Should President Kalam get a second term?

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The race for India's next president will soon pick up and the chances of APJ Abdul Kalam getting a second term, on paper, do not look good. A political consensus does not exist yet on the issue with the Left opposing Kalam's re-election and interestingly, so does the Shiv Sena.

The NDA had spearheaded the campaign to have Kalam elected five years ago. A few months back, leader of the Oppostion LK Advani discussed the possibility of Kalam’s second term at the President’s office but since then the BJP has been mum on the issue.

Kalam is not exactly the favourite with the Congress either. The party leadership is aware that the President may have to play a crucial role if the next General Elections throw up a hung Parliament. The party would prefer a nominee it can rely on politically.

With such political equations in the forefront, should President Kalam get a second term?

That was the topic of debate on CNN-IBN show Face the Nation and to discuss the issue threadbare were CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta, Member of the Board and Director, HR, Infosys, T V Mohandas Pai and senior Congress leader Vasant Sathe.

People’s President

The people's President's chances of occupying the Rashtrapati Bhavan doesn't look too bright. The Left is opposing Kalam’s second term but a phenomenal number of readers support the President for a second term. Then why is the Left opposing the idea?

Reacting sharply to the question, Dasgupta said, “Your poll is highly selective. We are opposing because there has been no precedence except Dr Rajendra Prasad who had a second stint at the office.”

Disagreeing that such an argument makes the country burdened by the past, Dasgupta added, “Tradition is an important aspect of the functioning of democracy. Our constitutional sense does not permit that a person get a second or third term at the President’s office.”

WHERE WERE THEY FROM

Here is a look at the geographical spread of where the presidents have come from in India, leaving aside the brief term of Mohammed Hidayatullah.

Seven presidents have come from the South.

Four presidents have been from the North.

There has been one president from the East though if Somnath Chatterjee becomes president this time, he could make up for that.

The Western part of the country still hasn't produced any president, something that Sushil Kumar Shinde can stress upon.

Apart from these regional factors, India still hasn't had a Christian or a woman President.

But what harm will it do to the President, say Kalam in this instance or anyone in this country, if he is given a second term?

“Firstly there should be justification for saying it. In what way has he been able to do service to the people except that he had made a number of gimmicks,” a disgruntled Dasgupta retorted.

Meanwhile, Sathe said that if left to him, he would be very happy if Dr Kalam is given the second term.

“I don’t agree with this argument of gimmickry. Kalam is a great visionary who is also very sedate and balanced in his approach and attitude. The argument of precedence is also not valid because we do have an example in the form of Dr Rajendra Prasad’s case. So, it can be repeated,” Sathe reasoned.

But Pai, taking a non-political approach to the argument said, “We need to understand that we are a nation with the largest number of young people. We have 650 million people below the age of 30 and across all these people Dr Kalam has connected very well. They see him as a role model. We need to be very inclusive as so we have to take note of the viewpoint of the future generation.”

However, on the issue of whether Kalam will make a better president or Infosys mentor Narayana Murthy, Pai said, “I support Dr Kalam for the second term because he has been a wonderful President. I am not talking about Murthy here.”

Prez-ing for action

According to Dasgupta the pre-condition for anybody to become the president should be the ability to serve the nation.

“Vision has no relevance till the time the implementation is seen. What did his contributions mean to the poor common man? It’s easy to become a visionary in the Rashtrapati Bhavan than to implement the vision in the objective reality of the life,” said Dasgupta.

Do these factors matter in parties while deciding the next President?

• Where the President comes from
• The cast and religion of the President
• The gender of the President

Disagreeing Dasgupta said, “Not at all. While deciding the name we look for a consensus, record of public service and compatibility with the national traditions of the country. Cast and geographical birthplace has no place in the selection.”

While Sathe said that these factors don’t play a major role.

“These are minor things, competence and compatibility of a person is more important. And ultimately if there is no consensus then it’s a question of numbers. As things stand today, it seems maximum agreement will be on the name of Speaker Somnath Chatterji.”

To which Dasgupta said that he, too, does not object to Chatterji’s name. “Why should I? If all parties agree I shall only welcome it,” he said.

On whether cast, gender and geographical factors matter to politicians, Pai said, “It should not matter and the most competent person should be the President. For politicians some of the factors that are mentioned do matter. Every political party wants that its nominee, whatever background he belongs to, is made the President.”

But are the controversies that Kalam created like the Office of Profit Bill and Bihar Assembly dissolution coming in the way of him getting a second term?

Disagreeing Pai said, “I don’t think so. The country sees him as a very honest man who has made a sincere attempt in taking the right decisions. So, people are comfortable with what he has done.”

However, Dasgupta argued that Kalam is not the only honest and right person for the job.

“In the Office of Profit case, he was expected to have the highest moral values. So, after everything such elementary qualifications should not be considered for settling on Dr Kalam,” Dasgupta added.

Sathe concluded the debate by saying, “Dr Kalam will not agree to be a candidate unless there is unanimity. And as we see from Mr Dasgupta’s perspective, there is no unanimity. So, Kalam might not make it in spite of wide acceptance by his countrymen.”

But Kalam got the people’s verdict as the final results of poll were:

96 per cent – Yes

4 per cent – No

KALAM CONTROVERSIES
	May 22, 2005 - Bihar Assembly Dissolution: President Kalam signed a Proclamation to dissolve the Bihar Legislative Assembly on the advice of the Union Cabinet. The President was away in Moscow on an official visit and gave his approval from there.
	October 7, 2005: In a landmark judgment, a five-judge Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court held that the presidential order to dissolve the Bihar Assembly was unconstitutional.
	May 31, 2006 - Office of Profit Bill: President Kalam returned the controversial Office of Profit Bill, passed by Parliament. Kalam wanted Parliament to look into the legal propriety of the Bill's applicability with retrospective effect. The controversy also saw debates in political circles on Presidential powers. The Bill was passed again by Parliament in the last week of July without any changes.
	August 19, 2006: Kalam cleared the Office of Profit Bill. The Presidential assent came a day after the Lok Sabha decided to constitute a 15-member JPC to look into the definition of "office of profit."

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