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Former President <keyword id="6402687" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="APJ-Abdul-Kalam">APJ Abdul Kalam</keyword>, who passed away on Monday evening, probably is one of those few personalities who brought an entire nation together in his mourning. But while this beloved president is fondly remembered as ‘People’s President’, his successor, the twelfth President of India, <keyword id="5979" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pratibha-Patil">Pratibha Patil</keyword>, has failed to come anywhere close to the popularity of late Dr. Kalam. 
 
She in fact courted so many controversies that she is probably one of the most little liked Presidents of India. So when we decided to dig up a bit about this former President, here’s what we found – a query on the question-and-answer website Quora, asking why former President Pratibha Patil is widely hated and disrespected. 
 
The query has received over answers, most of which compares her tenure as the President with that of her predecessor, late Dr Kalam. Here are some of the most interesting responses that the query got. 
 
“… Ms. Patil used Indian government's money to take useless foreign trips with her grandchildren. When they are on travel, Presidents are supposed to meet foreign dignitaries and improve diplomatic relationships &amp; cultural exchange. In her foreign trips, her huge extended family travels at taxpayer's expense to tourist spots. 22 trips and $40 million in travel expenses. Even when she traveled in India, she seemed to like beaches more than people,” said Balaji Viswanathan, who was the first to reply to the query. 
 
He added, “Most importantly, during her Presidency of five years, she has precisely done nothing. In contrast, her predecessor Dr. Kalam was widely respected and took bold political moves to keep the government on track. Paired with a toothless Prime Minister, she proved doubly disastrous for India…Her image had already been tarnished even before she took the role. Her predecessor is Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam who is very highly revered among Indians. When Mrs. Patil became president instead of him, needless to say, Indian citizens did not welcome the decision. And then her actions further fueled their anger.,” 
 Another reader listed out controversies that involved her, some of which include allegations of her shielding her brother <keyword id="2408155" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="GN-Patil">GN Patil</keyword> in the Vishram Patil murder in 2005. Further the reader listed out scams allegedly involving this former President. Besides, she is also accused of not doing anything for sports despite being a former table-tennis champion herself. 
 
“There is absolutely no question over whether she ever deserved the Presidency. She's a shockingly unimpressive personality with no aspirations, values, virtues or characteristics. There is absolutely nothing about her that would make you want to look at her twice. She has never done anything of value and arrived in the Presidential House by pure luck. For god's sake, she can't even speak for thirty seconds without a script in front of her,” wrote another respondent who chose to remain anonymous. 
 
Readers also take a dig at her foreign trips and exorbitant holidays with her family(that are supposed to forge relationships with other world leaders) and compared her to the simple life that former President Dr Kalam lived during his tenure. 
 
“We had Dr. Abdul Kalaam as the President before Prathiba Patil was sworn in. In Dr. Kalam, we found a president who flew a supersonic fighter jet, dived down the ocean in a submarine, met the soldiers at the world's highest battlefield… and connected so well with people. But when Ms. Patil became the president she tried doing many of the above things to sound like her predecessor but Dr. Kalam was the epitome of simplicity and a man of his actions which she was not, we hadn't seen Dr. Kalam waste the tax we pay on unnecessary foreign trips or holidays to Goa nor did he get himself prime property in any state,” posted another reader Balakrishnan Vasudevan in his response. 
 
Well, it seems that former President Patil still hasn’t learned her lesson from her predecessor. While late Dr Kalam believed in simplicity, a report suggested that Patil has demanded the Centre to allow her to use official vehicle as well as get fuel allowance. As per the rules, a former President is entitled to either an official vehicle or fuel allowance. Well, all we can say is Dr Kalam has set a standard that is difficult to match but like he says—“Be more dedicated to making solid achievements than in running after swift but synthetic happiness” 
 
Image Credit: Quora.com

Oops, she
did it again! Here’s why former president Pratibha Patil failed to live up to her
predecessor late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s popularity

In his upcoming visit to the Gulf Nations, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Narendra+Modi">PM Narendra Modi</a> will connect with the Indian diaspora in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UAE">UAE</a>. As reported by the Economic Times, PM will address nearly 40,000 expats to woo the energy-rich country's sovereign fund to invest in sectors like aviation, telecom, ports and road transport during his upcoming visit on August 16-17. 
 
During his maiden visit to the Gulf region as Indian PM, Modi will meet the strongest Indian community of 2.6-million—highest among all expat communities in the UAE—which apparently is an essential part of his pro-active diaspora outreach initiative. 
 As per a highly-placed associate of the Indian community in <keyword id="6354539" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dubai">Dubai</keyword>, the event has been planned at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on the eve of Aug 17. 
 An organizing committee has been formed by the <keyword id="2993361" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Community-Welfare-Committee">Indian Community Welfare Committee</keyword> (ICWC) to oversee the arrangements and lead preparations for the mega event. 
 According to BR Shetty, a member of the organizing committee, the reception is expected to attract at least 40,000 people of Indian origin. During his trip, Modi will visit both capital <keyword id="63248" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abu-Dhabi">Abu Dhabi</keyword> and Dubai. 
 
The ICWC has also said that a website has been created to facilitate registrations of community members for the meeting. 
 The Gulf nation is the 10th biggest foreign investor in India—an estimated $3.01 billion in <keyword id="44528" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="FDI">FDI</keyword> flowed in as of January—and its third biggest trading partner after China and the US. During his visit, Modi will be looking to further diversify bilateral trade and investments. 
 
In 2014-15, bilateral trade between the two nations stood at close $60 billion. While India is an important export destination for UAE-manufactured goods, in 2014-15 the UAE became the second largest importer of Indian merchandise with sales topping $33 billion. The same year, the UAE was also the sixth largest import source of crude oil for India. 
 There is also a large Indian business community in the UAE which in 2013 made remittances of over $15 billion. Modi's trip could revive <keyword id="2993472" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-Gulf-Cooperation-Council">India-Gulf Cooperation Council</keyword> free trade talks, the officials informed. The two sides would also like to intensify cooperation in counter-terrorism, maritime security, prisoner swap, cooperation in agriculture and food security. The UAE is expected to seek more protection for its investments in India. 
 Members of the Indian community in Dubai said they have been expecting a visit by an Indian prime minister for decades. Modi's predecessor, Manmohan Singh, was expected to reciprocate the visits of Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, here in 2007 and 2010. However, it was former president <keyword id="5979" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pratibha-Patil">Pratibha Patil</keyword> who paid a five-day state visit to the UAE in 2010.

PM Modi to directly reach out to 2.6 million Indians in UAE

<ul class="summary-list"><li>When I was a young "<keyword id="12067470" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="harry-potter" source="Orion">Harry Potter</keyword>" fan in <keyword id="11892747" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, the Patils meant so much to me.</li><li>Their hideous on-screen Yule Ball outfits, however, were a wasted opportunity for representation.</li></ul>My decade-old copy of "<a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-fantastic-beasts-movies-ranked-2018-12">Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</a>" still looks new, except for the tiny dog-ear in chapter seven on a page I revisited time and time again.On that folded page, we readers witness our first Sorting Hat ceremony and meet "a pair of twin girls, 'Patil' and 'Patil.'"Even though I had little more than a last name, I was immediately invested in their character development and what would come next for them.Unfortunately, <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-transgender-comments-show-reality-wizarding-world-harry-potter-2020-6">J.K. Rowling</a> didn't give them growth, and the movies didn't provide them with opportunities to progress either. Really, the movies did these twins dirtier than I could've imagined.<h2>As a young Indian Potterhead, I instantly identified with Parvati and Padma</h2><div type="image" title="Gryffindor Harry Potter students" height="713" width="950" msid="87140448" hostid="261"></div>It was because of my culture that I had such a big response to the introduction of minor characters who, really, would have no important role in the series.Patil is a common family name in India, where I live. When I first read "Sorcerer's Stone," India's president - the first and only woman to hold that office - was Pratibha Patil, a name that could've been a good choice for a third sister if the Patils were triplets.I was used to the name in my regular life, but seeing it in the Wizarding World was something else entirely. "<a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-harry-potter-movie-cast-then-and-now">Harry Potter</a>" wasn't just a series of books; it was a phenomenon and a watershed moment for young-adult fiction.It was also overwhelmingly British, with characters who were either clearly stated or implied to be Caucasian, people who had names nobody around me had, and kids who had blond and red hair - a spectrum absent from our rainbow here in India.In this unfamiliar landscape, the presence of the Patils became my own personal connection to the world of magic.As a young Indian girl, I was sure the twins would probably dress like me, eat like me, and even live with a family like mine.<h2>But the Patils had disappointing character arcs - if you can even call them that - and were immediately shoved to the side</h2><div type="image" title="harry potter page where the Patils are first mentioned" height="2251" width="2994" msid="87140449" hostid="261"></div>The Patils' character arcs seemed promising in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."We see Parvati more closely since she is a Gryffindor like the leads Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She gets as much dialogue as some other supporting characters. In a pivotal scene, we see her standing up for Neville Longbottom, who was being bullied by <a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-interesting-things-about-draco-malfoy-trivia-2021-9">Draco Malfoy</a>, thus embodying the "daring, nerve, and chivalry" that sets Gryffindors apart from the rest.Slowly, however, I noticed the Patil sisters fading away.We see the sisters occasionally in the first three books in the Gryffindor common room, at Quidditch matches, and in divination class. Then we see only glimpses of them as members of Dumbledore's Army in the fifth book, exactly four lines of dialogue in the sixth book, and a couple of mentions in the final book's Battle of Hogwarts.The books don't even leave us with a definite answer as to whether they survive the battle.<h2>The girls' big moment is also the series' biggest waste of an opportunity to showcase Indian culture</h2><div type="image" title="Parvati Patil dancing with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley with Padma Patil." height="600" width="1200" msid="87140452" hostid="261"></div>In the fourth book, Parvati and Padma's role as Harry and Ron's dates to the Yule Ball is the peak of their character progress - I refuse to call it development because they do not evolve beyond one dimension.For my teenage self, it was immensely reassuring to know that Indian girls were fully capable of being found worthy by the Chosen One and his faithful friend. It helps that that books describe the situation in a fluffy, rom-com manner and paint a lovely picture of the outfits they wore to the ball:"Parvati ... looked very pretty indeed, in robes of shocking pink, with her long dark plait braided with gold, and gold bracelets glimmering at her wrists … "'Hi,' said Padma, who was looking just as pretty as Parvati in robes of bright turquoise."Having read this and imagined many versions of what their outfits might be, I was excited for the film version of the sequence.Unfortunately, their grand entrance is also <a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-stars-best-and-worst-things-on-set">one of the biggest letdowns in cinematic history</a>. Years later, their atrocious costuming still spawns think pieces and the <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/andreborges/xx-people-who-are-still-not-over-padma-and-parvatis-yule-bal?utm_source=dynamic&amp;utm_campaign=bfsharecopycopy">righteous anger</a> of <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/regajha/harry-potter-and-the-prisoners-of-bad-fashion">my nation</a>.As soon as I saw Parvati and Padma, I had a strong suspicion <a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-films-cool-unique-things-about-costumes-2021-8">the costume designers</a> neither were Indian nor consulted with anyone who was.The girls wore garish pink-and-orange lehengas, a traditional Indian ethnic costume that consists of a floor-length skirt, a matching top, and, occasionally, a scarf called the dupatta. It's worn to celebrations, formal events, and festivals.Most important, lehengas are tough to get wrong - they are naturally graceful, come in a variety of designs, and are often sold in sets, which takes the brainwork out of matching the outfit. Many Indian designers exclusively make lehengas, giving wearers a plethora of options.It takes a lot of work to make a lehenga look bad. And yet, the film managed to do it, with candy-colored outfits that did not fit, weren't accessorized properly, and didn't even match the descriptions in the book.Even worse, it wasn't necessary to have the twins wear Indian clothes in the first place - the book mentioned only "robes." If the filmmakers were trying to pay homage to the sisters' heritage, they wasted a wonderful opportunity to showcase the sisters' cultural background.Disappointed by the caricature-ish clothes shown on-screen, Indian artists have even <a href="https://barficulture.tv/entertainment/104">taken it upon themselves</a> to <a href="https://kidovna.tumblr.com/image/614484073841295360">recreate</a> the Patils' look for the ball, giving the sisters the outfits they deserve.<h2>The Patils aren't the first Indian characters to be robbed of their identities</h2><div type="image" title="Afshan Azad and Shefali Chowdhury" height="1452" width="1936" msid="87140454" hostid="261"></div>Western media has a representation problem that goes beyond "<a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-first-and-last-lines-in-the-series-2021-6">Harry Potter</a>."For a country with an approximately <a href="https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/latest-figures-ethnic-diversity-uk-120914432.html">14%</a> minority population, the UK has a massive <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/sep/19/whats-taking-so-long-childrens-books-still-neglect-bame-readers-finds-study">representation problem</a> - which also exists in the US and other Western countries - that excludes people of color from art.Western media's representation of Indian characters has often been stereotypical, lazy, and borderline offensive - one need look no further than <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-soft-racism-of-apu-from-the-simpsons">Apu from "The Simpsons"</a> and <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/09/22/hollywood_puts_a_thin_mask_on_racial_stereotyping.html">Raj from "The Big Bang Theory."</a> This fetishization of the exotic takes two forms, with characters either used for tokenistic diversity or made the butt of jokes.But Parvati and Padma Patil are neither - their ethnic origins are never really proclaimed or highlighted enough to merit accusations of tokenism, and they are never used for the punch line.Instead, they represent untapped potential and unrealized opportunities. Rowling didn't seem to understand the importance of these characters to people like me - perhaps if she had, we'd have a well-researched portrayal of two Indian girls.As for the film, it required just a little hard work to make sure the only tangible on-screen visualization of the twins' heritage was not a twisted, neon, gimmicky version of what is really a vivid and colorful culture.<h2>As I grew up, my disappointment with the treatment of the Patils has become my own case study</h2>Parvati and Padma Patil are now two of my favorite characters for a different reason.They now remind me of the importance of representation and varied perspectives. They drive me to research thoroughly and put in as much effort as is required for accurate and nuanced descriptions. They remind me of the impact and importance that literature and characters we relate to can have on our perception of art.And, of course, the sisters will always be a reminder for me to never wear neon pink and bright orange together - a fashion faux pas that should only be made once in history.

'Harry Potter' had a chance to represent Indian kids like me, but all we got were Parvati and Padma Patil's atrocious Yule Ball outfits

Gadkari votes, predicts 'record-breaking' win for BJP-Sena Mumbai, Oct 21 () Union Minister <keyword id="26680" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nitin-gadkari">Nitin Gadkari</keyword> on Monday expressed confidence that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will form the next government in Maharashtra with a "record- breaking victory". Gadkari, who was among the early voters in Nagpur, said people will vote on the basis of the five-year performance of the <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government at the Centre and the Devendra Fadnavis-led dispensation in Maharashtra. "The BJP-Sena will have a record-breaking victory and Fadnavis will be the chief minister again," he told reporters after casting his vote. He also urged people to come out to vote and strengthen the democracy, and said NOTA (none of the above) was not a good option in democracy. Besides Gadkari, NCP MP Supriya Sule and her mother Pratibha Pawar were also among the early voters, who exercised their democratic right at Baramati in <keyword id="2094" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pune">Pune</keyword>. "The Congress-NCP alliance will form the next government," claimed Sule, who is the daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Former state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is the nephew of the NCP chief, also voted in Baramati. He is the NCP's nominee from Baramati Assembly seat. The early voters also included Union minister Raosaheb Danve, who exercised his franchise at Bhokardan in Jalna. Udayanraje Bhosale, who quit the NCP and is the BJP's nominee for the bypoll to Satara Lok Sabha in the state, voted in Satara. Former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde cast his vote in Solapur, where his daughter Praniti Shinde is seeking a third term as MLA. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan and his family members cast their votes at a school in Nanded. Chavan is the Congress' nominee from Bhokar in Nanded. In Mumbai, where it has been drizzling since last two days, state school education minister Ashish Shelar exercised his franchise at a school in suburban Bandra. Shelar is the BJP's candidate from Bandra-West seat. Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde cast his vote in Aurangabad district. State Housing Minister <keyword id="6361973" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="radhakrishna-vikhe-patil">Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil</keyword> and his family members cast their votes at Shirdi in Ahmednagar. Former cricketer <keyword id="66710" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sandeep-Patil">Sandeep Patil</keyword>, who was also among the early voters at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, said more than the party, the merit of an individual candidate was important. "We should vote for candidates who work for their constituencies," he said. Polling began on Monday morning in all 288 Assembly constituencies of the state. The voting commenced at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

Nitin Gadkari casts his vote and expects 'record-breaking' win for BJP-Sena in Mumbai

Shiv Sena may have shared power with ideologically-opposite Congress for the first time, but the saffron party is known to have cosied up with it before and posters with old pictures of bonhomie between their leaders Bal Thackeray and Indira Gandhi taken in the seventies were put up in different parts of the city. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray took oath Thursday evening at the historic Shivaji Park supported by the Congress and the NCP. Besides late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and former prime minister Indira Gandhi, NCP President Sharad Pawar also figured in the posters. Those aware of its past, the Shiv Sena, known for its firebrand Hindutva politics, seeking support of the Congress and the NCP does not come as a surprise. From backing Congress candidates in presidential polls to not fielding any contender against Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule to even tying up with ideologically opposite Muslim League, the Shiv Sena has had a history of flirting with 'frenemies'. In the assembly polls held last month, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena bagged 56, followed by the NCP (54) and the Congress (48) in the 288-member House. The Shiv Sena, founded by Bal Thackeray in 1966, in its more than five decades long journey has allied with the Congress, formally and informally. In its initial days, it was often supported directly or indirectly by many Congress leaders and its different factions. Noted political analyst Suhas Palshikar in an article in the Economic and Political Weekly writes that senior state Congress leader Ramrao Adik was present at the first ever Shiv Sena rally. Dhaval Kulkarni, the author of "The Cousins Thackeray-Uddhav and Raj and in the shadow of their Sena", said that in the 1960s and 70s, the party was mostly used by the Congress to counter influence of the Left on the labour unions in the city. The party in 1971 allied with Congress (O) and unsuccessfully fielded three candidates for Lok Sabha in Mumbai and the Konkan region. Thackeray backed the Emergency in 1977 and did not field any candidate for the Lok Sabha polls held in that year. "In 1977, it also backed Congress' Murli Deora in the mayoral polls," said Kulkarni. So much so that the party was also mocked as 'Vasantsena', the army of the then Vasantrao Naik who was the state chief minister from 1963 to 1974. Palshikar writes that in 1978, when attempts to ally with the Janata Party failed, the Shiv Sena allied with the Congress (I), the faction led by Indira Gandhi. It fielded 33 candidates for the assembly polls. All 33 lost in the anti-Indira wave. In one of the most unlikely alliances, the Sena also allied with the Muslim League. Veteran journalist Prakash Akolkar, in his book on Shiv Sena titled 'Jai Maharashtra', writes that for winning the Mumbai mayoral polls in the 1970s, Shiv Sena also allied with the Muslim League. For this, the Sena supremo also shared stage with Muslim League leader G M Banatwala at Mastan Talao in Nagpada in South Mumbai, Sena's first chief minister Manohar Joshi writes in his book 'Shiv Sena-Kal-Aaj-Udya' (Shiv Sena-Past-Present and Future). If it was used by the Congress to end the Left dominance on trade unions in Mumbai, the Sena allied with Madhu Dandavate's Praja Socialist Party in 1968. The bonhomie between the Congress and the Sena ended in the 80s after the death of Indira Gandhi and the ties between the two were not the same. The relations only deteriorated during the terms of Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and later Rahul Gandhi. Incidentally, Uddhav's son and Sena's Youth Wing chief Aditya Thackeray met Sonia on Wednesday to extend invitation to oath-taking ceremony. The mid-80's was also the time when the Sena tilted towards Hindutva and gravitated towards the BJP. The late 80s and 90s changed the character of the party which moved towards hardline Hindutuva. In the later years, the Shiv Sena, however, broke ranks from the BJP-led NDA and voted for Congress backed Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee in presidential polls. The equation between the Thackerays and the Pawars goes back to more than five decades both were fierce rivals separated by conflicting ideologies but thick friends in private life. Pawar often termed Thackeray as a large-hearted opponent. In his attacks, he would often call him 'maidyaacha pota' (sack of flour). Sharad Pawar in his autobiography 'On My Terms' writes that despite being fierce rivals, how he and his wife Pratibha would visit Matoshree for "gupshup" and dinner. He also recalls that when he was suffering from cancer in 2004, Bal Thackeray gave him a list of "several commandments" related to diet. In private, Pawar says, Thackeray addressed him as 'Sharadbabu'. In 2006, when Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule contested the Rajya Sabha polls, Thackeray did not field any candidate. "Sharadbabu, I have seen her (Sule) since she was a knee-high girl. This is a big step in her career. My party will make sure that she goes to Rajya Sabha unopposed," Pawar said quoting Thackeray's telephonic conversation with him. When Pawar asked about the BJP's opposition, the NCP President says the senior Thackeray told him, "Oh, you don't worry about Kamlabai (the BJP)". Incidentally, the NCP fielded a lightweight against Thackeray's grandson Aditya, who was the first in his family to enter electoral politics. He won by a margin of over 67,000 votes in the recent Assembly election.

You Searched For "Pratibha Patil" and got 6 results

Oops, she did it again! Here’s why former president Pratibha Patil failed to live up to her predecessor late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s popularity

Purba Das

PM Modi to directly reach out to 2.6 million Indians in UAE

BI India Bureau

'Harry Potter' had a chance to represent Indian kids like me, but all we got were Parvati and Padma Patil's atrocious Yule Ball outfits

Ria Chopra

Nitin Gadkari casts his vote and expects 'record-breaking' win for BJP-Sena in Mumbai

PTI

Shiv Sena and Congress share power for the first time -- but they have a history of being allies despite ideological differences

PTI

Maharashtra State Elections winner and leading candidate list 2019

BI India Bureau

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