The politicization of the office of the President of India probably began during the presidential election of 1969, when congress party had declared Neelam Sanjiva Reddy as its official candidate but then prime minister, Indira Gandhi openly defying the party. fielded her own candidate V.V.Giri for the post and asked her adherents to give a conscience-vote. Giri was elected as the president of the country. It was in fact, the victory for Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and she became omnipotent. Consequently, congress party underwent split and Congress (I)/(R) came into existence. This was the beginning of the trend of installing personal / party loyalists to the highest constitutional position in order to get them act as per his/her sponsor’s suitability —– which what happened when President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared a state of emergency upon the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s advice on the night of 25 June 1975. This blemish brought the president’s office the disrepute of ‘rubber stamp’. In last forty years the country’s politics has undergone further and further declension; consequently the president’s office too witnessed the degeneracy, touching its nadir when the proficiency or prepotency of the candidate is hardly talked, but ‘a muslim’/ ‘a dalit’/’a woman’ become the criterion.
NOW THE ‘PARADIGM‘ IS ONLY AND ONLY ‘DALIT’ ===
The Modi-Shah combine has pushed the opposition to wall by fielding R.N.Kovind as the presidential candidate. Opposition, if at all, fields any candidate in the fray, the candidate now compulsorily has to be a DALIT. According to sources, earlier the Congress led opposition was considering between Meira Kumar (a dalit) and Gopal Krishna Gandhi for the numero uno constitutional post. But after the NDA played the ‘Kovind‘card, it has become imperative for the otherwise ‘taken aback’ opposition to put stake on only and only a DALIT. So, Gopal Krishna Gandhi has been excluded only to be replaced by one DALIT, Prakash Ambedekar (grandson of B.R.Ambedekar). As of now the list features of two DALITS – Meira Kumar and Prakash Ambedekar (however, it may change anytime for the opposition is in a frantic search for still better DALITS). Out of the two DALITS, Prakash Ambedkar stands a better chance for Meira Kumar from congress may not be liked by left parties, AAP and others. Also, advantage with Prakash Ambedkar, as he belongs to Maharashtra — Shiv Sena may get allured.
This is the state of affair in connection to the election of highest most position in the country. India, a republic with the maxim of ‘socialism’ and ‘secularism’ — but in practice …… may we say, it is casteism and only casteism….
Blog -- Ashoke Ganguly 