But I look at the unfolding situation from the point of view of young Indians. For example, will a young MBA working in a bank listen respectfully to President Pratibha Patil (assuming she wins the election) when she exhorts, in some ceremonial speech, the banking sector to raise the levels of efficiency and transparency? What will a farmer-member of a cooperative society think when, in some hypothetical speech in future, she calls upon cooperatives to clean up their mess and fix responsibility on wrong-doers? What will young MPs think when, as Rashtrapati, she addresses the Parliament and asks “Honourable Members” to strictly adhere to the guidelines of the MPLAD scheme? What will a newly recruited young police officer think if, from some presidential platform, she calls upon investigative agencies to do their job without fear or favour and ensure due punishment to the culprits even if they have high-level political connections?

I wonder if these questions have occurred to some of the well-meaning persons in the UPA who are still bravely defending Pratibha Patil’s candidature.