Crystal Ball/K N Rao
No news can be good news
The punning of a court jester annoyed a king so much that he sentenced
him to death. Later, taking pity on the man, he told the jester
that he would be excused if the stopped punning.
"No noose," said the irrepressible jester, "is
good news!"
Exactly the sentiment of my tribe, I must say. With Saturn and
Ketu in opposing each other in Meena and Rahu and Mars in settling
down in Kanya, no news can be good news...
Pakistan
In the good old days when Imran Khan played cricket, no one called
him handsome. In fact, Imran himself had stated in an interview
that his elder sister often referred to him as an ugly duckling.
He transformed into a swan when an Australian women's magazine
published his photo and described him as the sexiest cricketer
of the world...
Since then, Imran has been in demand with eligible, aristocratic
English girls. One ill-informed English girl actually decided
to enhance her eligibility by assuming the name Sita. But she
did not know that, for Imran, neither Lord Rama nor his consort
Sita are objects of worship.
While Imran is being pursued by Sita, Dilshad Begum has begun
haunting Nawaz Sharif. And suddenly, both Pakistani and American
democracy are awfully similar - troubled as they are by the Kamini
(women) syndrome. India, on the other hand, faces the Kanchan
(scams) syndrome.
In the absence of Imran's horoscope, it is difficult to say if
he will be able to emulate his rather lucky World Cup victory
in real life. Or will Sita destroy him? The Makar Sankranti horoscope
(14 January, 1997) does show women causing some swings.
It is clear, though, that Benazir Bhutto has entered a lean period.
She needs a strong security cover.
USA
The Kamini syndrome will take an uglier turn in the US. I have
insisted all along that the judiciary in India and the US will
change the course of politics. President Clinton does not appear
to be safe at all. His enemies will unleash a fierce campaign
to malign him.
It is strange that a permissive society like the US should take
such a keen interest in sex scandals. But that has been Kamini
trend of US politics. The real problem, though, is the terrible
spell of domestic violence, which will continue without respite
for the rest of the year.
India
The Indian government faces a difficult future. I will be surprised
if it does not come out with an unpleasant ordinance to curb both
the fluctuating stock exchange and the law and order situation
within a month. The attempt of certain foreign elements to disturb
India deserves serious attention.
Russia
I had stated in an earlier column that communism was not dead.
The recent military and economic pact between China and Russia
is the beginning of a much needed counterbalance to the US dominance
in world politics.
As I have insisted earlier, Yeltsin does not appear to be safe.
If not deposed, he will have to deal with physical ill-health.
The present period could be a bad time for Yeltsin, since the
Makar Sankranti horoscope shows a rather violent power struggle
in Russia.
Ilustration: Dominic Xavier
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