This is our Dr. Kalam

Let's look at our current president: Dr. APJ abdul kalam

An excerpt from SPEECH DELIVERED BY DR.KALAM, WHILE BECOMING PRESIDENT.

"As a young citizen of India, armed with technology, knowledge and love for my nation, I realise, small aim is a crime. I will work and sweat for a great vision, the vision of transforming India into a developed nation, powered by economic strength and with value system. I am one of the citizens of billion; Only the vision will ignite the billion souls. It has entered into me; The ignited soul compared to any resource is the most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth under the earth.
I will keep the lamp of knowledge burning to achieve the vision - Developed India. If we work and sweat for the great vision with ignited minds, the transformation leading to birth of vibrant developed India will happen. This song, when sung in our own beautiful languages will unite our minds for action."

In my view he should stay. This guy is great.
I would now like to put across a few incidents worth mentioning, which the great man savors.

"On another occasion, I addressed a very large gathering of students at St Mary's School, Dindigul, in Tamil Nadu, on their 75th anniversary celebrations. Among the large number of children wishing to meet me were two who were in a hurry to get an answer from me. One student asked, 'I have read your book Agni Siragugal (the Tamil version of Wings of Fire). You always give a message to dream.
Tell me, why dream?' My answer was to ask the gathered children to recite the following: 'Dream, dream, dream. Dream transforms into thoughts. Thoughts result in actions.' I told them, 'Friends, if there are no dreams, there are no revolutionary thoughts; if there are no thoughts, no actions will emanate. Hence, parents and teachers should allow their children to dream. Success always follows dreams attempted, though there may be some setbacks and delays.'Another boy asked, 'Please tell me, who would be the first scientist in the world?' It occurred to me-science was born and survives only by questions.
The whole foundation of science is questioning. And as parents and teachers well know, children are the source of unending questions. Hence, 'Child is the first scientist,' I replied. There was thunderous applause. The children enjoyed this different way of thinking. Teachers and parents also smiled at the answer."

"One child came to me with a serious expression and asked, 'Sir, will your Agni missile cross the ocean and reach America?' I was a little startled by this thought. 'For us no country is our enemy to send the Agni there. Particularly, America is our friend. Agni symbolises our strength. It shows that India has all the capabilities.'"

What I am trying to put across here is one simple point. He is an Indian Idol. We feel proud of him. हम गर्व से कहते है कि Dr. Kalam हमारे प्रधानमंत्री है। That's why it is of great pertinence that we should have a president that everyone citizen should be proud of. Constitutionally we can think, he anyways has negligible powers to execute. He practically just has to make speeches. This is with no disrespect to the great institution of Presidency in our country.
Okay, I admit I am wrong while saying he just has to make speeches. He reviews the bills passed in the parliament. He can order them to be reconsidered. He is the supreme commander of all the armed forces. He even has the power to pardon supreme court's judgement in some very extreme cases. There are more too...
But none of them are executive. In my view the best thing a president can achieve is to inspire the citizens. Become a zenith, a pedestal.
One can even argue that if he does not have any executive powers, then why should we even worry about who will be the next president. Well, we should, because he will be our next president.

Cheers,
Vinay