I have had the pleasure of meeting Sitaram Kesri socially. He is a pleasant, avuncular man with a rustic sense of humour and many tales to tell of Congressleaders from the '60s and '70s. He also has a fondness for soup. On one occasion his host had only chicken soup to offer in which, unfortunately, chunks of chicken flesh were floating prominently. Mr Kesri, a strict vegetarian, was confused, but only for a moment as he found an ingenious way around the problem. Deftly, he removed the chunks of flesh with his fingers from the bowl—and when this was done, the chicken soup had miraculously become vegetarian. This he devoured merrily.