President Pratibha Patil is on her way to proving her naysayers wrong. Many who thought she would make a poor successor to the charismatic A P J Abdul Kalam have been taken aback by the quiet grace she brings to her office. At her first Republic Day parade on Saturday morning, she conducted herself in the best traditions of her office. Nothing from all those years in public life quite prepares you for those couple of hours under sustained national scrutiny, and we believe Mrs Patil passed that test with high marks.
It was the first time in six years that the gallantry awards were being presented at the parade, and the President, by her compassionate and dignified response, ensured that a grateful nation paid tribute to the four amazing heroes -- Naib Subedar Chunni Lal, Captain R Harshan, Major Dinesh Raghuraman and Colonel Vasanth Venugopal -- who made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.
The President may not evoke the kind of ooohs and aaahs that the scientist-Rashtrapati did at the At Homes he hosted, but overhearing the comments around me a second time around, I discerned growing respect for our first lady President. As many people gathered to see her as they did at her first At Home on August 15, provoked once again no doubt by curiousity.
President Patil has already altered the pattern of the viewing area at the event. Rather than the semi-circular format from her predecessor's time, which led to many layers of viewers and limited interaction with the Head of State, this time around, Rashtrapati Bhavan adopted a zig zag matrix, which allowed for more people to interact with the President. Unlike President Kalam's time, where guests thrust invitation cards for his autograph, we haven't noticed that kind of frenzy for President Patil yet. Guests greet her with a respectful namaste, which she reciprocates with a shy smile.
Images: Left: President Pratibha Patil stands at attention as the national anthem is played at the Presidential reception during India's 59th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, January 26. Right: The President greets guests with a namaste and a shy smile. Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images
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