Focuses on the politics of cultural freedom in India in the 1950s. Theme of the book `Midnight's Children,' by Salman Rushdie; Rushdie's Shiva principle; Use of `cultural freedom' during the cold war; US Central Intelligence Agency's sponsorship of the `Quest' journal; David McCutchion's speech during a seminar sponsored by `Quest' in Calcutta; Coverage of the Bhoodan movement.