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.