02.18.07

Why AB can’t be the President

Posted in Humour at 11:22 pm by PuneTalks

Trust Rediff to keep you informed when you are thousands of miles away from your homeland.
I read in rediff.com that Amar Singh has done it again.

He has once again hogged the limelight by talking about Amitabh Bachchan. How else would a portly, middle-aged, balding politician with no political base keep himself in circulation? Of course by telling us constantly how close is he to the Big B, how great is Jaya Bhabhi and how he hasn’t gifted the car to their son!

Well when my Nigerian friend, Dr Segun Adediran read about AB’s chances of taking a shot at the Presidency in rediff (yes, rediff is read in West Africa too), he jumped with joy.

Indian stars like Dharmendra, Shashi kapoor and Amitabh (in that order) are quite popular with the Nigerians of Sr. Adediran’s age.

Manoj Kumar is also famous because his “Dus Numbari” has been the biggest hit in Nigeria till date-bigger than any other Hollywood or Nollywood (Nigerian cinema stupid) movie ever.

“Why should a man like Amitabh not be the President of India?” Dr Adediran confronted me.

“If Arnold can be the governor and if Reagan could be the president, then why can’t Mr. Bachchan be the President?”

“Hope this is not because of the caste factor?” He quips.

Caste related stories in BBC are so many abound that sociologists relate India with caste and nothing else.

“Doc. There doesn’t exist any caste conflict in India any longer, at least not in the cities. And in any case Amitabh is a kayastha, the same caste as Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who was the first President of India.”

“OK then why can’t he be the Prez? Is it because he is a movie star and hence his contribution to India’s progress is considered less than that of a scientist or a banker or an industrialist? I believe that AB is quite an educated person. Even though it may not matter in your country for was the former Chief minister of Bihar, what was her name, the wife of your Railway Minister, I believe was no great shakes when it came to education! ” The Doc isn’t giving in easily.

” I think that Amitabh has contributed to the development of brand India more than any one else. He is the best-known Indian after Gandhi. He is more popular than Arun Sarin or Narayan Murthy. And he is great! He has entertained millions by the roles he played on-screen. I guess he gave the right entertainment to the scientist who got frustrated mid-way through his research, to infuse enthusiasm back in his mind and soul. He put a smile on the face of your soldier who felt like giving up guarding the Siachin glaciers all the while. So his contribution to your society is no less than the contribution of a Ratan Tata or what’s his name, Ambani?”

Doctor Adediran surely loves India and knows it like not many Indians do!

” Boss. I want your take on it. I hope that there is nothing in the constitution of India which says that someone with a name like Amitabh Bachchan can’t be the President of India?” Doctor challenges me. I keep on smiling, collect my thoughts, clear my throat, and adjust my spectacle and then start off.

“Doc. You are right. Amitabh is a great entertainer and a great man. He has the most impeccable pedigree. Son of the great poet Harivansh Rai, husband of the good actress   (I still don’t call an actress, an actor), father of a competent actor, about-to-be-father-in-law of a popular actress, he is loved by us all, including Shah Rukh Khan!

His contribution to cinema is great and we simply dote on him but being President is all about the Presidency.

We will not elect Amitabh as our President, just because Reagan once was America’s president. We don’t ape the Americans.

Our first President was Dr. Rajendra Prasad.”

The initials of our first President interest Doctor Adediran. His face lights up as I continue my discourse.

“ Dr Prasad spent his lifetime fighting the British occupation of India and his life was an example of sacrifice and simplicity.  It is on record that he didn’t allow his children and grandchildren to drop his name even once in their daily lives. He thought that

Becoming the President, the first of free India was not reward for the sacrifices he made but rather continuation of his struggle to help Indian government identify with the ordinary Indian that he had come to represent. It is difficult to say if Indians loved their first President more or they respected him more. Such was his persona.

He was succeeded by Dr. Radhakrishnan who was a respected teacher and a great scholar, much in the mould of a revered saint who represented the spiritual and philosophical contribution of our India to the world civilization.

A man who commanded respect and awe and made his countrymen proud.

We had Presidents like VV Giri, the great labour leader who epitomized dignity of labour and hard work. President Ahmed who was a symbol of grace, Sanjiva Reddy who will always be associated with the image of a grass-root worker who rose to be the President because of his never-say-die approach. We had Giani Zail Singh as President who withstood horrific tortures at the hands of dictatorial regimes in Punjab. We were lucky to have the erudite Venkataraman and the honourable Narayanan as our Presidents for they rose from the most humble backgrounds and worked their way to the top by sheer determination and hard work.

President Kalam, our current President and our hero and our sweetheart. His entire life has been dedicated to the service of the nation even when he has entered the twilight zone of his life.”

Dr. Adediran is all ears and I am all passion.

The images of Rajan Babu, Radhakrishnan and Kalam are in my mind. I then imagine my beloved Amitabh, dancing ungainly on the silver screen to “Merey angney main tumharra kya kaam hai”. I see Amitabh collecting his crores for the roles that he essayed. I also see him signing cheques of ICICI banks to the winner of KBC and in the process making his own millions. I can’t think of any sacrifices that my favourite idol has made for the nation. I am rather reminded of the millions, he once owed to the government, which he of course paid back but without interest. I think that Amitabh has done well for himself. He has entertained us but we too have given him whatever was his due. We still line up outside his house in Mumbai to wish him a long life on his Birthday. And may I dare say that we sometimes suffer him gladly just for old times’ sake.

I see him engaged in petty rivalry with Shahrukh Khan. I see him tailing with and getting tailed by politicians of little standing. I see him competing with the Amitabh of the yore, once young and handsome, now old, haggard even though in full make-up!

I see Amitabh giving numerous interviews to promote his son and I wonder if it is correct to believe the press when it says  that this great man tried to remove the Aash-Hritik liplock from the blockbuster called Dhoom2. I am sure Amitabh didn’t do anything of that sort. But is there a smoke without any real fire?

And this and that and even that…and this after all is about the Presidency.

We may have had charlatans as MPs and gangsters as Ministers but there is one elected office in our country which is extremely sacrosanct- the office of the President of the republic of India. It may be a decorative position mostly but the top position none- the- less.  It can’t go a man whose political posturing, though declared apolitical, can even give a hint of  generating any controversy which may divide the opinions across the  nation. The contenders for this position are not the ones who feel that they should run for it. On the contrary, these are men whom people think have the potential and the grace to run for it.

I speak my mind to Dr. Adediran who seems to nod in agreement with my views. The good Doc says his Bye to me but guess what is his parting shot

“Why not then Mr. Bachchan for the VP’s job?”

Hello AB baby. I give up. Your followers make my thoughts look incongruous!

Sudhir Bisht is a consultant and a freelance writer. He can be contacted at sudhir_bisht@rediffmail.com

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