India Awaits Its Thirteen President; Renewed Hope for NE

India Awaits Its Thirteen President; Renewed Hope for NE Dr.Athiqul H. Laskar Republic of India got its first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 26th January, 1950. Thereafter, India has got eleven more presidents with the thirteenth president to be elected on 22nd July, 2012. Though the next president would be thirteenth in sequence, the election is 14th serially. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first president was elected for two terms in 1950 and in 1957. Presidents of India Decoded Chronologically (1) Dr. Rajendra Prasad (from 26th January 1950 to 13th May, 1962) – Dr. Prasad enjoys the distinction of being the first President of independent India. He was elected so on 26th January 1950. He is also credited with being the longest serving Indian President till date. Born on 3rd December, 1884 in Siwan, Bihar, Dr. Prasad completed his M.A. in Economics from Calcutta University, in 1907 and became an English professor in Bhumihar Brahman College in Muzaffarpur in Bihar. He joined Indian National Congress in 1911 and became its President in 1934 and later in 1939 and 1947. (2) Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (from 13th May 1962 to 13th May 1967) – Dr. Radhakrishnan was elected India’s second President in 1962 and was in office till 1967. He received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award in 1954 and was later awarded Order of Merit in 1963. Born on 5th September, 1888 in Thiruttani in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Radhakrishnan grew up to be an eminent scholar, teacher and philosopher. His accomplishment as a teacher is most noteworthy because of which his birthday, which is on 5th September, is celebrated as Teacher’s Day in our country. (3) Zakir Hussain (from13th May 1967 to 3rd May 1969) – Zakir Hussain, the 3rd President of Republic of India expired while in term and was unable to complete five years of his tenure as President. He was born in Hyderabad in 1897 on 8th February. He was the first Muslim President to be elected as President and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1963. (4) Varahagiri Venkata Giri (from 24th August 1969 to 24th August 1974) – V.V. Giri was the first person to serve as acting President and President of Republic of India. After Zakir Hussain’s untimely demise V.V. Giri was the acting President of India from May 1969 to July 1969. He was an exceptional orator and a writer. ‘Labour Problems in Indian History’ and ‘Industrial Relations’ are two of his popular books. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1975. (5) Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (from 24th August 1974 to 11th February 1977) – Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed is the second Indian President after Zakir Hussain to have expired before the end of term in office. Born on 13th May, 1905 in Delhi F.A. Ahmed grew up to be a lawyer and then a notable politician. After independence F.A.Ahmed had become Advocate General of Assam. As President of India he declared ‘emergency’ in 1975 after meeting with the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. As President of India his visit to Sudan in 1975 was noteworthy with the entire populace of the city welcoming him. (6) Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (from 25th July 1977 to 25th July 1982) – N.S. Reddy was the youngest President to be elected for India. Born on 13th May, 1913, his entry into politics happened in 1931 when he joined the Indian Independence Movement. He was Andhra Pradesh’s first Chief Minister and also the only parliamentary member from the Janata Party to be elected from his state. (7) Giani Zail Singh (from 25th July 1982 to 25th July 1987) – Giani Zail Singh, the seventh President of India, was born on 5th May, 1916 in Sandhwan in Faridkot. From 1947 to 1971 Zail Singh was engaged in state politics of Punjab. During his term as President, Operation Blue Star was undertaken to flush out terrorists from Amritsar Golden Temple complex. (8) Ramaswamy Venkatraman (from 25th July 1987 to 25th July 1992) – Ramaswamy Venkatraman was born in Rajamadam under Madras Residency on 4th December, 1910. After doing his post graduate in Economics and qualifying in law he began his career as a lawyer. Before becoming the eighth Indian President, Venkatraman served as a Finance Minister, Minister of Defence, and Home Minister. He also served as the Vice President of India from 1982 to 1987. (9) Shankar Dayal Sharma (from 25th July 1992 to 25th July 1997) – S.D. Sharma was born on 19th August, 1918 in Bhopal. After completing his formal studies, S.D. Sharma completed Doctorate in Law from Fitzwilliam College. Before becoming President of India he was Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Governor of Punjab, Administrator of Chandigarh, and governor of Maharashtra. He also served as Vice President from 1987 to 1982. As President of India, S.D. Sharma followed Parliamentary norms strictly and also broke down an unruly Rajya Sabha. (10) K. R. Narayanan (from 25th July 1997 to 25th July 2002) – Born on 27th October, 1920 in Perumthanam in Travancore, K.R. Narayanan grew up to be an accomplished academician and respected diplomat. He was a post graduate in English from University in Kerala and later became a journalist in pre-independent India. During his tenure as President, India celebrated 50 years or Golden Jubilee of independence. (11) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (from 25th July 2002 to 25th July 2007) - A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born in Rameswaram on 15th October, 1931. He grew up to be an outstanding scientist and academician. After completing his studies from Madras Institute of Technology in aerospace engineering A.P.J. Abdul Kalam joined DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). For his contribution in developing the ballistic missile and his research in rocket technology, he is fondly referred to as the ‘missile man of India’. (12) Pratibha Patil (from 25th July 2007 till date) – Born in Jalgaon in Bombay Presidency, on 19th December, 1934 Pratibha Patil studied Masters in Political Science and Economics from Jalgaon Moolji Jaitha College. She also graduated in Law from Bombay Government Law College. Pratibha Patil is the first lady President of Republic of India. Who’s Pitted Against Whom For the 13th Indian President Candidature? The election for the 13th President of Republic of India is scheduled on 22nd July, 2012. Though a number of names were floating around, the final showdown is going to be between Pranab Mukherjee and P.A. Sangma. Pranab Mukherjee – Pranab Mukherjee, the current Finance Minister in Dr. Manmohan Singh’s cabinet, is considered to be the top candidate for this year’s Presidential election. Known for his encyclopaedic mind, he is touted to have an edge over his contender owing to his immense support and fan following both within and outside his party. P.A. Sangma – P.A. Sangma, the former Speaker of Lok Sabha and a current member of Meghalaya Assembly, is the other candidate to contest for the 2012 Presidential post. He is being backed by NDA and it is assumed that his ‘tribal card’ might work wonders for him. North East India Have A Lot to Look Forward to From This Year’s To-Be-President - By and large North East India is among the most neglected regions of India. Despite being producers and suppliers of petroleum, natural gas, tea, coal, bamboo, and fruits, there is enough scope of improvement for this part of India. As both Pranab Mukherjee and P.A. Sangma are from East India, there is optimism among people in this region that either’s election could bring about significant economic development. (feedback:athiqul16@yahoo.co.in - www.conantinstitute.org.in)