Who should be our president?

By B Jayakishore

Finally, the time to step down from the President's chair has come for our loving president APJ Abdul Kalam. On July 24, 2007 the five year presidential tenure of 'Peoples President' will come to an end. Though he was not the choice of the people nor elected by them when he was elected as President, he would be leaving a deep impression in our hearts forever while leaving.

Already, the hot debate took its high about on the issue of who should be our next President. Political parties are busy with nominating their 'Political' Candidates for the highest office in the country. Also the debate all over is that who should be our President? Should he be a political candidate? Or apolitical?

I think this not at all a debatable issue. It is immeterial weather the candidate is a political or apolitical to become a President. Rather I would insist that our president should be a elderly person of humble soul who can guide our nation and inspire our youth towards the prosperity than a candidate is political or apolitical.

As we know in India Presidential post is just an Ornamental role. Our constitution has given him role of a mere Rubber stamp. But it is Kalam, who is fond of children, ambassador of knowledge, a thinker, a great scientist, motivator...moreover, now loved by all changed the dead and ornamental chair into a People-friendly!

Think of a elderly grand father at your home. He might be powerless in home affairs, but he is the one who can guide the family, pouring his vast experiences of life. He can tell the stories to grand children. Can share his valuable experiences with family...I remember it always gave me an extraordinary divine experience when listening to Panchatantra stories lying in my grandpa's lap.

Why not we can have a president who is knowledgeable, guiding, motivating and inspiring like our elderly grandfather?

APJ Abdul Kalam broke all the rules of Rastrapathi Bhavan to make it place a worth visit. Every year, every day, every moment he reminded us of achieving our goals with his scholarly, inspiring and motivating speeches. In his five year term he has travelled every length and breadth of the country more than any other his predecessors, with his electrifying and inspiring thoughts which gave him an adobe in every citizen's heart.

Who else had done this before? Up course I don't know much about Dr.Rajendra Prasad or Dr.RadhaKrishnan, But in time in which I have been living in, I have never heard or seen a passion like Kalam has,with among any other presidents who 'Ornamented' the chair!

At this juncture I remember what one of our greatest thinker Ram Chandra Guha has said- "We can however, wish for a president who will more gracefully fill the ornamental role of the office. We cannot, in the present system, get a president who will over rule his ministers; but give us at least a president who can have an elegantly worded speech for every occasion!'

Definitely, we'll Miss you Kalam sir!

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Some inspiring thoughts taken from the book INDOMITABLE SPIRIT written by

APJ Abdul Kalam...

*You have to evolve yourself and shape your life.

*Give one hour a day exclusively for book reading and you'll become a knowledge centre within a few years.

*See the flower,how generously it distributes perfume and honey. It gives to all, gives freely of
its love and, when its work is done, it falls away quitely. Try to be like the flower,unassuming
despite all its qualities.

*What matters in this life more than winning for ourselves is helping others to win.

*Think of rising higher, let it be your only thought.

*Science and spiritualism seek the same divine blessings for doing good for the people. Science tries to provide solutions for a better material life, while spiritualism looks at answers on how
to lead a righteous life.

*If you aspire to achieve great things in life you need magnanimity.

*When learning is purposeful,
creativity blossoms,
When creativity blossoms,
thinking emnates,
When thinking Emnates,
knowledge is fully lit
When knowledge is fully lit,
economy flourishes.

* Education is an endless journey through knowledge and enlightenment.

*Every mind is creative,every mind is inquisitive.

*Creativity is seeing something as everybodydoes, but thinking something different.

*With determined efforts you can always suceed against established beliefs.

*Bhakthi is nothing but devotion we show to divinity that resides within us.

*When a mission is in progress, there will always be some 'problems' or 'failures. But failures should not become the master of the programme.