After Mother Teresa, is it now critical and unconsious Jyoti Basu's turn to get acknowledged as a saint?
If a flurry of media reports are to be believed -- notably CNN IBN and The Economic Times, Jyoti Basu "lifted a hand" to acknowldge the presence of (or bless?) former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, when the latter visited the hospital. Let me add here that the media reports in question were based on one agency report by IANS.
And who said that? According to media reports, it was Deve Gowda who himself claimed that Basu acknolwdged his presence.
Deve Gowda, who called on the ailing leader Friday morning, said: "A doctor tried to wake him up. He lifted his hand. He did not open his eyes."
Vow! The doctors could not wake him up. Basu did not open his eyes, the former prime minister was quoted as saying in his own words.
Basu, who was West Bengal chief minister for 23 years, was put on ventilator support due to acute respiratory problems on January 6.
Now, let me put this whole thing around in another way.
The former prime minister performed a miracle in Kolkata when he did something what top-notch doctors could not do. An unconsious Jyoti Basu lifted his hand to acknowledge the presence of Deve Gowda without opening his eyes!
This is nothing less than a miracle.
The former prime minister, who ran the nation some time back literally while being asleep most of the time as various media reports have claimed, seems to be possessing extraordinary powers.
If he could run an entire nation with his "eyes closed", isn't this this Kolkata miracle all peanuts?
The Hindu mythology is full of stories about miracles being achieved by godmen while they kept their eyes closed.
So, err, sorry Jyotibabu, your reaction was a result of a miracle performed by Deve Gowda, and, ah, err, sorry, you won't get sainthood.
This distinction goes to namma son-of-soil farmer Deve Gowda!
