INDIA UNDER THE BANYAN TREE MEETING UNDER A GAUDY CIRCUS TENT IN 
THE FABLED PINK CITY OF JAIPUR, THE LEADERS OF INDIA'S RULING 
CONGRESS PARTY TALKED THEMSELVES HOARSE LAST WEEK IN THE FIRST INTENSIVE 
EFFORT TO REFURBISH THEIR POLITICAL IMAGE SINCE INDEPENDENCE CAME IN 1947. 
PROPPED ON SAUSAGE-SHAPED BOLSTERS UNDER A HUGE PORTRAIT OF GANDHI, THE 
DHOTI-CLAD POLITICIANS PLEDGED "SELF-SACRIFICE" AND "DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM"--AND AT MEALTIMES ROARED OFF 
IN FIN-TAILED LIMOUSINES. ENDORSING "NONALIGNMENT," PARTY LEADERS WARNED RITUALISTICALLY AGAINST "ENTANGLEMENT 
WITH MILITARY BLOCS"- - EVEN AS U. S., BRITISH AND INDIAN 
WARPLANES FLEW OVER NEW DELHI IN JOINT AIR EXERCISES. AFTER A 
SIX-HOUR DEBATE ON THE DEFINITION OF SOCIALISM, THE DELEGATES ADJOURNED THE 
TWO-DAY CONFERENCE AND WENT HOME TO GIVE THE SUBJECT MORE THOUGHT. 
BOOST FOR INDIRA. ANOTHER SUBJECT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT, ONE THAT HAS 
ALMOST BECOME A NATIONAL OBSESSION, IS THE SUCCESSOR TO JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, 
74. INDIA TODAY IS STILL SMARTING FROM THE SAVAGE BEATING IT 
TOOK AT THE HANDS OF RED CHINA LAST FALL, THE ECONOMY 
IS FALTERING UNDER BUREAUCRATIC CONTROLS, AND THE FACTION-RIVEN GOVERNMENT IS FLAWED 
WITH CORRUPTION. RESTIVE POLITICIANS SAY BLUNTLY THAT ALL THEIR PROBLEMS CANNOT 
BE SOLVED BY THE STOOPED, CAREWORN PRIME MINISTER AND THE ELDERLY, 
OUT-OF-TOUCH CONGRESS PARTY LEADERSHIP. A CELEBRATED CRITICISM OF NEHRU IS THAT 
HE RESEMBLES INDIA'S BANYAN TREE, WHICH PROVERBIALLY KILLS EVERY OTHER ORGANISM 
THAT GROWS IN ITS SHADE. IN THE WAKE OF THREE PARLIAMENTARY 
BY-ELECTION DEFEATS LAST SPRING, NEHRU ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD ASK A 
DOZEN TOP CABINET AND STATE MINISTERS TO RESIGN FROM THE GOVERNMENT 
IN ORDER TO LET THEM GO TO WORK REVITALIZING THE PARTY 
ORGANIZATION AND REBUILDING ITS STRENGTH AMONG THE VOTERS. BUT THE KAMARAJ 
PLAN WAS REALLY USED BY THE PRIME MINISTER AS A RUSE 
TO FLUSH OUT ALL THE TOP CONTENDERS FOR HIS OWN JOB. 
THERE IS EVEN WIDESPREAD SUSPICION THAT NEHRU FORCED THE RESIGNATIONS OF 
HIS ABLEST MINISTERS IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR HIS 
DAUGHTER, IMPERIOUS INDIRA GANDHI, 45, WIDOW OF A BACKBENCH CONGRESS POLITICIAN 
(NO KIN TO THE MAHATMA), WHO HAS LONG BEEN THE PRIME 
MINISTER'S CLOSEST CONFIDANTE (HE CALLS HER INDU, OR MOON), OFFICIAL HOSTESS 
AND POLITICAL TROUBLESHOOTER. RULER OF THE WORLD. BUT DISCOUNTING INDIRA AS 
A REAL POLITICAL CONTENDER, THE CHOICE OF MOST PARTY MEMBERS AT 
PRESENT IS FORMER HOME MINISTER LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI, 59, AN HONEST 
IF COLORLESS POLITICIAN WHO, LIKE HIS LEADER, COMES FROM UTTAR PRADESH, 
INDIA'S MOST POPULOUS STATE AND THE TRADITIONAL BREEDING GROUND OF CONGRESS 
PARTY LEADERS. IF SHASTRI IS DISQUALIFIED--HE HAD A HEART ATTACK IN 
1959--A LEADING CONTENDER FOR THE PRIMEMINISTERSHIP WOULD PROBABLY BE S. K. 
PATIL, 63, A RIGHT-WINGER WHO RUNS BOMBAY WITH BRISK EFFICIENCY AND 
UNTIL THE CABINET PURGE COPED ABLY WITH THE THANKLESS JOB OF 
FOOD MINISTER, THOUGH GRAIN SHORTAGES PROMPTED THE CRACK THAT HE "GAVE 
INDIA FOOD--FOR THOUGHT." MORARJI DESAI, 67, A STERN ASCETIC WHO WAS 
NEHRU'S FINANCE MINISTER AND WAS ONCE A FAVORITE TO SUCCEED HIM, 
HAS LOST MUCH OF HIS POPULARITY IN THE PAST YEAR, LARGELY 
AS A RESULT OF HIS DRACONIAN MEASURES TO RAISE TAXES FOR 
THE DEFENSE EFFORT, BUT COULD STILL BE THE POWERFUL RIGHT WING'S 
CHOICE. AS FOR NEHRU, HE IS DETERMINED TO HOLD ON TO 
HIS POST INDEFINITELY, BUT EVEN INDIA'S MOST POPULAR MAN OCCASIONALLY FACES 
THE LIMITATIONS OF FAME IN A COUNTRY THAT IS STILL ONLY 
24 PER CENT LITERATE. IN A SURVEY OF VILLAGERS LIVING LESS 
THAN 20 MILES FROM BUSTLING HYDERABAD, UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS REPORTED THAT PEASANTS 
VARIOUSLY IDENTIFIED NEHRU AS "HEAD OF A GERMAN STATE," "RULER OF 
THE WORLD," AND "SOME BRAHMAN." NAMED FOR KAMARAJ NADAR, FORMER CHIEF 
MINISTER OF MADRAS, WHO FIRST EMPLOYED IT TO ADVANTAGE IN HIS 
OWN STATE ADMINISTRATION. 