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08-14 May, 2012
small world
Franchise
Why Mahe matters to Elysée Palace
Shahina KK

KOCHI ~ Nearly 40 people in the town of Mahe, in Kerala’s Kannur district, are voting in an election. They are not electing a candidate from the ruling Congress-led UDF (United Democratic Front) or the opposition LDF (Left Democratic Front). They are voting for either Nicolas Sarkozy or François Hollande.

That’s right. These people are participating long distance in the French presidential poll. Mahe, though geographically in Kerala, is actually under the Union Territory of Puducherry, which was a French colony till 1954. The first round of voting was on 22 April. The second round is on 6 May.

There are 60 French citizens in Mahe. Of these, 40 are on France’s current voters list. But many could not exercise their voting rights in the first round as the polling centre shifted from the French consulate in Puducherry to Chennai. The French consulate in Puducherry had been a polling station from 1962 till 2007. Kerala’s Malayalee French citizens used to cast their vote by ‘procuration’. That is, by assigning their power of attorney to friends or relatives in Puducherry.

This time, however, the change of the polling centre caught them unawares. “And not everyone has friends or relatives in Chennai,” says Panangadu Balan, former president of Union des Francais de Mahe, an organisation of French nationals in Mahe. Luckily, the 74-year-old Balan did not miss his vote. His daughter-in-law lives in Chennai. Panangadu is talking to people in Chennai to ensure that others too can vote in the second round on 6 May.

Balan says that both Sarkozy and Hollande have supporters in Mahe (but not the extreme right-wing leader Marine Le Pen, who was ousted in round one). Both of them, keen on wooing this small group of voters, have sent them pamphlets in French requesting support.

South India has nearly 5,300 residents on France’s voters list. Unlike Kerala’s Pakistani citizens, they face no hassles from Indian authorities. They own land, have ration cards, and do not have to present themselves at local police stations regularly.

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Take Two
It’s More than Symbolic
A Rajya Sabha nomination is not a mere gesture
Haima Deshpande

The recent nomination of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to the Rajya Sabha created a furore. A majority of people were doubtful of what role Tendulkar would play in the House and also of his suitability for the role. Those who are not against the move wonder what the fuss is about, since a nomination to the Rajya Sabha is merely a goodwill gesture and does not have much political significance.

This is a fallacy. A Rajya Sabha nomination can prove to be significant. It depends on the individual. It is not without reason that each year, before seats turn vacant in the Rajya Sabha, many lobby for a position. Also, members are entitled to funds that can be utilised in any manner they want. As nominated members don’t belong to any constituency, they can use this money for development in any part of the country. This is one of the major advantages a nominated member enjoys. And an even bigger advantage is this: not having a constituency minimises the pressure of accountability in terms of performance and utilisation of funds.

It must be said, however, that there is no harm in nominating Tendulkar. This slot is meant for performers in fields other than politics. Article 80 of India’s Constitution allows the President of India to nominate 12 members to the 250-member strong Rajya Sabha. By adopting the principle of nomination, the Constitution ensures that the nation can access the services of those people who have achieved excellence in their field of activity. Since the Rajya Sabha was constituted in 1952, there have been 105 nominated members. These have included poets, artists, social workers and writers. Why should the nomination of a distinguished sportsman raise anyone’s eybrows?

The course that members of the House want to chart out depends on them. They can participate in the framing of policy matters or they can refuse to get involved, like Lata Mangeshkar. She would usually excuse herself from Rajya Sabha sessions. And when her long absences were noted by the media, she sulked away the remainder of her tenure. Had Mangeshkar wanted, she could have been an important voice in the Rajya Sabha.

There is much that Tendulkar can do. For instance, he can work for not just cricket but all sports.

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Shining star
Man With the Enchanting Nod
Lhendup G Bhutia

Rajesh Khanna, Bollywood superstar of the 1960s and 1970s, who has been away from the public glare for a long time and was last seen in the 2008 film Wafa: A Deadly Love Story, is back in front of the camera. This time he makes his debut in a television commercial for Havell’s fans. But what hits you in the commercial is not the product, but Khanna’s poor health. ‘Kaka’ is a shadow of his former upbeat self. Gaunt, frail and bearded, he looks older than his 69 years. He looks worse in a video that shows the making of the TV commercial. People have to help him put on his coat, and when he is interviewed, his voice is so weak it is almost inaudible. R Balki, who directed and conceptualised the advertisement, says Khanna was doing relatively alright. The problem was not the major illness he is reportedly suffering, but a leg fracture that he had after a nasty fall at home. Says Balki, “We had to delay the shoot (which was completed in one day at Koramangala Indoor Stadium, Bangalore) for 10 days after Mr Khanna fractured his leg. We were afraid that because of his leg, he might not be up to much strain. But he walked about and was sporting. On our request, he even tilted his head and smiled like he used to in his films.”

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08-14 May, 2012