For over a month now and about a month left for filling the post of India's President, tongues of politicians are wagging various names. So many names are now in the field but no consensus is emerging. There have been Hindu and Muslim Presidents but not a Dalit President so far, nor a woman. Muslims and Dalits are minority but women are about half the number of 105 crore people of India. Why should men, e.g. the Johnnies below, taunt Sonia for her suspected predilection for a woman in the post? After all, when Indira Gandhi was put up by the Congress party to be the Prime Minister after sudden death of Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966, the country welcomed it and the males like these below did not grumble. Then who is the woman most suited to succeed Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam? Who is the most well-known Eve in India and liked by Adams too? Not a film star, artiste or a model? If she would have to be a politician, she has to be from the largest party in Parliament, i.e. from the Congress. She has to be presentable also, as the President's is also a decorative post. Can we think of Indira Goswami, the Assamese Gyanpith-winning writer who is negotiating peace with the Ulfas on behalf of the Union & the State Government? Two other women who are immensely popular with the poor people for their strident opposition to governments' anti-people projects- Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy, particularly Mrs. Roy. She is India's best-known writer outside, a very original thinker and despite her a
