But you will still read them.
Noted astrologer and the aasthana siddhanti of Sri Kalahasteeswara Swamy Devasthanam, Pandit Mulugu Ramalingeswara Vara Prasad, some of whose predictions had apparently come true in the previous years, including the formation of a separate Telangana, the TRS making it to power in the State, the BJP's victory in the last general elections and the rout of the Congress, and Nitish Kumar again becoming the Chief Minister of Bihar last year, said in his almanac for the Telugu New Year (Durmukhi nama samvatsaram) that:
1. the farmers' suicides would not stop either in Telangana or in AP,
2. there would be a crisis in the agriculture sector in both the Telugu States and that the two States would face water scarcity,
3. the gun culture would be on the rise in Hyderabad,
4. dengue would spread in both the Telugu States and the governments would be helpless in dealing with it,
5. the governments would not be able to stop cases of infant mortality in government hospitals,
6. ragging will not stop in spite of many measures being taken by the Government,
7. corporate hospitals would continue to fleece patients,
8. education would stay a commercial commodity and would stay beyond the reach of the common people,
9. corruption would continue and would be particularly acute in registration offices, an official of the excise department would be caught with 60 kg of gold, and even bill collectors would become crorepatis,
10. incidents of kidnaps, and attacks on women would be on the rise,
11. Pahadi Sharif in Hyderabad would become a hub for terrorist groups,
12. there would be an increase in criminal activities by minors,
13. there would be an increase in cyber crimes,
14. there would be an increase in divorces,
15. two ministers each in TS and AP would be ousted,
16. the village adoption scheme will be a publicity stunt, and
17. special category status would not be accorded to Andhra Pradesh, but huge funds would be given by the Centre under different heads for the development of the State.
Now think about how many of those predictions needed any astrological prowess to make.
Okay, he didn't play it safe completely. The siddhanthi also predicted that the AIADMK would emerge victorious in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming elections, and that the Trinamool Congress would win in West Bengal. The BJP would face a bitter experience in almost all the upcoming Assembly elections, he prophesized. Okay, maybe any standard issue political analyst would plump for those scenarios, too.
He also predicted an increase in air accidents this year in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and UAE. There would be a deterioration in the relations between India and Pakistan, he said. There would also be earthquakes and other natural calamities in the USA, Nepal, China and the Himalayan range, he warned. And he also predicted that Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza and P V Sindhu would forge ahead in their careers during the year.