If it is election time, then it should be boom time for astrologers in our country. In our own State, apart from a number of VIP astrologers, there are others about whose predictions we will soon be reading more with mirth than with any seriousness. We have that famous Kodi Mutt near Arasikere where the destiny of every human being is recorded in a mysterious book and naturally of every politician, also a human being.

The moot point here is the credibility that one can attach to the predictions made by these astrologers. Of course, at the end of the day it is like one’s belief in God and attributing the good that happens to the God and the bad also to His will. If the prayer is not granted, strangely, the person does not blame the God but blames himself, with his inner voice muttering: "After all, I might not have offered my prayers sincerely or observed the rituals of the prayer meticulously." In either case, it is the God who triumphs, just as in the case of astrological predictions, where it is the astrologer who wins irrespective of whether the politician wins or loses in the election.

In such a situation it is better we believe, in what the famous Swiss psychologist Carl Jung calls “Synchronicity”. In simple terms it means, getting to know people for no apparent reason. It cannot be explained why you come in contact with another person, which is of such significance, a turning point in your life, it becomes a life changing connection. Carl Jung says it happens in everyone’s life, I say it happens more often and more significantly with politicians.

If one reads the autobiography of any rich and famous man, be that person a politician, artist, scientist or a soldier, we will find the turning point in his life comes with this “Synchronicity”.

L. K. Advani gives two examples of this in his personal life, which later helped to change the course of his own personal destiny as also that of his political party Jana Sangh. He says the first example of “Synchronicity” was his first meeting with Jayaprakash Narayan and another, his first meeting with Morarji Desai in the 1960s when he was a humble journalist working for “Organizer” and Morarji Desai, a tall political figure and a Minister.

Nearly 15 years after this first meeting, Advani came to play a major role in fighting the Gujarat election in 1975 under the common banner of Janata Morcha, under the guidance of Jayaprakash Narayan where all four political parties who were earlier daggers – drawn, Congress (O), Jana Sangh, Socialist Party and Lok Dal decided to fight the elections.

Advani, at that time, was the President of the Jana Sangh and was able to negotiate with Morarji Desai and also Jayaprakash Narayan whom he had met nearly 15 years ago. That is “Synchronicity”. The Janata Morcha had trounced the Congress. That was on June 12, 1975. On the same day, another two incidents took place which bolstered the hopes of the Opposition parties arraigned against Indira Gandhi. One was the Allahabad High Court giving a verdict of guilty of electoral malpractices and nullifying her election to the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli. Another incident was that she was also barred from contesting any election for six years. All her opponents thought her fate was sealed politically and the future belonged to them.

It appears Advani who did not believe much in astrological predictions and soothsayers, at this juncture, casually asked one of his own party activists, Dr. Vasant Kumar Pandit, who was a renowned professional astrologer from Bombay, if the future for Jana Morcha was good. Dr. Pandit, the astrologer, was an MLC for eight years in Maharashtra and a Lok Sabha MP from 1977 to 1984.

Advani asked:
“Panditji, aap ke nakshatra kya kehte hain?” (What do your stars predict, Panditji?)
It was clear Advani expected him to say the stars of Jana Morcha was on the ascendance and everything would be hunky dory and Mrs. Indira Gandhi will slip into a period of political eclipse. No.

Dr. Vasant Kumar Pandit, the astrologer told Advani, thus: "Advaniji, frankly I don’t understand. I feel intrigued by my own assessment. After reading the stars we are headed for a two - year exile."

Yes, Mrs. Indira Gandhi in order to undo everything that the Allahabad High Court did in its judgement, declared a state of Emergency on June 25, 1975 and the two - year exile (actually 19 months) as predicted by Dr. Vasant Kumar Pandit the astrologer had begun.

Therefore, we need not be surprised when Shakespeare said the cosmic truth in his play Hamlet: There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Nearer home, I have two experiences with politicians who despite their stature always consulted an astrologer while selecting the candidates to contest the election. One was the late Chief Minister, D. Devaraj Urs and another, a former Prime Minister. Recently, an aspirant for the seat came to my office and revealed that he had done his best to wangle a seat but to his surprise he found that the Big Party Boss wanted his Kundalini to be sent to him before his name could even be considered!

Enough for today.