Shiv Sainiks believe that their party’s fortunes will revive soon. Not because of the infusion of fresh blood in the party’s leadership, but because 83-year-old Bal Thackeray’s health seems to be improving.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister recently changed his name from Ashok to Ashokrao to bring himself luck. He’s not the only politician trying to manipulate his destiny using numbers, gemstones and crystal turtles
TCA Raghavan is a former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan and Singapore. His first book, Attendant Lords: Abdur Rahim and Bairam Khan: Courtiers and Poets in Mughal India, was awarded the Mohammad Habib Prize by the Indian History Congress. He is also the author of The People Next Door: The Curious History of India’s Relations with Pakistan and History Men: Jadunath Sarkar, G S Sardesai, Raghubir Sinh and Their Quest for India’s Past. His latest book is Circles of Freedom: Love, Friendship and Loyalty in the Indian National Struggle