The Indian President by KC Singh chronicles Giani Zail Singh's tenure

Sandeep Sinha

FROM a humble beginning as a Congress agitationist in the erstwhile princely state of Faridkot in Punjab to the highest office of the President of India, it was a long political journey for Giani Zail Singh. It was not just his elevation to the post of President, but also the trying times in which he held the office, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated and Operation Bluestar was mounted, which hold attention.

Dr Rajendra Prasad and Dr S Radhakrishnan had set the benchmark with their conduct, but the office of the President was not without its share of controversies, like in the case of VV Giri or later Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, during whose tenure Emergency was proclaimed.

Between his professed loyalty for Indira Gandhi and duty to the office of the President, the book by KC Singh says Giani Zail Singh managed to hold his own, guided by his earthy background and native wisdom.

The author says democratic regression is underway not just in India today, but globally also. In many nations, governments led by populist leaders have bent the written and unwritten rules which condition the proper functioning of a liberal democracy. In its 2022 survey, Freedom House, a US-based non-profit organisation, labelled as ‘free’ only 83 out of the 210 nations surveyed. It also noted that India had been downgraded to ‘partly free’. The book, thus, seeks to explore the role of the President against a background of reticence when constitutional principles were either openly breached or subtly stretched by the Union government while it was supposed to abide by the oath to protect the Constitution.

The author, a career diplomat, gives a ringside view of his tenure in Rashtrapati Bhavan as deputy secretary to the President. Giani Zail Singh was a consummate politician rooted in Indian traditions. He knew his strengths and limitations. Rajiv Gandhi was critical of him and distrustful of some of his mother’s aides and associates. There was rivalry between the Makhan Lal Fotedar and RK Dhawan groups. Yet, Gianiji swore in Rajiv as PM after his mother’s death.

The book hints that the President-Prime Minister relations need efforts. Gianiji travelled to Amritsar after Operation Bluestar and did not resign despite pressure from the community as he felt it was not in the larger interest of the country. The book deals with his rivalry with Darbara Singh and the controversy over the rise of Bhindranwale; Gianiji’s own insulation from Punjab politics by the government; and the way he managed to assert himself, like in the case of NT Rama Rao of Telugu Desam.

The author says that to protect federalism and ensure constitutionalism, only persons of high integrity and courage must hold the post of President and Vice-President. To ensure this, the Rajya Sabha must have equal representation from each state, regardless of size or demographics. Only then does the possibility increase for such individuals to become the President, who will consistently abide by the oath to ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law’.