Letters to the editor

Presidential niyat• THIS REFERS to the front page report by Seema Chishti, ‘Her latest gem...’ (IE, June 29). It appears that...

Presidential niyat

• THIS REFERS to the front page report by Seema Chishti, ‘Her latest gem…’ (IE, June 29). It appears that Pratibha Patil has just changed her tone for the sake of some votes from a community that was angry with her over her insulting remarks about the Mughals. But this approach of placating leaders like the head of the Jamiat-e-Ullema-e-Hind, Maulana Arshad Madani of Deoband, just to curry favour with them is reprehensible. I find that politicians are like chameleons — they change their colours to suit their environment. Both Patil and Madani are playing a dodgy game for their own benefit. For the knowledge of our president-to-be, it needs to be said that purdah began in Makhah 1,428 years ago. Some historians say that the practice is 2,550 years old, and purdah was prevalent in India during the time of Gautam Buddha and perhaps even earlier. In fact it may be difficult to date the practice accurately, but when a presidential candidate talks about it, whatever she says must sound informed. Madani should also not try to capitalise on the situation and end up misguiding his community. In any case, I do not believe that a purdah is any protection against evil doing. It is niyat (intention) that is important. If you do not have good intention, purdah is of no meaning.

— Ahmad Rais Siddiqi, New Delhi

Dumbed by book

• EVER since the UPA fielded Pratibha Patil as its presidential candidate, there has been widespread criticism of the UPA for nominating a ‘pliable’ candidate. Which president, pray, has not been a rubber stamp? The Indian Constitution itself is responsible for making the president’s post so toothless. When President Kalam dared to show some spine by returning the Officeof Profit bill, our parliamentarians sent it back to the president for a second time. Dr Kalam had no choice but to pass the bill.

— Ishtyaque Ansari, Bharuch

Nation’s president

• THE president elect ought to be the president of the nation — not a president of the ruling party as the Congress wants its nominee to be; nor a president of Maharashtra as the Shiv Sena perceives its nominee to be! I believe the only way out of the present trap of having a president foisted upon us is for MPs and MLAs to exercise their conscience vote.

— V.N. Ramachandran, Vadodara

Tacky pick

• TICK, tack, toe, round I go, if I miss I take this. That seems to be the formula behind the selection of presidential candidate Pratibha Patil. She was never the Congress’s first, second or even third choice. It was only when the party was at a loss for suitable candidates that the idea of ‘empowering woman’ come to mind.

—Roda D. Hakim, Vadodara