Cover
Gandhi and the general
If you want to see the most brutal dictator in the world at present, go to Rajghat in Delhi, the site where Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was cremated on 31 January 1948. It is a special sight indeed.
The timing is early morning on 25 October 2004. Senior General Than Shwe, the supreme head of the Burmese military dictatorship, along with his entourage, comes in through the main entrance. The grass is well manicured, the flowers placed by the Horticulture Department are immaculate, and a sickly-sweet smell reminds you that someone has placed incense sticks in all the right places. Hidden speakers gently release Gandhi's favourite hymn into the calm morning air, Vaishnav jan to taynay kahyeeye. Translated, the softly intoned words say: