Astrology still plays a role in politics and even governance, big ‘Yagna’ (fire ritual) come off in Gujrat
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, July 27, 2025
Astrology and predictions based on it have played a fairly important role in politics and governance down the annals of history even though the professional rationalists dismiss the subject as baseless while others value it and consult the practitioners before taking any important decision. Most remarkable among astrological interventions happened in India in the bloody run-up to the partition when a group of fifty leading astrologers of the country including many from Benares had addressed jointly signed letters to the leaders of Indian freedom movement urging upon them to avoid the day of August 14 , a day cursed by the stars, as formal independence day. Ultimately the inauguration of Indian independence had taken place at the midnight of August 14 with Pandit Nehru’s eloquent ‘tryst with destiny’ speech-several hours later than the evil ‘Muhurts’. Whether this happened at the suggestion of the star gazers or British governor general Lord Mountbatten’s preoccupation with the inauguration of Pakistan as a separate and independent state by the day in Karachi is not known but misgivings over the timing persist.
The second major instance of authentic astrological intervention in political matters happened in the fateful year of 1991. As the campaign for the Loksabha election gained in momentum, T.N. Seshan , a close confidante of Rajiv Gandhi, an astrologer himself and the incumbent chief election commissioner (CEC) had personally warned Rajiv of the danger to his life. A dedicated follower of Sringeri Shankar Muth of south India , Seshan had got Rajiv’s birth chart examined by the pundits of Sringeri Shankar Muth . The Pundits prognosis was that Rajiv was passing through a dangerous period of ‘Mrityu Yug’ or death time and the death would occur by ‘Visphotam’ (explosion) in a desolate place. Despite being warned Rajiv as the supreme leader of the party could not help campaigning in the nooks and corners of the country and finally on the cursed night of May 21 Rajiv died a horrible death by being blown to smithereens by an explosion detonated by a suicide bomber in desolate Sri Perumbudur in Tamil Nadu.
The third intervention in hand now had happened at the beginning of the new Indian year in April as a group of eminent astrologers had reportedly addressed a letter to the central government that the current year would see India embroiled in a limited war and lot of air mishaps. They had suggested performing of sacrifice or ‘Yagna’ on the sea cost in Digha in West Bengal after carefully selecting the place. Highly placed sources said that the authority in the central government had non-chalantly ignored the warning . But after the three day war with Pakistan and the Air India plane crash in Gujrat leading to the death of 275 people the authority reportedly woke up to the reality and in consultation with the leaders of the group of astrologers it was decided that the ‘Yagna’ to propitiate the celestial forces would be organised in Gujrat coast in stead of Digha in West Bengal ruled by pro-Rohingiya and pro-Bangladeshi infiltrator Trinamool Congress. When and how the ‘Yagna’ will come off in Gujrat or whether it has already come off still remains a secret .
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