Pilgrimage to a saint
For a woman who had been decried as the would-be empress of India, it was a highly effective act of expiation. After a terse announcement (which guaranteed widespread publicity), Indira Gandhi last week set off on a pilgrimage to the ashram of Acharya Vinoba Bhave, 82, spiritual heir to Mahatma Gandhi. For three days, Mrs. Gandhi squatted on the floor, shared ascetic meals and soaked up the saintly Bhave's wisdom. The retreat was a brilliant political re-entry vehicle for the former Prime Minister.
After the Congress Party's electoral debacle...