About six in the morning. From an idle auto, the bhaiya said,' Saab, saanp (snake);' 'kidhar' me asked and the bhaiya pointed to a green vine snake among the leaves of possibly a jasmine bush; as usual, me struggled before locating the snake; a leaf green with a sharp snout; 'katega, kya,' bhaiya asked; 'nahin', me said. In rains me has seen boards warning of snakes in the the area but never met a snake; the snake slipped away, bhai started the auto, me continued walking slowly having spotted a green vine snake. A warbler, a white fronted kingfisher, a bharadwaj .... bumper sighting today. Some days are drab, no urge in the walk. A long time ago spotted a barn owl. At home in the arm chair and over coffee, me rewinds and that keeps me going. Settled into Vinay Sitapati, Half Lion, How P.V. Narasimha Rao Transformed India; quite uncomfortable with the Half Lion, fox and mouse of Vinay Sitapati. But the book is a good read and could lead to more studies. Also timely. Theory and practice of governance in India got a new grammar; needs to be worked upon. Leftists predicted the end; today they are at an end. Rightists did not care; they were on a Babri Masjid trip; they broke it. Many in many ways have belittled Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao from Vangara village in Andhra Pradesh. It is there in the book. If today Madhavi has a mobile on hand, son Ganesh a job at an IT company, thanks be to Raogaru. Nehru, Indira, Rajiv were of the west; Sonia is nowhere; Rao belongs to the east. In the east, we talk in circles before getting somewhere or anywhere near to a straight line; always shy from a straight line; that's India. Raogaru did that; and did it silently; Raogaru relished camouflage. A Rajiv Gandhi incident from Sitapati's book: 'Narsimha Rao was in a meeting with Rajiv and a school friend of the former prime minister. Rao was wearing a dhoti, kurta and leather slippers. Since his feet were aching, Rao placed one foot on the other thigh, and began gently pressing his toes as he spoke to Rajiv. It is common enough habit among village men in India, but would be considered uncouth in a western setting. The school friend turned and whispered to Rajiv, and on his cue got up and pushed Rao's foot down to the ground. The sixty-eight-year old was being taught manners.' Raogaru was and is an Indian. Many wrongs, many rights and some in between as Sitapati ably puts down. Raogaru replaced the Trishul of an ancient India with a mobile and internet; a mobile India has still to clock Olympic timings; quite short; but today there is the chance that it may; today India is stuck in a game of favours and favourites; but that may not last as technology seeps the Indian soul; there are some likes; more may come. Raogaru reversed Nehruvian socialism quoting Nehru. Today none can reverse Raogaru.
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