Did Kerala's 'rogue elephant' prove lucky for Boris Johnson?
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Did a narrow escape from the wrath of a charging elephant help Boris Johnson clinch UK’s top job? It would have played a part if one goes by Hindu philosophy, says former Union Minister S Krishnakumar who hosted the UK Prime Minister-designate in south India way back in 2003.
“In Hindu philosophy, it is said that if you escape a temple elephant’s fury, the worst part of your life is over and your future is very bright,” said Krishnakumar.
He vividly remembered Boris attending his daughter’s marriage function at Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari district. The incident must have helped Boris overcome the rough and tumble of UK politics and eventually emerge on top, Krishnakumar wittily remarked during a telephonic chat with Express.
Boris’ second wife was the bridegroom’s aunt and his interest in Indian culture brought him to this part of the world. However, the temple elephant ran amok during the wedding ceremony after its trunk touched an electric line. Many in the marriage party suffered minor bruises but Boris was among the lucky few who remained unscathed in the melee.
Krishnakumar had the chance to meet Boris in Puducherry years later but the interactions were not that eventful for him to remember.
“If I meet him next time, I will tell him that the elephant episode, though hair-raising, proved lucky for him in the long run,” he said.