[lbo-talk] World's largest democracy elects 1st female president

B. docile_body at yahoo.com
Sat Jul 21 07:20:48 PDT 2007


[I always hear India called the "world's largest democracy," but I'm assuming it's "democratic" in the way the US is democratic -- you know, sorta, but not really when you hold it to the strictest standards. Anyway the post is apparently mostly ceremonial, piece says. -B.]

India names first female president

By GAVIN RABINOWITZ, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 16 minutes ago

India elected Pratibha Patil as the country's first female president Saturday in a vote seen as a victory for the hundreds of millions of Indian women who contend with widespread discrimination.

Patil received 65.82 percent of the votes cast by national lawmakers and state legislators, said Election Commission head P.D.T. Achary. She had been widely expected to win.

[...]

The election of a woman to the largely ceremonial post continues an Indian tradition using the presidency to bolster disadvantaged communities.

[...]

And her comments ahead of the election calling on Indian women to abandon wearing headscarves was roundly denounced by Muslim leaders and by historians — who disputed her assertion that women only started wearing them in India to save themselves from 16th century Muslim invaders.



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