I'm ashamed of my ignorance of what's happening in the world around me. I do vaguely remember reading something somewhere about our new president, but realized I don't even know her name. I pinged Sohna and Shirley, and was relieved to find I'm not alone in the dark.
Me to them: do you know the name of our new president? not allowed to google!
Sohna: ummmm
damn
no :P
did u?
shirleyg: yes yes
umm
shes a woman
Sohna: it's a female??
Source: Wikipedia
You're kidding right?!! I don't mean any disrespect, but c'monn...
I don't have anything against divine interventions and other-worldly conversations but I just want our President to be clear in the head if she's going to lead the country. Of course, if it's just 'cutting ribbons', I guess then there's no harm.
But anyway, the fact alone that we have elected a female President will show people that India doesn't mistreat its entire female population and that we women don't just meekly walk behind our men. Because there are people who think India is full of savages who kill female babies. We walk ahead too.
And let's watch our President walk ahead and the men following her. I'm going to enjoy this.
Sohna: it's a female??
shirleyg: a woman
damn
with the name beg with p
patil
some patil
me: did you google shirley?!
shirleyg: padma patil
shirleyg: noooooooooooo
never
shirleyg: prema patil
shilpa patil
So, we finally googled. Pratibha Patil is the new President of India. (Yep, Shirley definitely didn't google.) Three cheers for the lady! We're glad to have her as President.
I'm politically demented, I can't even form ideas on what she will be like as a leader. I know absolutely nothing about her. I wikied, found some things I liked, how she handled the Rajasthan Dharma Swatantrya Bill for instance. And some unnerving stuffs -
"Patil claims to have spoken to the spirit of the deceased leader (Baba Lekhraj) of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University at their headquarters in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.
So, we finally googled. Pratibha Patil is the new President of India. (Yep, Shirley definitely didn't google.) Three cheers for the lady! We're glad to have her as President.
I'm politically demented, I can't even form ideas on what she will be like as a leader. I know absolutely nothing about her. I wikied, found some things I liked, how she handled the Rajasthan Dharma Swatantrya Bill for instance. And some unnerving stuffs -
"Patil claims to have spoken to the spirit of the deceased leader (Baba Lekhraj) of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University at their headquarters in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.
"Dadiji ke shareer mein Baba aye ... Maine unse baat ki (Baba entered Devi’s body and he communicated to me through her)," she said on TV camera. Reporters began to report on the message she received of a “divine indication“ of great responsibility coming her way.
Patil claims to have received the mediumistic message during the last season in which the spirits they call "Bapdada" communicated with the faithful of the Brahma Kumaris sect. She had gone to seek the blessings of Hirday Mohini, also known as Dadi Gulzar or Dadiji."
Source: Wikipedia
You're kidding right?!! I don't mean any disrespect, but c'monn...
I don't have anything against divine interventions and other-worldly conversations but I just want our President to be clear in the head if she's going to lead the country. Of course, if it's just 'cutting ribbons', I guess then there's no harm.
But anyway, the fact alone that we have elected a female President will show people that India doesn't mistreat its entire female population and that we women don't just meekly walk behind our men. Because there are people who think India is full of savages who kill female babies. We walk ahead too.
And let's watch our President walk ahead and the men following her. I'm going to enjoy this.
15 comments:
hehe... if you had followed the interesting run up to the presidential election amidst all the various controversies surrounding it, with party members crossing party lines and loyalties etc I think I was already blurting out our honorable President's name in my sleep long before the election :)
I need your help on my latest post. Its a small project I am doing for a renowned National Magazine. Please come over and help me out my dear pawngi :)
You really think having Ms Patil as President is going to change ANYTHING about politics, status of women or anything good really other than just making it worse. You really shd have followed the run up to the election to know how mucky it was, how undeserving her (as well as the other candidate) is for the First Citizen's post, and really her gender has been her huge selling point. But from a 77 yr old politician with all the history in the world, I wont expect anything
as much as i would have loved to have a woman president, i would have gone for another term for Kalam anyday. anyway, lets see what she comes up with.
>>the fact alone that we have elected a female President will show people that India doesn't mistreat its entire female population
I would be glad the day we get to elect presidents or anyone else based on his/her ability and not based on her sex/religion etc.
It would set a dangerous precedent, whereby anyone can ask to be made president just so it can be proved that India doesn't treat that person community badly. Like Jerusha asking to be president so that we know India doesn't treat people whose name starts with J badly.
FD
kim - that's very sexy, I thought you would be mumbling your girl's name in your sleep, but instead you scream out 'Pratibhaaa!' in ecstasy eh? :P
I blog chu ka lo en, rawn contri tur ka ngaihtuah mek, ka hre vak lo.
phoenix - I don't think it's really going to change anything. Like I said, anybody can cut ribbons. And that's all presidents do, so am not overly concerned.
mac - I was proud to have Kalam as president too, safe ribbon cutting hands :)
fd - I would be glad to elect presidents based on their abilities too, but it still stands that our lady pres might prove something to people with warped notions about India.
If I ask to be president, it would not be to ensure that people with names beginning with J are not mistreated, but to have some freedom to mistreat people whose names starts with the letter 'A' :P
>>but it still stands that our lady pres might prove something to people with warped notions about India.
That's what we dont need. We dont need to jump to prove something every time someone complains we have a dirty laundry.
And if someone says we treat our women bad and we retort by saying look we have a women president it means zilch.
But frankly I think we should get rid of our mentality to prove things to others whenever there is an accusation.
Even more so when we try to prove a point by appointing someone who hears things in her head.
'A' for Anonymous coward :)
ah but don't you love proving a point A? In theory, not having to and not giving a damn what people says and all that sounds very well and good and dignified, but in reality, proving a point is one of the biggest highs we get out of our mundane existence.
firstly divine patil as president doesn't prove anything.
proving a point is well and fine. But we have to draw the line at something like someone says you have a boil on your ass and we immediately pull down our pants to 'prove' him wrong. We need not pull down our pants at the drop of a hat.
The example you have cited, my dear Fyodor, is an extreme case. There are lots of cases where it does feel good, and sometimes even necessary to prove a point, and thankfully, proving points mostly don't involve anything as stupid as pulling your pants down. I will gladly not prove a point if I'd have to do something ridiculous to get my facts across. But admit it, in this case, what's so bad about proving one simple point with Patil being president.
>>But admit it, in this case, what's so bad about proving one simple point with Patil being president.
Because it means nothing and hence a wasted effort. More so cos she hears things. She thinks ppl should be forcefully sterilised if they have genetic disease(high blood pressure is quite genetic too).And she is prolly corrupt too. So I think we have more to lose by having a bad president then gaining anything by dont know proving what.
xyz country accuses India of not treating the female population well. And India proves them wrong by propping up a female president. Do you really think it proves anything?
Hey look we have a female president, its obvious womenfolk are treated excellently in this country.
Not taking any sides here, but anonymous made a good point. We had a woman Prime Minister in the year 66. And how did that impact the condition of women in our country? And mind you, there is a large school of thought from the Political Science Dept that looks upon the President as a mere puppet. The real Power lies at the PMO. If that is the case, Indira Ma'am held a more powerful portfolio than Hon' Prathiba, yet in spite of all that power, she faced obstacle from all directions. What we need are people like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidhyasagar to make the best impact on social reforms when it comes to uplifting the fairer gender. But yeah, I guess it is still good to show it on paper that we have a woman Presi instead of nothing to show :)
"...There are lots of cases where it does feel good, and sometimes even necessary to prove a point, and thankfully, proving points mostly don't involve anything as stupid as pulling your pants down...."
I agree with you Jerusha.
Another anonymous, eh! :-)
Kim - "But yeah, I guess it is still good to show it on paper that we have a woman Presi instead of nothing to show" that's about all I was trying to say. I never said I thought/hoped/expected things to change.
anonymous - finally someone who agrees with me :) thanks!
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