THE legendary press baron, Lord Beaverbrook, had instructed his editors to "spread optimism daily". It was their solemn duty, he affirmed. While the Lord's command is a useful guideline for editors, in this country at present it is unimplementable, for the people of India by their baffling verdict have mandated for a period of uncertainty and turbulence. Whichever government comes to power, the seeds of its destruction will be inherent in its creation. And that destruction may be sooner rather than later. The electorate, unfortunately, has not just delivered a hung Parliament but the mother of all hung Parliaments. (A hung Parliament was delivered in 1991 but then the Congress got nearly 240 seats.)