The undergoing process of selection for two positions: the next president of India, and the coach of cricket team, must be in knowledge of almost all Indians. The reasons are obvious. Indians are politically very active and knowledgeable too. So is the case with the madness for cricket that engulfs almost all Indians these days.

For many others and me, Kalam has been the best president of whom every Indian can be proud. He could have been given one more term. Left to people at large, they will select him. There was a drive to do that by netizens too. But in constitution, it is by election and that too by the people representatives belonging to political parties. And those representatives can’t vote by their conscience, but as directed by their parties.

Congress is selecting Shivraj Patil as its candidate. It shows the bankruptcy and meanness. The first citizen of the country must be as great and respectable as the country itself. He must be the best available. Does Congress wants the people of the country to believe that there can’t be a better candidate than Shivraj Patil for the post in Congress or in the country of billion plus population? Perhaps, even ND Tiwari would have been a better candidate. Why should Congress restrict its choice to its loyal members? Why can’t Congress be a broadminded and select from among all the parties a right candidate? Why can’t it pick up IK Gujaral or for that matter Manmohan Singh (Manmohan Singh will be a better president than a prime minister)? But why should the President be a politician? Why can’t it be some ex-Chief Justice, Vice Chancellor, writer, poet, professional CEO or social worker or even artists such as Hussain or Satish Gujral, or Rajnikant?

The selection of coach has been messed. Ford of South Africa was given the job. After few days, he expressed his inability to take up the task. Perhaps, the remunerations were not attractive enough or the challenge of the assignment was real difficult. First of all I don’t understand why the coach must be a foreigner. After almost hundred years in cricket, why can’t the country have an Indian coach? Is it because the players listen to white skinned people better because of our legacy of slavery?

Both the selections are raising some questions that the nation must answer. And if it can’t find a respectable way of selecting the right person for the positions, the dream of a developed nation is just a nightmare.