policy aspects go. But, the president is still the constitutional head, and as any corporate guru worth his/her salt would tell you the person occupying this position largely reflects on us, as we have "supposedly" elected him or her.
ReplyDeleteSetting aside the modalities involved in our election process, the last election was a case in point that if the politicians want, they can elect someone who is outstanding and at the same time conversant with concerns and the hopes of counless hapless souls like you and me. We didn't need to put up another white elephant up there; we already have enough of those in the numerous ministries conjured up to suit coalition politics.
In what is arguably more tragic than the apparent success of the "intelligentsia" in "granting" women their due place, the "elected" of the country still continue to play monkey business with real concerns of women, and people in general.
-Louise