Of Presidents and the people

The reasons are simple: most of them were politicians who ended their careers in Rashtrapati Bhavan and Indians do not have much respect for politicians.

Two, Radhakrishnan and Zakir Hussain were academics, Abdul Kalam a scientist.

Radhakrishnan was a scholar of Hinduism and a great orator. But he did not practice what he preached. He indulged in cronyism and patronised people who did not deserve honours he bestowed on them. Zakir Hussain was also a widely respected scholar. But he did very little besides discharging duties expected of a President.

Abdul Kalam came to the Rashtrapati Bhavan with a formidable reputation as a space-scientist, honoured for his work as he went along: Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1991 and the Bharat Ratna in 1997. He did not relax in his palatial  abode but continued to give inspiring  messages to the people — he became our principal morale booster. In my column written after his first book was published, I was determined to trash it in my column — ‘President or no President’. But  as soon as I finished reading it, I changed my mind and praised it.

Now I have his second book ‘Spirit of India: Reflecting the concerns aspirations and dreams of the Indian youth’ (Rajpal). It is a compilation of answers to questions, put to him by young men and women across the country.

The general trend of what he has to say is summed up in a few lines in the openings: “If the 540 million youth work with the spirit I can do it, we can do it and India can do it, nothing  can stop India from becoming a developed country.”

I give one more example of his vision.  In answer to a question about the persistence of caste and community consciousness he replied: “A borderless society with no divisions of caste and community can only arise, from borderless minds. It has taken centuries  for our society to evolve into the present structure of caste and community. Love, patience, good laws and fair justice are the best instruments for our society to transform itself into a borderless community where hands that serve are better than lips that pray.”

Now we have the first woman President. She is a gracious lady. But she also has a political background. What riles me most is that she also subscribes to astrology. I am allergic to those who believe in it and feel that one who holds an exalted position should not believe in such hogwash.

Long live scams

Long live netas mistresses, Mercedes and their wives’
sandals
Long live our scams and
scandals
Cheer up, and on the crest of the wave ride
Rather than cribbing that  somebody doctored the e-mail  and lied.
Why must we, our Common wealth Games deride
Are we left with no national pride?
What if the organisers, eat up ninety per cent of the money
They are still spending ten per cent, honey
What If Delhi is broken as if
after Nadir Shah’s invasion
What if the stadia leak at the time of inauguration
The whole money is well-spent
What, if the cost escalate a thousand per cent
And the price in the market is less than the treadmill’s rent! Have a least, and think of our great country
Think of the hard labour put in by the organising committee
Have a heart and some
optimism display
Such opportunities don’t come every day.

Nail biting

Pappu’s parents had tried their last to stop him biting his nail. One Sunday morning the family went for a picnic at the Kutub Minar. They climbed up to the first storey on the minaret. On their way down they ran into a pregnant woman who had given up climbing after going up a few stairs. Pappu asked his mother, “Why is the woman so fat?” She replied: “Because she bites her nails.”

The woman overhead their conversation and asked Pappu: “Baby do you know me?”
“No”, answered Pappu, “but I know what you have been up to.”

(Contributed by J C Mehta Delhi)