There have been many memorable moments in India's cricketing history over the last 25 years, but as great as some of these occasions may have been they haven't managed to displace Kapil Dev's Devils feat of winning the 1983 World Cup from being the country's greatest-ever cricketing feat.

Kapil's team were hardly considered to be a good one-day team going into the third Cricket World Cup, and it would have taken a strong soul to back this team of all-rounders to pull out the rug from under the world's strongest teams. Remember, this was a team in which the established batting stars were Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, Mohinder Amarnath and Kapil, while the bowling attack was led by the captain with able support from a battery of medium-pacers including Roger Binny, Amarnath, Madan Lal and Balwinder Singh Sandhu.

But, this didn't deter Kapil and his band of merry men one bit as they caused a huge upset in the their first match of the tournament as they defeated two-time defending champions West Indies by 34 runs at Old Trafford to get their campaign off to a rousing start. The Indians eased to an expected win over Zimbabwe in their second match, but lost their next two matches to Australia and West Indies respectively to find themselves in a must-win match against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells on June 18, 1983.

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And, this was the match in which Kapil led from the front with an unbeaten 175 to help India score 266 for 8 in 60 overs after his team had been reduced to 17 for 5 early in the match with all the top-order batsmen back in the pavilion. Enough and more has been written about Kapil's magnificent innings and words really can't do full justice to what was a great knock played by one of the game's best-ever all-rounders. Kapil's innings not only helped India come back into the tournament as they beat Zimbabwe by 31 runs, but more importantly instilled the self-confidence and determination in the squad's members to do more than their best in the remainder of the tournament. India then went on to thrash Australia by 118 runs in its last league match to finish the round-robin stage with four wins in six matches to book a semi-finals date with England.

The Indians eased to a six-wickets victory over England to set up a title clash against West Indies on June 25, 1983, who would have been favoured to win their third consecutive World Cup after having bowled India out for 183 runs. Only three Indian batsmen -- Kris Srikkanth (38), Amarnath and Patil crossed the 20-runs mark as the rest of the batting collapsed against some hostile Windies bowling.

But, the Windies team and supporters didn't expect a spirited fightback by the Indians with their skipper Kapil again leading the way. Kapil ensured that his team members stayed focussed on the touch and excelled on the field, and if his efforts throughout the tournament weren't enough, he took a fantastic backward running catch to dismiss Viv Richards off Madan Lal's bowling to instill new life into his team as Amarnath and the other bowlers then ran through the West Indian batting line-up for 140 runs to give India its only 50-overs World Cup triumph till date.

Through the group stages itself, it could be felt that the selectors' decision to pack the 1983 World Cup squad with all-rounders was a good move as these were the players who more often than not helped India out of troubled waters, especially taking into account that the openers -- Gavaskar and Srikkanth didn't have the best of tournaments. Gavaskar's contribution was only 59 runs in six matches, while Srikkanth with the top-score of 38 runs in the finals boosted his runs tally to 156 from eight matches. India, though was lucky to have the batsmen like Amarnath and Patil in the top-order who were able to re-build the innings on more than one occasion with Yashpal Sharma too chipping in with valuable runs.

Yashpal with 241 runs was the second-highest scorer for India behind Kapil (304 runs) and these two were well-supported by Amarnath who scored 205 runs and took eight wickets and Patil, who made 216 runs in the tournament. It was the same story with the ball as well as Binny took 18 wickets to finish as the top-wicket taker in the 1983 World Cup, and he received good support from Madan Lal (17 wickets) and Kapil, who took 12 wickets to cap off a wonderful tournament on the individual as well as team front for him. Balwinder Singh Sandhu had only eight wickets to show for his effort, but bowled economically with the new ball to stifle the runs for the opposition.

In one of his interviews after the famous win, Kapil said of the final: "I think that belief was the only thing that was different between the Indian and the West Indies team; and that, somehow, somewhere, we start believing. How it comes into the team, I don't know... I mean, I can't really put a finger." And, this in essence was the key to the success for the 1983 World Cup -- self-confidence, team spirit, belief and the ability to take on challenges heads on and come out triumphant. Kapil's Devils -- thank you for these wonderful memories and here's hoping the team going to the 2011 World Cup can replicate your success to add another memorable chapter in the history of Indian cricket.

Are we game for an Obama-McCain style battle

I envy the gentlemanly way in which the Americans play their political game. The day after a no-holds-barred battle for Democratic nomination for the world’s most powerful office, the winner, Obama, calls on the vanquished, Hillary Clinton, and seeks her support for the contest ahead.

Hillary offers to be his vice-presidential running mate. All the bitterness and bad blood generated by one of the fiercest contests in American history vanished into thin air at the fur of a moment.

This is unimaginable in India. Our elections are characterised by money and muscle power, lust for spoils of office, factional feud and personal animosity that leave a bad taste in the mouth for months after the elections.

But I am not overly cynical. I see the contours of a two-party, presidential form of democracy, a la United States, evolving in India. A strong pointer is that, by design or default, a bipolar polity is emerging with the Congress and the BJP representing the two poles.

There was no viable political alternative to the Congress until P V Narasimha Rao’s tenure as Prime Minister ended in 2004. We had non-Congress Prime Ministers like Morarjee Desai and Charan Singh from Janata Party, Chandra Shekhar from Samajwadi Janata Party, V P Singh, I K Gujral and Deve Gowda from Janata Dal, but their governments were thrown up by the electoral compulsions of the time and not as part of a political churning process. That was why those governments were short-lived and their parties did not find their roots.

But A B Vajpayee recharted the political course of the country. His first two tenures did not last for more than 13 days and 13 months respectively, but the political realignment set in motion by him had by then become so inalienable that he could not only come back to power for the third time but also complete his government’s tenure.

There was no looking back ever since. In the 2004 Lok Sabha election, most political parties rallied behind either the Congress or the BJP. Even the Left which claims to represent the third force had to jump into the Congress bandwagon for political sustenance.

Though the BJP lost the election, it could retain the opposition space and save the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from disintegrating. Now with the BJP installing its first Chief Minister in the South, more regional parties are set to gravitate towards the BJP, leaving the electorate with a clear choice between the NDA and the UPA in the next Lok Sabha election as well.

My second premise is that elections in India are becoming more of a clash of personalities than of parties or ideologies. The 2004 Lok Sabha election was a veritable fight between Vajpayee and Sonia Gandhi, although she was not projected as the Congress party’s prime ministerial candidate.

The last Assembly elections in Gujarat were a vote for Narendra Modi’s leadership. The BJP was quick to see the change in voter predilections and recast its political strategy accordingly, even as the Congress was too obsessed with dynastic succession to see the writing on the wall.

The BJP stole a march over the Congress by projecting L K Advani as its prime ministerial candidate even one year ahead of the next Lok Sabha election. And the party’s gameplan seems to be working with even Afzal Guru wanting Advani to be the next prime minister, of course, in a different context.

BJP fine-tuned its electoral strategy in Karnataka with impressive results. It fought the election by projecting B S Yeddyurappa as its chief ministerial candidate. The Congress was undecided on the leadership question, prompting Advani to comment that the Congress would choose its captain only after the 20Twenty game was over.

Our founding fathers, in their wisdom, thought that parliamentary democracy would best suit a nation of India’s diversity and largely uneducated and illiterate electorate who won’t understand the complexities of the election process followed in a presidential system like that of the US. But the scourge of defections, corruption, nepotism and lack of informed debate has made a mockery of parliamentary democracy in India. Governments are toppled for the sake of pampering the ego of political players at colossal cost to public exchequer. There is no continuity of policies as governments come and go. Development suffers as a result. The Vajpayee government had initiated two visionary projects—the golden quadrilateral and interlinking of river projects—which would have become the economic lifeline of the country. But the two projects were put on the backburner by the successive government on political considerations.

A direct contest between two leaders or two political formations should make Indian voter’s choice all the more easy and judicious and reflect the national will in a better way. Multiplicity of parties and leaders with no ideological affinities contesting against each other would only yield a fractured verdict.

The abject failure of Parliamentary democracy to deliver goods has promoted many political pundits to argue that an American model of presidential governance, with the proviso that the President would be elected by a direct vote of all citizens and not an electoral college, would be more preferable for India. My vote is for them.

Border fencing renders thousands landless

Thousands of families along the Indo-Bangladesh border have been displaced owing to the drive by the Indian authorities to seal of the porous border.

More than 8000 families whose homes and farmlands fall along the barbed wire fence are homeless. They claim that they are leading an uncertain life with no alternative land being allocated to them by the government.

"I had to evacuate my house consisting of three mud huts. I have lost my property also. Initially, I was assured of compensation, but have not received anything," said Namita Sarkar, a displaced woman.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had recently advised augmentation of the security in the border along with starting a fresh sealing drive.

Due to lack of funds, the rehabilitation of the displaced is still not in place.

"We send a proposal to the government, home department to rehabilitate these families. 25 per cent of money will be borne by us. We will give them two to three gonds of land to settle their house. We are not getting any response from the Government of India," said Badal Chowdhury, Tripura's Finance and Revenue Minister.

He added that thirteen government institutions, five temples, four mosques, 44 irrigation projects, two government schools and many markets along the border with Tripura have fallen within the 150-yard belt from the zero line of the border.

In an attempt to counter the decade old problem of insurgency, the State Government in Tripura has advocated better fencing along the 865 kilometer Indo-Bangladesh border.India has been erecting barbed wire fencing in most parts of the 856-km border that Tripura shares with Bangladesh to check the trans-border movement of militants, illegal migration and border crimes.

Lalu on Rising Inflation in the Country

Price rise is not just restricted to India, it has acquired international proportions. Several countries are facing a shortage of foodgrains. Recently I visited Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, where there is severe food shortage.

Countries like Bangladesh, India's other neighbors and even some of European countries are reeling under food and fuel crisis. Their condition is worse. The Indian government has made provisions to ensure basic food is available to the poor and no one sleeps hungry.
Exports have been stopped, concessions have been announced and customs and excise duties on essential commodities slashed. All over the world the prices of steel, cement and fuel are witnessing an upward trend.

Indian Railways after 60 years of independence has created a huge buffer stock of foodgrains. Now we do not have to import foodgrains. There is no necessity to maintain such a huge buffer stock and the problem now is how to dispose it off.

Forward trading of certain essential commodities that was operated from Mumbai, has been stopped after we realized it was fueling price rise. Private players, involved in forward trading, used to purchase grains directly from farmers at prices higher than FCI (Food Corporation of India). I have contributed in a large way to Sharad Pawarji's efforts to arrest the galloping prices. I have directed that Indian Railways will upload grains purchased by FCI first. The foodgrain stock of private players will be uploaded only after that.

We have announced minimum support price for wheat and rice. While it benefited, it has also created problems. Coordination should have been more but it takes time. Today we are a buffer state. Consumption of fuel in India has increased drastically. The 'haves' have minimum five cars leading to increased consumption of fuel. Wood was earlier used as fuel, now every household uses domestic gas. One-third of the diesel imported by the country is used by Indian Railways.
Though the operating cost of the Indian Railways has gone up, we have not raised rail fares, on the contrary, we slashed the rates. Increasing prices of fuel was unfortunate, we had no option. We have to face realities as we do not have any other options. The oil cartel is bent on increasing prices of fuel. Even the European countries had witnessed opposition to the fuel price rise. We brought into effect only the minimum possible raise in the prices of petro products.

It is very unfortunate that the government had to increase the rates of domestic LPG too. The Prime Minister has appealed to state governments to slash sales tax and VAT, to reduce the burden on consumers. Everybody has to realize and share the burden. This is a temporary phase and the conditions will certainly change for the better in the near future. Middlemen hoping for a kill raised the prices of commodities, to cash in on the expected increase in salaries of government personnel announced by the Sixth Pay Commission. Everyone from retailer to wholesale dealers, are taking their pound of flesh, but the farmer continues to reel under poverty.

It is true that common man is suffering due to inflation as India is a developing country. The government has made provisions for providing free ration of 35 kg to those below poverty line so that the common man is not affected by the price rise. But the government schemes have to be implemented properly.

People have also been provided jobs under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP), so that it helps common man earn two square meals. The state governments should implement the NREGP in its true spirit. Earlier too, nutrition- rich foods like eggs and fruits were beyond the purview of common man due to the high costs. It is only a miniscule few who are able to afford the items. The poor survive on potato curry in case of inability to afford dal-chawal. Poor man knows how to sustain himself in the backdrop of price rise.

The government has devised schemes, like PDS (Public Distribution Scheme), to mitigate the problems of common man. However the welfare measures should be implemented strictly so that the common man stands to benefit from the schemes.

'I want to play a politician in Shahrukh's film'

There are several similarities between an actor and a politician. However, a politician follows norms, culture, tradition and his behavior is in accordance with his political stature. He has to be a true leader and should possess all the leadership qualities.

Today several people from the film industry are entering politics. It is their professional demand, to dance to a song sequence, make comments and act in love scenes. But a true leader hesitates to enter the world of films since Bollywood is show business.

Amitabh Bachchan, his son and daughter-in-law, the entire family, are into acting and when a film is made it is their own way of attracting viewers by their acting style and dances.
I had told Shahrukh Khan that whenever he is producing a film and needs anyone to do the role of a politician, I am always there. I also assured him that I can do justice to the role, so that a common man is able to relate with a true politician.

Several Bollywood flicks have actors playing the role of a politician. They wear caps like politicians and attempt the role. People know he is not a true politician and do not appreciate such type of actors, who portray politicians in a bad light.

I will not be acting in films which are only about clinging and hugging each other. I have seen old actors like Hema Malini, whose stature as an actress is very high. I had even told her that I would like to act in the films she produces. However, I should be given an appropriate role.

Rush for joining Army in terror-hit areas

Is Kupwara, Kashmir's most used militant ingress route and the border district perched beside the Line of Control with the most pronounced pro-separatist sentiments, witnessing a change?

The district, facing Pakistan occupied Kashmir's (PoK) capital Muzzaffarabad, has been the scene of most number of encounters between security forces and militants, numbering 900 to 1,000, during the last decade with fatalities running into thousands.

Its two thick forests -- Rajawar and Kalroos -- are areas known to harbour the maximum number of Pakistani mercenaries and where, according to a top army Commander, even if you launch a full division of troops, they will get lost.

But now, new winds of change seem to be blowing in the area and a pointer is the unprecedented response evoked by an army recruitment drive currently on in some areas of the district.

In the first of the series of recruitment drives launched in Kupwara and neighbouring areas in 20 years, the response has been overwhelming, an army official said.

"For a single vacancy in the force, we are getting 150 aspirants," he said.

The recruitment camps were held in Chhamkote, Chowkibal and Tregham areas and according to official figures, 1,643 people responded and 183 were screened for final selection.

A far cry, from the height of militancy from 1990 to 2005, when security forces were unable to hold or even think of any recruitment camps. The army only ventured to hold its first recruitment drive in 2005, when 1,126 people responded with 127 qualifying after the screening.

Most of those recruited joined regular army units of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry and Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.

And some of them from this den of militancy have even won a number of gallantry awards in the recent investitures, that too for daredevil exploits against militants.Kupwara is not the only area, army officials said, they were receiving equally strong response from other areas in the valley like Baramulla, Anantnag and Srinagar.Since 2003, army has held regular recruitment drives at Nugam and Anantnag in south Kashmir, Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara, Chowkibal and Tangdar in north Kashmir.

"There is an unprecedented response," a top army official said.Giving figures, he said while in 2005, over 2,300 youth had applied, the numbers rose to 2,900 in 2006-07."In 2008, in only one camp in Kupwara, so far, 1,100 youth had applied," the official said."Increased numbers, specially during the last two years are indicative of reduced level of violence and aspirations of the youth to join the army, whose perception has changed among the people.

Pakistan's new PM is an Aishwarya fan

Pakistan's new Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani is a big fan of Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai and melody queen Lata Mangeshkar.

"While in prison, I used to watch all of Aishwarya's movies on my laptop besides listening to Lataji's songs. And let me admit, I am a great fan of Aishwarya Rai now," Gillani, a die hard romantic, told a private news channel.

Gillani, who is a descendent of Moosa Pak Shaheed, a sufi saint of Multan, became a Lata fan when he was jailed in 2001 after being arrested by Pervez Musharraf's regime on charges of misusing his position as Speaker of the National Assembly to make irregular appointments.

The 55-year-old former minister chose prison over offers from Musharraf regime to be freed in exchange for cutting off ties with the Pakistan People's Party.With the new Prime Minister's fondness for Bollywood's actresses and musicians, Pakistanis hope to see more Indian films making their way to their entertainment-starved country.

When Prez dealt with Kashmir: Kalam's tryst with diplomacy

While foreign office mandarins were a little apprehensive about the meeting between APJ Abdul Kalam and Pervez Musharraf, the scientist President turned out to be an astute diplomat giving no opportunity to the Pakistani military ruler to rake up the Kashmir issue.

Details of what transpired at the 30-minute meeting have been revealed by PM Nair, who served as Secretary to Kalam from 2002 to 2007, in his book The Kalam Effect: My years with the President."Don't worry, I shall deal with it," Kalam said reassuringly, leaving Nair wondering how he would deal with an issue which could nettle the best of diplomats, and had derailed the summit meeting at Agra.

Musharraf was on a day's visit on April 17, 2005 to witness the India-Pakistan one-day cricket match. During his brief stay, one of his appointments was with Kalam.

Nair says he told the President ahead of the meeting that Musharraf will certainly raise the Kashmir issue with him and he should be prepared for the same.

"Don't worry, I shall deal with it," Kalam said reassuringly, leaving Nair wondering how he would deal with an issue which could nettle the best of diplomats, and had derailed the summit meeting at Agra.

In excerpts of the book made available to PTI, Nair says the meeting took after an eventful day in which the Pakistanis won the match. Musharraf's remark about MS Dhoni's long hair had drawn loud applause from cricket enthusiasts.

At 7.30 pm, Musharraf arrived in a cavalcade of cars and was led to the North Drawing Room on the first floor of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Kalam ushered Musharraf to a seat and sat next to him. The Indian and Pakistani officials occupied their appointed places.

After pleasantries were exchanged, Kalam began "Mr President, like India you also have a lot of rural areas" and then put a poser. "Don't you think we should both do whatever is possible to develop them on priority?

"Yes", said Musharraf. Without wasting time, Kalam got down to explaining one of his favourite subjects.

"Mr President, I will tell you something about PURA very briefly. PURA means Providing Urban Facilities in Rural Areas", Kalam told the General.

As if on cue, a plasma screen came alive and the description of what PURA was and what it could achieve lasted 26 minutes.

Musharraf evinced keen interest and when it was over, smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr President. India is lucky to have a scientist President like you".

Hand shakes followed and both leaders bid adieu. Kalam once received a letter from a poor person hailing from a village in Pune district, highlighting the acute financial difficulties being faced by his family.The writer went on to say that he had knocked the doors of the district authorities, MLAs, MPs, Ministers and also written to the Centre for immediate help but nothing was forthcoming. If the President too did not help him, the family would commit suicide, he said.

The President was told that if he started dealing with such cases, there would be no end to it. This did not satisfy Kalam, recounts Nair.Kalam was prepared to give the family some money from his personal account so that they do not resort to any extreme step.Nair said he advised the President not to do that telling him that the Collector in that area would be asked to look into the problem. Some help was extended to the family.

However, word quickly spread first in that village, then in the district, in the state and finally all over the country that if you had any problem, you could write to the President.Kalam's mailbox swelled out of proportion and stretched the Rashtrapati Bhavan staff. The new strategy adopted by many was to pour out their problems, real or imaginary and seek immediate intervention by him, failing which they all threatened to commit suicide. Some said they would resort to the extreme step in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan.Taking all these letters seriously, Kalam made it clear to his staff that they were all there to solve the people's problems and there was no shortcutting that process.

Former minister's son sells newspapers for livelihood

A former Bihar minister's son sells newspapers for livelihood.

In an era when wards of even low-level functionaries flaunt wealth by driving classy sports utility vehicles (SUVs), Uday Prakash Gupta, son of Mohanlal Gupta, who was a member in the erstwhile Karpoori Thakur cabinet, pedals off to sell newspapers everyday.

Fifty-plus Uday, like any other hawker, starts his day at 4.30 a.m. leaving his Nayatola house in this town. He takes bundles of newspapers on his bicycle and delivers them to his permanent customers.

After the morning drops at doorsteps, he stands somewhere in the main market here and sells "aaj ki taaza khabar".

Uday, who has completed a course in motor mechanics, could not get a job as his father, who believed in principles and values, never sought any favour for his son and other family members.

Recalling that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and some other Congressmen, including several freedom fighters had visited his ancestral Nayatola house and had had lunch in 1950, Uday says he is happy with the job.

Though he aspired and attempted, he could not get a job in the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC), that too when his father was the minister for Food and Civil supplies in the Bihar government led by veteran socialist leader late Karpoori Thakur in the late 1960s.

Soothsayers set the national agenda

Westerners make fun of India as a land of snake charmers and sadhus. They will laugh up their sleeve if they see our politicians dancing to the tune of fortune-tellers.

The way most netas allow astrologers and godmen to set their personal and political agenda gives the impression that they don’t have any trust in their own capacity to deliver goods. Whether it be choosing the right candidates for the election, the time to cast vote, the time to swear in the ministry or taking important decisions, the last word is that of the astrologer.

Politicians in Karnataka are second to none in their belief in astrology and superstitions. A string of astrologers, palmists, numerologists and occultists thrive in Karnataka under the patronage of politicians. It is the astrologers who decide what the netas should wear, where to stay. On astrological advice, B S Yeddyurappa is reported to have kept a silver Gandaberunda, an Indian mythological bird believed to possess great strength, in his pocket as he signed the papers to take charge as the first BJP Chief Minister of the South. After taking over as CM, he went not to the CM’s official residence, but to his private residence which is rated as `lucky’ by his astrologers.

Interestingly, even bitter political rivals go by the advice of the same astrologers. H D Kumaraswami might have back-stabbed Yeddurappa, warranting mid-term elections in the state.

But both Kumaraswamy and Yeddyurappa are guided by the same astrologer. This astrologer had advised Kumaraswamy to wear a panche and a white half-sleeved shirt when he was sworn in as chief minister on February 4, 2006. The same astrologer advised Yeddyurappa to wear a white-colored silk dhoti when he took oath and he followed the former’s advice to the last detail. But, whatever may be the colour of their dress, both lost power before the term of their government ended.

When the netas rely on more than one astrologer, it could land them in trouble as Yeddurappa realized to his discomfiture. One astrologer fixed the time for the swearing in at 12.49pm while another set it at 1.49pm. The first astrologer had said any time after 12.49 would make the government unstable. To resolve the dilemma, Yeddurappa’s men consulted a third astrologer who endorsed the second timing and Yeddyurappa took oath at 1.49pm.

There was a conflict of astrological views on the CM’s dress code also. While one advised him to wear a panche, another wanted him to wear a normal dress. One of Yeddurappa’s favourite astrologers had even the audacity to tell that since he violated his advice on the timing and dress code, the longevity of his government was doubtful. But thankfully, this astrologer had divine remedies up his sleeve to correct the `mistakes’ and save Yeddyurappa's government.

Sometimes, netas finetune their electoral strategy by exploiting the superstitious beliefs of their rivals. The family of Deve Gowda is known to believe that the Gowda clan cannot win against a woman opponent. Their belief strengthened after Deve Gowda himself lost to a woman candidate of the Congress in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. To psychologically weaken the Gowdas, the Congress put up women candidates against both Kumaraswamy and his brother H D Revanna in the recent Assembly elections in Karnataka. But, for once, the belief was proved wrong as both the Gowdas romped home.

Astrologers have even got the names and spellings of the names of netas changed to propitiate the goddess of luck. In his quest to become CM, Yedddyurappa replaced an `I’ with a `D’ in his name (Yediyurappa became Yeddyurappa).

Before him, former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha added an `a’ to her name, to spell it as `Jayalalithaa’. Jayalalithaa’s belief in astrology was such that she is reported to have waited for the moon to move out of the inauspicious Eighth House before she handed over her letter of withdrawal of support to the 13-month old Vajpayee government in 1998.

Besides Deve Gowda, many other former prime ministers of the country courted astrologers.

Though Jawaharlal Nehru ridiculed astrologers, her daughter Indira Gandhi and son Rajiv Gandhi patronized astrologers and holy men and turned to them for guidance and heavenly help in times of crisis. Godmen like Dheerendra Brahmachari and Chadraswamy wielded considerable political clout during Indira Gandhi’s time.

The stranglehold of soothsayers over some of the ruling politicians of the day is such that people tend to ask: Is the fate of the state decided by the elected representatives or their celestial guides.