Sir,
This is in response to the news report titled “Opposition too plumps for Dalit face”(June 23).
I don’t care about the educational qualifications of Ram Nath Kovind and Meira Kumar. A person’s worth needs to be judged on the basis of his/her honesty, values, sincerity, neutrality, dignity, humility, humanity and efficiency and these traits are not a bit dependent upon mere academic degree. Else we would have to conclude that the “highly educated” Osama Bin Laden and various other similarly “academically brilliant” terrorists are persons of greater quality than certificate-less Rabindranath Tagore and Ramakrishna Paramahansa! In an ideal situation, I don’t care about the demographic status of the Presidential candidates because all persons in the globe are born equal and all can excel in their respective fields if they desire to do so. Only a supreme casteist and inhumanitarian can only claim that Dalits are not eligible for non-menial jobs. However it must be ensured that the concerned person, irrespective of his/her demographic credential, is eligible enough to don the particular post.
So Kovind or Kumar, if elected President, might perform brilliantly just like Pranab Mukherjee. Moreover, though I am not aware of Kovind’s quality and deed vividly, but well acquainted of Kumar’s personality. She is a very humble gentle smiling lady who had performed the role of Lok Sabha Speaker with utmost grace and civility.So personally, I would feel elated to see her on the Presidential Chair.
But unfortunately the whole process of Presidential race has indeed left a very bad taste in our mouths because it is being contested not on the basis of merit; but scandalously on sheer caste basis which is extremely unfortunate.
Yours etc….
Kajal Chatterjee
Peerless Nagar,
Kolkata