The UPA-Left alliance’s decision to field Pratibha Patil as their candidate for the presidency of the republic took me, as it did the vast majority of my countrymen, by surprise. I confess the only Pratibha I knew was Pratibha Prahlad, the Bharatnatyam dancer and mother of identical twins.

If Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh think she is most suited to become Head of the State, what are opinions of ignoramuses like me worth? However, I must admit my initial reaction to the announcement was the same as those of the outgoing President Abdul Kalam.

When asked about how he felt about his proposed successor, he replied, “fantastic”.

And repeated the word twice. I repeat it again “fantastic”.

Other choices
My alternative choice would have been either Somnath Chatterjee or Dr Karan Singh. The saffronites would not accept Chatterjee because of his Communist affiliations.

They might have agreed to support Karan Singh. He has a gracious, princely presence, scholarship and a way with words. My only reservation about him is his belief in astrology. His horoscope assured him he would become Head of State.

To him it meant more than being Sadr-i-Riyasat of Kashmir. He construed it as Prime Minister or President of India. Horoscopes of both Jayalalitha and Subramaniam Swamy likewise assured them of the top positions.
Unfortunately none of the three is going to make it. Belief in astrology reflects on the personality of a person. It entails belief in Rahu Kalams and Shani’s baneful influence.

If the Head of a State who has to take decisions in times of national crisis is influenced by such irrational garbage which is integral to belief in astrology, one is justified in having reservations about him.

I have great respect for Bhairon Singh Shekhawat: as Vice-President he conducted  himself with dignity. But his RSS background casts a shadow on his ability to take the right decision in times when communal interests are at variance.

So, we hope and pray she will set a precedent that a woman can be as inspiring a Rashtrapati as any man.

For the poor
One thing that can be said in favour of religious institutions is that many of them also run hospitals for the poor. Foremost among them is Ramakrishna Mission: it lays more emphasis on Seva (service) than on paath-pooja (prayer) or meditation. Whenever a catastrophe like an earthquake or Tsunami-like tidal wave strikes, amongst the first to arrive on the scene of disaster are doctors and volunteers of the mission.

The spirit that animates them is that of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Swami Vivekananda. That explains the genesis of the Rural Medicare Centre in village Saidulajaib near Saket on the outskirts of New Delhi.

It was conceived by Dr SK Banerjee and his wife Shilpa - both devotees of the mission. They felt that the gap between Delhi and the surrounding village as regards doctors and medical facilities was too great: the city doctors fees and hospital charges were beyond the pockets of the poor. So they set up a clinic in a broken-down godown in 1976. Their fees were what their patients could afford - or none at all. Before they retired to Dehra Dun, the Banerjees were able to persuade the then Lt Governor of Delhi LK Dave to give them a few acres of land in the periphery of Delhi and start building a hospital for the poor.

A donation of Rs 5 lakhs got them really going. Where the Banerjees left off, Dr DPS Toor who has a clinic in Khan Market and Gynaecologist Dr Seema Malhotra took over. Today the Rural Medicare Centre has volunteer doctors, 66 paramedical staff, 30 beds and a fully-equipped Operating Theatre. Consultation fees are Rs 20; for the rest whatever a patient can afford. You can have major surgery for Rs 1200. Hospitals like this can only be run close to cities where city doctors can continue their private practice while working free of charge for the rural poor. Dr Khan puts it aptly: “I spend my mornings in Bharat and my evenings in India.”

Theek Hai
Banta: Can you tell me what a Ford is?
Santa: Sure! It is a gaddee - a motor car.
Banta: Then tell me what is Oxford?
Santa: Sure, Sure! Oxford is baiyl dee gadee - a bullock cart.
(Contributed by J P Singh Kaka, Bhopal.)