bhramos
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There are two reasons we should adore our president. One, she is from Maharashtra. Two, she is our first woman head of state.
And if you need an additional reason, she sure is fighting fit. She flies in Sukoi-30s, rides battle tanks, and crisscrosses the country and the globe in her flight-weary Indian Air Force plane. Not really a day's work for a 76-year-old.
When she took over as president, officials sniggered at this petite lady with a pallu primly pulled over her head. As she grew on them, they realised she was no pushover. There may be question marks on her family, but she rides high. Literally. If the murmurs are true, the timid Madam Prez has overtaken the energetic A P J Abdul Kalam in the number of official visits since assuming office.
Since she became president in July 2007, Pratibha Patil has spent a lot of time flying to the state or out of the country. She has made 22 trips abroad and over 35 trips to the state. Information collected from different sources shows that in December last year alone, she was here thrice, spending 10 days. In 2011, she has spent almost a month in the state. In 2008, she was in the state for three weeks.
This being her home state, her frequent trips are justified. Plus, she's a politician, unlike Kalam, which brings with it its own compulsions. But sometimes, the causes don't merit her presence. Those in the know say she is partial to gracing events in schools and colleges even if it means inaugurating a new facility of a private campus, or their calendar events. Award ceremonies are another favourite. One organiser sent her an invitation expecting it to be rejected. He freaked out when it was accepted. Suddenly, the stature of the event had shot up. He went into a frenzy, collecting sundry ministers and outsourcing everything to event managers, throwing his budget out of gear in the process.
Given her position, her presence inevitably propels a string of state politicos to the spot and on the dais. Governor K Sankaranarayanan, for instance, has to seek an invitation to any event consented by Patil. He has to then see her off to her plane even if it means staying back for three days. No sooner does he bid her goodbye, he finds himself welcoming her again. Unless important, Prithiviraj Chavan usually excuses himself from these photo-ops.
Patil usually takes one event a day unlike Kalam who would fly back to Delhi in the evening. Her VVIP stay puts some load on the state machinery as well as the tax payer's pocket.
President Obama's 2010 visit to India cost his country $200 million a day, if the press is to be believed. While we have no such guesstimates, a Watson-like calculation suggests we pay a whopping Rs10 lakh to Rs20 lakh for every trip made by Patil to the state, thanks to the elaborate protocol and security arrangements required. That should make us join the government and governor in holding our breath till June, when her tenure ends.
Downside of having a high-flying President - Mumbai - DNA
And if you need an additional reason, she sure is fighting fit. She flies in Sukoi-30s, rides battle tanks, and crisscrosses the country and the globe in her flight-weary Indian Air Force plane. Not really a day's work for a 76-year-old.
When she took over as president, officials sniggered at this petite lady with a pallu primly pulled over her head. As she grew on them, they realised she was no pushover. There may be question marks on her family, but she rides high. Literally. If the murmurs are true, the timid Madam Prez has overtaken the energetic A P J Abdul Kalam in the number of official visits since assuming office.
Since she became president in July 2007, Pratibha Patil has spent a lot of time flying to the state or out of the country. She has made 22 trips abroad and over 35 trips to the state. Information collected from different sources shows that in December last year alone, she was here thrice, spending 10 days. In 2011, she has spent almost a month in the state. In 2008, she was in the state for three weeks.
This being her home state, her frequent trips are justified. Plus, she's a politician, unlike Kalam, which brings with it its own compulsions. But sometimes, the causes don't merit her presence. Those in the know say she is partial to gracing events in schools and colleges even if it means inaugurating a new facility of a private campus, or their calendar events. Award ceremonies are another favourite. One organiser sent her an invitation expecting it to be rejected. He freaked out when it was accepted. Suddenly, the stature of the event had shot up. He went into a frenzy, collecting sundry ministers and outsourcing everything to event managers, throwing his budget out of gear in the process.
Given her position, her presence inevitably propels a string of state politicos to the spot and on the dais. Governor K Sankaranarayanan, for instance, has to seek an invitation to any event consented by Patil. He has to then see her off to her plane even if it means staying back for three days. No sooner does he bid her goodbye, he finds himself welcoming her again. Unless important, Prithiviraj Chavan usually excuses himself from these photo-ops.
Patil usually takes one event a day unlike Kalam who would fly back to Delhi in the evening. Her VVIP stay puts some load on the state machinery as well as the tax payer's pocket.
President Obama's 2010 visit to India cost his country $200 million a day, if the press is to be believed. While we have no such guesstimates, a Watson-like calculation suggests we pay a whopping Rs10 lakh to Rs20 lakh for every trip made by Patil to the state, thanks to the elaborate protocol and security arrangements required. That should make us join the government and governor in holding our breath till June, when her tenure ends.
Downside of having a high-flying President - Mumbai - DNA
