Pride of the nation

Kovind's nation-building vision could transform India into a more organic entity

Ram Nath Kovind, the 14th President of India, brings with him a versatile career in politics, and is a visionary at heart. Born in Derapur, Kanpur, in 1945, Kovind hails from the scheduled castes, and is the second Dalit to be sworn in as Rashtrapati, meaning 'lord of the realm' in Sanskrit neologism.
In his industrious and spotless public service, Kovind served as the Governor of Bihar from 2015 to 2017, and was a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh, from 1994 to 2006. He was a lawyer by profession, and practised in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for more than 16 years. He also represented India in the United Nations, and addressed the United Nations General Assembly in October, 2002. Kovind's political affiliation is with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, and he is considered to be a thinker in the cadres of party echelon. 
The highest constitutional office of India, however, is largely ceremonial in essence but the incumbent is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the Prime Minister exercises all executive powers in his name. The president remains in office for a tenure of five years, as stipulated in Article 56 of the constitution, unless impeached by the parliament, and is entitled for a second term, if re-elected by the electoral college.
India, nevertheless, has the honour of having some of the most illustrious personalities as the head of state, and they were also versatile achievers in their respective fields. They came from all backgrounds such as freedom fighters to professor emeritus in arts and literature, jurists, educationist and scientists to being celebrated political activists.
Kovind is widely respected for his views on empowering the civil society. He is an ardent supporter of development of infrastructure for education in rural areas, and has tirelessly worked to achieve that objective for the people of far-flung areas in UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar and elsewhere. He believes in empowering the scheduled castes, minorities, and other neglected sections of the society. That principle was manifest in his inauguration speech wherein he underscored the need for development on par, and observed that India should strive for more and for a better tomorrow.
The president elaborated his vision for a prosperous India by saying, "we constantly need to think about whether development in the country reaches the person stand last in a line or in the most backward community". This is responsible leadership, and is likely to go a long way as India cements its social fabric by coping with the challenges of the tech-savvy digital world. This is why Kovind reminded the nation, as he said, "nation-building cannot be done only through government. The government can only be a guide. National pride is what contributes to nation-building".
In the footprints of his predecessors such as the heroic Rajendra Prasad, the freedom fighter, to Sarvepalli Radakhrishan, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and A.P.J Abdul Kalam, the pride of India's scientific domain - to name a few, Kovind has a challenge to fill colours in the divergent mosaic of India by uniting it more closely. 
His high constitutional is the best and most appropriate forum to see that India rises as the millennium power in the region, and the grievances across-the-board are addressed in a humble and passionate manner. This is apparently what Kovind meant as he saluted his electoral college and the nation after taking oath of office, and said, ".we've had our agreements and disagreements, but we learnt to respect each others' views. This is the beauty of democracy. I want people to know that I will fulfil my duties towards them". He capped his political wisdom by saying, "development needs to reach the most backward communities."
Kovind's political sagacity suggests that he would act in a bipartisan manner, and never let the odds of political jingoism undermine the constitutional privileges of the nation. As a crusader for the rights of Dalits, and other weaker sections of the society, he brings with him humane activism and a vision that encompasses all of India. His presidency is an opportunity for the politically polarised nation to resurrect new hallmarks of coexistence and strengthen the rule of law and democracy. His organisational and administrative skills, as well as political acumen, will be up for a test. Kovind will sit in judgement as history is interpreted in years to come.
- mehkri@khaleejtimes.com

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