It was delightful to see the India story so wonderfully represented and executed on the cover of Outlook (The Undertakers, Sep 2). Congratulations.
V.B. Lal, Delhi
The Outlook cover photo was truly macabre. Made me feel sick to see the murderers themselves doubling up as undertakers. The ‘India Story’, to borrow a phrase from Malayalam, was ‘konnu kuzhichu moodi’, or ‘murdered and buried’. And there must be a minimum of four pall-bearers. Any prizes for guessing the fourth one?
Col C.V. Venugopalan (retd), Palakkad
When a dream dies, it always hurts. That’s what happened when our nicely curated India growth story died. Let us hope it’s not stone dead, only temporarily ailing and comatose.
Goutam Das, Pune
The woes of the rupee and the Indian economy are a direct fallout of our populist subsidies. The UPA’s suicidal food bill, with an eye on the 2014 polls, is one glaring example.
George Jacob, Kochi
Apropos of Tarred ’n Feathered, Manmohan has turned a blind eye to too many scams. Losing files in a department that is under investigation only makes those in charge look like incompetent buffoons. Interestingly, files that go back to the NDA period are also ‘missing’. I wonder if the “caged parrot” is doing anything worthwhile about this.
Ram, Halifax
Ultimately, what can the Supreme Court do if the coal files continue to remain missing? They can’t dismiss the government, and strictures have long ago ceased to embarrass it.
N.S. Rajan, Bangalore
If Manmohan had been working for a private firm and disowned responsibility for the custody of the papers, not only would he have been fired but would have also faced a case for criminal breach of trust. Unfortunately, as PM, he can be responsibly irresponsible.
Jyothi, Chennai
Why this attempt to ring-fence the dynasty and lay the blame at the doorstep of Manmohan Singh, as if he had an identity of his own?
Uday Sharma, Bangalore
Manmohan is the biggest actor going, he acts as an economist among politicians and as a politician among economists.
Pankaj Hedaoo, Kuala Lumpur
Manmohan is a classic Shakespearean tragi-comic hero.
Arun Maheswari, Bangalore
As duly noted, the great votaries of economic liberalisation have become undertakers. There has been no trickledown effect. The poor become poorer, benefits are cornered by a small elite. The lack of social security laws, coupled with corruption and price rise, has hit India’s vulnerable sections hard. Lack of strong trade unions, a weakened Left movement and the absence of a strong opposition genuinely bothered about the country's welfare has shattered the Indian middle-class dream.
G. Anuplal, Bangalore
Quite simply, the man is the worst head of government independent India has seen.
Sharat Mathur, Mumbai
Food bill or land bill, nothing is going to curb the people’s anger in this climate.
Madhukar Nigam, Hyderabad
The undertakers of the 10-year-old UPA are also its pall-bearers. They are going to lay the coffin in the grave by May 2014. These men and women had all abilities, except honesty and integrity.
Gilbert D’Souza, Bangalore
