It’s a magical time in Karnataka again. We’re talking about ‘black magic.’

Our Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may have passed a watered-down Anti-Superstition Bill. Maybe he should try again for a more implementable one, for his Deputy says it’s threatening their Government.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stated on Thursday that political opponents are performing black magic through ‘Aghoris’ and ‘tantrics’ at a temple in Kerala against him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to destabilise the Congress Government.

Interestingly, the Deputy Chief Minister seemed quite knowledgeable about black magic himself as he listed the names of the rituals and their purposes.

He said the main objective of the ‘yagya’ is to eliminate enemies, and the ritual is called ‘Raja Kantaka’ and ‘Marana Mohana     Stambhana’ yagyas.

When there is talk of black magic in Karnataka politics, all fingers point in one direction — Janata Dal (Secular). No, not because they suspect JD(S) leader Prajwal has a black magic wand! But because…

When JD(S) gave up its office in Bengaluru to Congress after a legal battle, the next            day, when Congress party workers entered the premises, they found lemon, chilly, vermilion, and unknown materials wrapped in red cloth. They were scared to enter the building until it was ‘purified.’

Later, when B.S. Yediyurappa was the CM, he alleged that there was a threat to his life from the JD(S), as it had performed black magic on him!

Black magic is not new in politics. In his book ‘Nine Lives’, historian William Dalrymple narrates several West Bengal and Bihar politicians worshipped skulls and offered animal sacrifices to the Goddess before standing for election. One of them, he says, explained that “tantra is much more powerful than conventional religion.”

It is said that even our Prime Ministers have indulged in black magic. Pupul Jayakar, a close confidante of Indira Gandhi, writes in her book ‘Indira Gandhi: A Biography’ about how the late Prime Minister believed that people were doing black magic on her and her son Sanjay Gandhi.

To counter this, Pupul Jayakar says Indira Gandhi had performed the ‘Lakshachandi Path,’ a ritual in which 1,00,000 verses were recited in the Kali Temple of Jhansi. The ‘yagna’ and the recitation of the verses were conducted in secret from 1979 to 1983!

The tantric who helped was Dhirendra Brahmachari. He was eased out of the Gandhi household after her death.

The other famous tantric with access to the Prime Minister’s Office was Chandraswami. He was patronised by the late PM P.V. Narasimha Rao.

The Jain Commission, which was investigating the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, as part of its questioning, asked Chandraswami, “Had he used yagya (sacrificial rites) to help Rao become Prime Minister.” 

In 2009, before the General Elections, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh accused BJP’s L.K. Advani of resorting to black magic and approaching tantrics to come to power.

It’s not just politicians. We, ordinary citizens, do it too, indulge in black magic.

Once every month, vehicular traffic near the junction where three roads meet goes into traffic confusion; why?

People on ‘Amavasya’, the ‘new moon’ day, crack coconuts, break eggs, crush   lemons,  place big rocks and other black magic paraphernalia at the junction. It’s a mean ritual meant to pass on their bad luck to whoever passes over it.

Superstitions, astrology and black magic have been part of Indian politics since the day we gained independence. In fact, our Independence Day got us into trouble because of astrology.

Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, chose August 15 as Independence Day because it was the day the Japanese surrendered Burma to the Allied Forces under his command. But India’s astrologers found August 15 to be a deeply inauspicious day.

In the book ‘Freedom at Midnight’, it states that one astrologer, Swamin Madamanand, wrote to Mountbatten, saying, “For the love of God, do not give India independence on August 15. If floods, famine, and massacres follow, it will be because free India was born on a day cursed by the stars.”

Finally, as a compromise, India was granted independence between August 14 and 15 at midnight because, for the West, a new day begins at midnight, but according to the Hindu calendar, it begins at sunrise.

One wonders if this compromise is the reason why India is perpetually in limbo — never developed but forever developing. It’s not too bad a country, but not very good either. It’s in limbo.

This tradition of astrology continues today in all facets of our lives. India has a deep, academic, and complex tradition of astrology.

As for black magic, well, while our politicians pursue it for power, the animals pay the price.

D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said that through the Aghoris, 21 red goats, three buffaloes, 21 black sheep and five pigs are being sacrificed for black magic!

We hope Siddaramaiah will reintroduce an implementable Anti-Superstition Bill. Maybe he should consult an astrologer to ensure its effectiveness.

e-mail: [email protected]