THE LOTUS SUTRA

It seems the two candidates for the Congress presidential election—Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor—bank heavily on the divine blessings of Lord Buddha. The octogenarian Kharge is a self-professed Buddhist and has often said that Buddhism is one of the best ways to achieve peace and harmony in society. Tharoor began his campaign for the election on October 1 with a visit to the Deekshabhoomi monument in Nagpur. Deekshabhoomi is where Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the founding father of our Constitution, converted to Buddhism along with his followers in 1956. The two will have to wait till October 19 to know on whom the Buddha finally smiles.