<i>Yajna </i>power

Those who take pride in India's temporal scientific achievements may need to have a chat with the worthies of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. On Sunday, the VHP put out a press statement saying it had organised a propitiatory "Hudhud Shanti Yajna" in Delhi, hours before Cyclone Hudhud was to make landfall on the east coast. "Yajna will definitely minimise the calamity and save our country," spokesperson Vinod Bansal was quoted as saying. The last time the VHP organised such a yajna was days before the orbital insertion of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)'s Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan on September 24. The VHP is convinced that the yajnas contributed to the weakening of Cyclone Hudhud and the success of Mangalyaan, quite detracting from the improved forecasting powers of our meteorological department and the technical prowess of our space scientists.