Truly historic
Regarding your recent commentary (July, "President sahiba for India?"), whether or not Pratibha Patil was the "first" or "natural" choice is immaterial when India is on the threshold of electing its first woman president – symbolism no doubt, but what a great one! Even advanced countries such as the United States have failed to elect a woman president (though the chance of changing that situation is currently looming large).
Pratibha Patil was never a Page 3 celebrity, but rather is a low-profile individual who has an outstanding CV – a lawyer by qualification and practice, elected to the Maharashtra State Assembly fives times, once to the Lok Sabha, vice chairman of the Rajya Sabha, leader of the opposition in Maharashtra, president of the Maharashtra Congress committee, and governor of Rajasthan. She also has the distinction of having never lost an election she has contested.
Is loyalty to a leader or the party bad, or to be decried? Himal's editors seem to suggest that this is a disqualification, that Patil would be a 'rubber-stamp' president of the ruling party. It should be clear that the president of India is a figurehead, and cannot have his or her own political agenda. Rather, that person has to toe the line as dictated by the prime minister, who is answerable only to the Lok Sabha. We do not want an 'active' president, who could create confusion by being an obstacle to the government's decision-making process. Not only would that create instability, but it would not serve the purpose of a democratically elected government.
Let us not judge Pratibha Patil before she even (potentially) takes office. We should give her a chance to show her independence and sense of responsibility in occupying India's highest constitutional post. It is naive to believe that women's empowerment would be achieved if India were to have a woman president. Indeed, that did not happen even when Indira Gandhi ruled for years as the prime minister, a position with real power. Let us accept the reality: it is only a long, hard, continuing struggle by women themselves that can achieve gender equality in this male-dominated world.