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Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam has just been elected the 11th President of India.

There are those who believe the Presidency is ceremonial, but they won't be entirely correct. True, there is a lot of symbolism attached to the office, but the Presidency goes beyond that.

The founding fathers envisaged the President not as a symbol as much as the conscience keeper of the political establishment. Not an alternative power centre but as unobtrusive counsellor. Not a kingmaker, but an elder statesman who will enrich the government, and the nation, with his sagacity. From Rajendra Prasad down to Kocheril Raman Narayanan, each occupant of Rashtrapati Bhawan has lent his personal imprimatur to the office.

What kind of President would you want Abdul Kalam to be?

Here's your opportunity to both congratulate him and tell him what you would like him to do. For India. For the future.

What Readers Say

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The 11th President of India: Complete Coverage

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