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Caste'ing Couch

Update
Here is a good article demystifying the Indian Presidential Election process and its significance with respect to the current election.

Indian politics has been witnessing reversal of two opposite kinds.

On one hand is Mayawati, coming from a caste-based politics background, who broke the divide between Dalits and Brahmins and thus grabbed the CM's seat in Uttar Pradesh (a state known for caste based politics) through a pan-caste vote.

On the other hand is the Congress party, maligning the election for the most revered post in Indian Democracy by playing the caste card. Clearly, selecting an unknown candidate like Pratibha Patil was not for merit but to:
  • cleave the NDA's fold by fielding a 'Marathi' candidate
  • dent support for Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, due to the Rajasthan ki bahu connection
Patil's choice is a political masterstroke, also because it brings back the tradition followed by the Congress party under Indira Gandhi, of appointing a phony at the presidential position. In past 'rubber stamp' presidents have helped in institutionalizing the impotency of the esteemed position.

Recent presidents - especially Hon. Shri APJ Abdul Kalam - have made a lot of efforts to rejuvenate the vigour of the position. but unfortunately, if the UPA has its way, all the good work is on the verge of being undone :-(.

And in all this what is most unfortunate that now even the president's election will be fought on casteist lines - Shiv Sena supporting Patil for her Marathi lineage and the 'Shekhawat' vote being broken into two for similar reasons. And finally Gaurav Sabnis aptly puts it -
... all three arms of the Indian government will be run by a woman. The same woman. Sonia Gandhi.
Funny indeed ... but appalling at the same time!
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  1. Unknown8:03 AM

    She says she will not be rubber stam president but rubber stamp itself.Pardey ke piche pratiba and pratiba ke piche sonia wah mere india.

    ReplyDelete

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