722 What merits and demerits should persons have to become Presidents and Prime Ministers of India? राष्ट्रपतीजी या प्रधान मंत्रीजी बनने के लिये व्यक्तियों को क्या सुगुण व दुर्गुण होना ? రాష్ట్రపతులు, ప్రధాన మంత్రులు కావటానికి, వ్యక్తులకు ఏమి సద్గుణాలు, దుర్గుణాలు ఉండాలి?

A learned friend of mine has sent me an Email, which when translated into English, reads:-- "...Pl., in as much detail as possible, inform me your impartial unbiased appreciation and understanding, analyses, on the personalities and the Presidencies of Shri A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Shri K.R. Narayanan. ..."

ఎ. పి. జె. అబ్దుల్ కలామ్ గురించి, మరియు కె. ఆర్, నారాయణన్‌ల వ్యక్తిత్త్వం, రాష్టపతిత్వం గురించి మీ యొక్క నిష్పాక్షిక అవగాహన, పరిశీలన, అభిప్రాయములను మీకు సాధ్యమైనంత వివరంగా తెలియజేయవలసినదిగా మనవి.

Approx. English: "...Pl., in as much detail as possible, inform me your impartial unbiased appreciation and understanding, analyses, on the personalities and the Presidencies of Shri A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Shri K.R. Narayanan. ..."

For the benefit of all our readers, I am writing a public reply, with his implied consent, as there is nothing private in the communication.

REPLY जवाब జవాబు

These two persons ( Shri Abdul Kalam, Shri Narayanan, our Former Presidents) belong to a category of "sensitive and delicate areas".

In my personal view (I shall not impose on you, not binding on you), they had become Presidents by virtue of their religion and caste. I do not wish to say that they are not fit for the High Posts. They were very much eminently qualified. But, "President" is an elected Post. All the M.L.A.s, M.P.s in this country had to vote for them. But both Late Narayanan, and Late Abdul Kalam, lacked the money and political clout. On their own, they cannot garner votes. The Parties in power chose them, because at that particular time, they were considered as the best persons for "Exhibitionism". What is this Exhibitionism? The exhibition is to show that all the parties love Minorities and Dalits.

Additional Proof: They did not get their second term. Why? Because they did not have political clout. Nor did they have the lucre to contest independently and buy M.L.A.s and M.P.s.

In this country, caste, religion, dynasty (Nehru dynasty, NTR Dynasty, MGR Dynasty, Biju Dynasty, Mufty Dynasty, Abdulla Dynasty, etc.), RSS membership, are special preliminary qualifications, without whsich a person cannot become anything.

Shri Kalam and Shri Narayanan are, without doubt, eminent Presidents, but they were not above others who could not become Presidents because they did not have the caste / dynasty / religious / Corporate / money-or-political muscle-- special preliminary qualifications. Selecting a person as President or PM or a Cabinet Minister, depends ENTIRELY on political needs of parties, at the specific place and time. It will have nothing to do with merits or demerits of individuals.

In this country any person can become President or Prime Minister or Governor or Chief Minister or a Minister for extraneous reasons. Example: Deve Gowda, I.K. Gujral, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Pranab Mukherjee, Pratibha Patil.

Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi will not come under this "extraneous reasons" head, because they have the qualification of a "dynasty".

We can freely review the suitability or otherwise of Mr. Deve Gowda, Mr. I.k. Gujral, Dr. Radhakrishnan, not because they are not living amongst us, but because their ascendencies and descendencies were for extraneous reasons.

But, we cannot analyse the suitability or otherwise of Late Fakruddin Ali Ahmed, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Abdul Kalam, K.R. Narayanan, Giani Zail Singh, because they belong to sensitive category. They are to be classified as UNDISCUSSABLE PERSONS or UNDISCUSSIBLE PERSONS, except in the context of adulating and praising them.

Some people, deftly embrace opportunities which approach them with loving arms. Some others, such as Late Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan, et al. do not bother about opportunities, as they have a totally different set of goals.

Hence unbiased analyses, evaluations and estimates, comparisons, ARE NOT POSSIBLE where candidates belong to "sensitive category".

Whatever has been written in this blog post, mutatis mutandis applies to State Patronised Awards like Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Dada Saheb Falke, Rajiv Khel Ratna, Dronacharya, also.

Subject to corrections and deletions. To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.