In Jawaharlal Nehru's home state of Uttar Pradesh, the legislative assembly was in turmoil. A member had just reported that a religious ascetic had performed a temple rite to the Hindu goddess of destruction, Durga, in order to take Nehru's life by magic. In New Delhi, a Socialist deputy was hooted down in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) by angry Congress Party members for asking: "Is it democratic for an ailing Prime Minister with a shaky, inaudible voice and trembling feet to reply to questions?" Through the uproar, a waxen, drowsy figure sat hunched over on...
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