Presidential Elections 2007- Smear Campaign ?

It is unfortunate that the Presidential election has been reduced to the level of a cheap road show of a mud - slinging competition . political parties, instead of demonstrating a sense of maturity and responsibility and democratic decency, have been indulging in verbal duals in a non-decorous manner. They choose to forget that the post of President of the Indian republic, which is the world's largest working democracy, must be kept out of petty politics and scoring shoddy political brownies.

Unlike our neighbouring countries where democracy is a sham, Indian democratic institutions successfully withstood even the toughest test of the times. Nothing could damage its basic structure despite some aberrations now and then. Unless called it off, the ongoing petty political bickering has the fire power to lower the eminence of the highest Constitutional post and damage the office irreparably. The presidential elections should not be used for furthering political purposes as s/he is enjoined to dispassionately discharge the constitutional functions with absolute objectivity and understanding. The President has to think beyond the contemporary political equations and act without any fear or favour and without looking forward to any kind of political gains and losses. He has to protect the interest of the republic within the constitutional frame-work. He not only has to do justice but also has to be seen as doing justice to the paramount office s/he occupies.
Sadly, NDA and the politically fragile Third Front have politicised the Presidential Election from day one with a vengeance. The Third Front even sullied the reputation of the incumbent President, who earned the sobriquet as the People's President, by dragging him into an unseemly controversy in a vain bid to politically cash in from his blemish-less image. In stead of drawing a Lakhsman Rekha at this stage the Poll-strategists of the NDA and the Third Front are indulging in character assassination of the rival candidate through insinuations and unsubstantiated imputations. Undoubtedly, Mr. APJ Abdul Kalam deserved a second term of office for his impeccable personality and respectable image. But, unfortunately, the ruling combine thought it otherwise. He certainly has the sympathies and the support of a large majority of Indians. Thankfully, his retirement will not be wasted in pursuit of inaugurations and oratory alone. Instead, he is planning to pursue his better known passion for academic pursuits. Since the incumbent is a towering personality any successor for that matter will be dwarfed by the predecessor. However, the successor cannot be faulted for this in any manner. Mrs. Pratibha Patil seems to be a victim of such a phenomenon. Both of them are, therefore, not comparable. They have carved niches in their own areas of specialisation. On the contrary, the political class who always paid lip-sympathy for the gender justice must heave a sigh of relief since a lady is poised to occupy the highest office of the republic for the first time sixty years after independence. For themale Indian Politicians, it is a redeeming hour of the history. So, the political parties must desist from the routine mud-slinging associated with low-key elections.

For the state of Maharashtra too it is a glorious moment as it is for the first time a son (or daughter?) of the soil from Maharashtra, which played a pivotal role in the country's Freedom Struggle, will be able to adorn the highest office. A double bonus for the state indeed !