Co-Incidence - A history today, the July 21 repeat - Yusuf Bhandarkar - Mumbai Multimedia Studio

Coincidentally, on July 21, Sirimavo became the first woman head of state of Sri Lanka in 1960, Pratibha Patil the head of India in 2007.

On 21 July 1960, Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), chose Sirimavo Bandaranaike as its Prime Minister. She became the world’s first female Prime Minister.

On 21 July 2007, Pratibha Patil became the first woman President of India. Her tenure is remembered for all the wrong reasons. She would frequently take her entire family including her grandchildren on foreign holidays on public money. Apart from this, she was regularly accompanied by her husband, her son’s family and her daughter’s family on most state visits. Patil’s relatives were to be treated as Presidential guests. On her official foreign trips, she took her grandchildren to foreign countries including Poland, the UK, Russia and Spain. Such unethical foreign trips with family members had cost the exchequer a whopping INR 205 crore.

Most likely, Draupadi Murmu of Odisha, would be declared ‘President Elected’ today itself.

Madam Draupadi is just the positive antithesis of Pratibha Patil. Madam Draupadi is a true daughter of the soil who is wholly dedicated to improving the quality of life of the deprived, backward and non-vocal communities of India.

She is not elitist as Sirimavo or as Pratibha. Her name as the Presidential candidate did come as a surprise to her. She is neither euphoric nor excited with fear. She is humble, calm, cool and composed. Evidently, there is absolutely no personal item on her public agenda.