Dear Ms Would be (or maybe not) President,

As much as this letter to you should have come a few days ago regarding your "Purdah" controversy, I am taking the liberty to express my views now. I couldn't help but notice while looking at you on the television, you were covered from head to toe and not to mention, advising others against it may construe hypocrisy.. You have also mentioned that you'd not be "just" a rubber stamp..

The fact is all these things that you are promising the ignorant masses, that is women empowerment, purdah to be done away with etc. are not in your hands. You cant possibly bring about changes you promise with a flick of your Parker pen. And I am glad you CANT do that. No one person should have the right to decide the destiny of millions with a mere signature. In that case its a good thing that You or any one on that chair would remain nothing but a rubber stamp and it is desirable that way.


As for purdah, its not a question of why it came about, or because of whom, History has many culprits... The fact is that its there and exists. The real question is should it or not be allowed to exist? It is my firm opinion that the choice should be left to the person, and not her fathers and brothers and society. What if all i want to be is invisible, behind the purdah? Puting women in bikinies is just as oppressive as purdah, provided it is a compulsion.. The matter rests at the base with the choice, to be or not to be.. let it be my choice to be behind purdah or not.. Freedom cannot be "given " to anyone, it is the basis of one's existance and the very act of using the concept of freedom for women to win a presidential seat is ghastly!

Having said that I hope you'd stop wasting our precious time and revert back to cutting ribbons and attending school functions and annual Republic day parades, and stop making controversial speeches because if there is a question of empowerment, Rakhi Sawant and Mallika Sheravat are much better ambassadors of women empowerment than yourself.

It is henceforth a sincere appeal on my behalf that you stop embarassing us with the new drama about seeing and being blessed by a ghost yesterday. Its a country we live in where millions would be murdered just in the name of religion, and the last thing we need is a President who encourages superstitions. It should be understood that I am all for "Your " freedom to see and believe ghosts but hope you understand that as a President even your sneeze would be a media spectacle and there would be milllions of Indian girls who would aspire to be like you in future. Are we to believe then that we are raising a harvest of superstitious president "purdha free" wanna beees??

Think about it.

Definately not sincerely yours'
Deepshikha