Touch My Feet President

By Manuwant Choudhary

This man Pranab Mukherjee should have been India's Prime Minister.

But the Congress Party does not trust him fully so, while deserving, he gets to become India's first citizen - The President, if elected.

And even for this he is internally thanking Bengal's chief minister Mamata Banerjee who raised the war cry to re-instal Dr. APJ Kalam, India's missile man, as President.

Kalam is a nice guy and the children love him but that does not mean he should be President for Life !

Ultimately, whether its Bihar or the United States ..its always caste that wins in a democracy.

How can Mamata oppose a Bengali?

I have never met Pranab Da because Pranab Babu spends most of his time in New Delhi and he has perhaps had a rather long innings touching the feet of the Congress High Command.

But he has not always fallen in line and for this he has also paid a price.

So its not surprising as a Member of Parliament he loves going back to his constituency West Bengal.

The other day after his candidature was announced he returned to Birbhum and as people came up to meet him Pranab Da forcefully pushed the heads of young boys to touch his feet.

But while India's political fraternity is a divided house they all love Pranab Mukherjee.

And while some said that he is hardly an economist to become India's Prime Minister. It would be fair to say `Andha mein Kaana Raja' (in a land of the blind, the one-eye becomes King')

India's economist Prime Minister is not doing any better.

But Pranab Da is happy and his rosogulla smile just doesn't seem to go away.

India respects him for the way he handled the aftermath of the 26-11 attacks on Bombay.

And the Pakistani press showered praises on him for his no-nonsense, straightforward approach in dealing with Pakistan.

Pranab Babu is the right man to build relations with Pakistan.

As for protecting India's constitution, it will still be a socialist constitution that he will protect, where liberal parties are not allowed by law to contest elections.

Yet, it will be perhaps the last time a dhoti-clad person will live in the Presidential Palace.