A mythic spin

The controversy embroiling the Planning Commission is not only meaningless, it is a commentary on the mess that ...

The controversy embroiling the Planning Commission is not only meaningless, it is a commentary on the mess that the economy is in today because of the Planning Commission. Like historians, economists are also coloured. Our problem appears to be bijli, sadak and pani. Do we have a coloured solution for this? This brings to mind an anecdote relating to Sanjay, the legendary figure in the Mahabharata, who narrated the goings on at Kurukshetra to Dhritarashtra. He graduated from the topmost management institution, in devalok, majoring in finance. After graduation, he went to Bhishma Pitamaha to offer his services as an economist to the Kuru Empire. Bhishma being Bhishma told him that he does not need an economist, the citizens pay their taxes as they are afraid of him. Later, Sanjay was horrified to find that the cloth merchants had an undersized measuring rod, and milkmen were selling milk at different prices depending on its water content. He complained about this to Bhishma, who told him curtly that state has no business to interfere in these matters. 8220;A citizen pays as per the quality of the milk and a person buying cloth is intelligent enough to know the length of cloth he or she is purchasing. What the state has to do with it?8221; So that was the free economy in those days!

8212; Suresh Chander Gurgaon

People, not babus

8226; Ajit Kumar8217;s 8216;Chasing a will o8217; the wisp?8217; IE, Sept 25 has really done justice in portraying the present day bureaucracy. While working on the issue of homeless people in Delhi and the country we have come across a few great bureaucrats while the bulk are apathetic to the core, as Kumar points out. There are two ivory towers in our country: the bureaucracy and judiciary. The bureaucracy is too aloof from the people while the judiciary regards the poor as 8220;pickpockets8221;. It8217;s time the people of India got together to address the ills done to them directly 8212; like they did by throwing the NDA out. When public servants become masters, the people of this country need to assert themselves and show the masters their real place.

8212; Indu Prakash Singh New Delhi

Bravo, Kalam

8226; President Kalam deserves all praise for his bold and novel suggestion that the post of president be also brought under the purview of Lokpal.

8212; B.N. Pathak Caranzalem, Goa

One question

8226; I wish to ask the writer of the article, 8216;Dine with the foreigner, abuse the aborigine8217; IE, Sept 29 a simple question: is today8217;s industry responsible for the past ills of the downtrodden?

8212; Kushwaha Delhi Express success

8226; I take my hat off with pride for the brave act of the Indian Express in exposing the petrol pump scam. I wish it great success in exposing such scams without fear or favour in the future.

8212; Hassdou Bles On e-mail

Clarification

8226; With reference to the report, 8216;Govt changes Dabhol law firm midway, lands itself in a spot8217; IE, Sept 30, I would like to clarify that I did not write any letter nor had any verbal communication regarding the change in the earlier decision of the Government of India to retain me in certain cases pertaining to Dabhol. The GOI is entitled to have its own legal team headed by the attorney general.

8212; Soli J. Sorabjee

8226; The note to the committee of secretaries was written by the Inter Ministerial Group IMG and not Soli Sorabjee. The error is regretted.

8212; Editor