Special: What makes Indian Prez?

In the for run upto the upcoming Presidential polls, IBNLive.com conducted a an online poll in association with The Indian Express and the Loksatta and found that an overwhelming majority of readers wanted Dr A P J Abdul Kalam to be given a second term.

So what makes an Indian President? In the world’s largest democracy, how much say does a common man have in electing the country’s First Citizen? Those were the big topics of discussion in a CNN-IBN special show Your President.

The show conducted by Vidya Shankar Aiyar in Delhi’s National Stadium – against the backdrop of the Rashtrapati Bhavan – had an eminent panel and audience to discuss the topics.

The panel included BJP leader Sheshadri Chari; super cop Kiran Bedi of Bureau of Police Research and Development; Political Editor of The Indian Express Manini Chatterjee and Congress’ Rajya Sabha member Rashid Alvi.

In the beginning of the show, when the audience was asked for if they wanted President Kalam to be given a second chance, a majority said yes.

It also reflected on the fact that most Indians preferred a non-politician occupying the Rashtrapati Bhavan, reaffirming the findings of the online poll.

However, the politicians on the panel did not seem to think so. Chari gave a rather politically correct opinion and said the President of India is always a non-politician. “The moment he becomes the president, he is expected to become above politics,” he said.

However, the real question – that Chari seemed to dodge – is if the nominee should be a politician by qualification to begin with.

“Let’s not discuss the individual. We should be looking at the issue from a very different angle,” Chari said. Interestingly, he found a consenting voice in rival party Congress’s Rajya Sabha member Rashid Alvi, “President of India should be a person who is free from prejudices,” Alvi said as Chari nodded in agreement.

Chari also reasoned that people preferred Kalam not because of him being a politician or a non-politician but because he represents the “collective genius” and the ‘vision’ of the country.

Alvi seemed to agree with Chari’s observations. “But at the same time, President of India cannot be elected on the basis of an exit poll,” he said.

While politicians across the two extreme spectra – BJP and Congress – came together on the issue, Manini Chatterjee seemed to read into the “alliance” and offered a rather ‘politically incorrect’ viewpoint.

“I think they (the politicians) are fighting shy because of the overwhelming support from the audience as they prefer non-politicians and don’t want a politician President to come up. But I am a political journalist and I think there’s nothing wrong with having a politician president,” Manini said.

Super cop Kiran Bedi defined in clearer terms what she felt were the expectations of masses. “What this country is probably yearning for is a President that everyone looks up to and likes. Everyone looks up to wisdom. A person who unites everyone and divides no one. A person who is above caste, creed or region. That’s the person we are looking for. He may or may not have a political background,” she said.

When asked if she would have a problem with someone like Infosys chief mentor Narayana Murthy as President, Bedi categorically said she personally wouldn’t. “If he meets the standards, yes (he’s fine). But the political nuances, administrative experience, and nuts and bolts of this country – that are pretty tricky – are known to a person and yet he becomes a uniter (sic), he would be an asset,” she said.

When asked if Congress could give him another shot at Presidency, Alvi remained vague. “I can’t say this. I belong to Congress and will support who ever the party nominates,” he said, refusing to divulge even his personal choice. “I am committed to my party,” he said.

A member from the audience said, “In all our years of democratic polity, never has the President been able to rise above partisan politics and I guess all of us are looking forward to a non-political President.” Many in the audience supported the point of view.

Talking about the “hitch” in having Kalam as the President Alvi said, “There is no hitch at all. If political parties nominate Abdul Kalam saab, he will be elected. Whoever is elected will be elected in accordance with the Constitution of India.”

“We should not forget the Constitution. Every elected MP and MLA forms an electoral college. So though it’s an indirect election, he is elected directly by the people of India,” Manini clarified.

Do region, religion matter?

A look at the statistics shows there has been no President from West India and just one from East. Should region and/or religion and/or community matter while electing the President?

Also, how popular will a woman President be? When this question was thrown open to the audience, not many were supportive of the idea of a woman President with only a few – mostly women members – throwing their hands up.

Alvi burst out laughing at the question and jested that Kiran Bedi was very upset at the audience response. “But I don’t agree with this. We are ready and if there’s a woman of this stature who may protect Constitution, we are ready to accept her,” Alvi said.

Chari also said region, religion or sex were no bars in Presidential elections.

However, is there ever a consideration that the next president should be a Christian, a woman or a candidate from western India because none of that has ever happened?

The question seemed to annoy Chari who said, “I am very sorry to say we will be debasing the post of President if we get into this kind of discussion ever.”

Even Kiran Bedi insisted President should be someone who upholds the Constitution and has the requisite wisdom and courage. “He should not be worried about his tenure. We are not looking for an Easterner, Westerner or a Christian. We are looking for an Indian who should imbibe all these qualities in him,” said Bedi to a cheer from the audience.

“I am not surprised and I am not in the habit of denigrating politicians like most of us middle-class Indians tend to do. The whole assumption that politicians are a dirty breed and should be kept out of politics is wrong,” insisted Manini.

“I think it’s become a fashion to bad mouth politicians. In last 60 years, about whom you think is not good for the job. Take any person – Dr Radhakrishnan, Rajendra Prasad, V V Giri – you can’t call them bad. It means politicians gave serious thought before taking a decision,” he said.

However, despite the high-pitched pitch for politicians, audience wasn’t impressed.

An audience member also asked as to why political parties – if they propagated Presidential neutrality so much – were pitching for their party candidates.

Chari responded to the question and cited Kalam’s example itself. “When he was made the President during NDA regime, we did not look into his political background at all. So you should remember that BJP or NDA saw to it that Kalam was probably the first non-political President of the country.”

Alvi cited Article 55 of Constitution and argued that people cannot elect President of India. It’s the political parties who do the selection and election.

Why not a people’s President?

Many in the audience wanted to know as to why India can’t have a president elected by the people. Chari explained the constitutional history of Presidential election and pointed out the problems.

“In 1950 when we adopted the Constitution, we went for a Westminster form of government where President of India is elected through an electoral college via an indirect election. So if people of India want to elect a President, we’ll also have to ensure certain political and constitutional rights for the President. As of today, President does not enjoy so much confidence as we want,” Chari said.

“That’s why we have a Parliament which people elect directly. So there’s one direct election and one indirect election,” Chari reasoned.

However, his statement seemed to send a message that a politician was worried about a titular head becoming proactive and perhaps being able to take decisions.

Alvi believed people still have a say in the Presidential election. “People still have their say. MPs and MLAs are elected directly – they only constitute the electoral college and people can ask their MP or MLA for a person of their choice,” he said.

Alvi also said the beauty of India’s democracy lay in the fact that both the President and the Prime Minister belonged to minority communities and that people had complete faith in them.

“If you want that to happen, you will have to change the entire system. Then you’ll be in for a Presidential form of government and not prime ministerial form,” Kiran Bedi said.

Manini Chatterjee summed up the discussion and said, “I think there’s a misconception that Presidential elections are a conspiracy by politicians, thrust upon people as they were not making a direct choice. But the fact is that they are electing their MPs and MLAs who choose the President.”

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