Tumult

Well, talk about tumult in the mind or in the country. I’ll prefer to talk about the one in the country on this space. I have other spaces to talk about the one in my mind.
It is not only shameful but an insult to woman or religious minority empowerment by colouring the Presidential or Vice-Presidential elections with such taints. It’s not just about merit, but about the preservation of the dignity of the high offices of this country. Our minority-conscious nation has elected atleast four Presidents from religious minority communities, but none of those have in the least benefited from such antics. I call them antics because when you elect a person as the Head of the State on the ground that he belongs to so-and-so community, you undermine the person’s competence as a leader, as a future Head of the State. Why not just have Presidents and Vice-Presidents without such labelling contamination? It is heartbreaking to hear politicians say women are empowered when we have a Lady President - that we are more progressive than the United States in that respect. Now, we have three candidates for the Vice-Presidential election – all three Muslims. But does it even matter? They are all distinguished personalities and that should be the outstanding criterion for candidature.
Talking of tumult, the memorable dates of the decade which I’m going to present below was one of exceptional tumult. Just like in the present, we have high offices being demeaned, in that decade too, all institutions, barring none suffered considerable damage. Be it the legislature whose life was extended by 21-months (a state of Prime Ministerial coup, may we say?). Or the judiciary which suffered two supersessions and the infamous Habeas Corpus case. Or the executive, which probably suffered the most defilement under the leadership of Mrs. Gandhi, and even her incapable successor in the Janata Government.
This was all about the Centre. The situation in the States would be worse in the decade of 1980s, with the rise of a series of sub-regionalist movements. Before embarking upon this decade’s listing, I would confess that this is the most difficult decade to have a date a year, because of such eventfulness.

August 15, 1969-August 15, 1970: August 24, 1969: V.V. Giri becomes the President, as Indira Gandhi led members of the Congress support him over Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. Indian National Congress splits into two, with Congress (R) being the real Congress faction led by Indira Gandhi, and Congress (O), the orthodox faction led by K. Kamaraj, eventually merging into the Janata Party. Aam aadmi ka haath comes into being as Congress (R), later Congress (I)’s election symbol.

I will continue this list later.
Meanwhile, the distance seems to be increasing.
Everyday. Every hour. Each second.