Ha..Ha..

Sriman Cynic has started reading newspapers... rather scanning through them.  This headline caught his attention - "Overall inflation to moderate to 6% by Dec, says Chawla" (Business Line, July 6, 2010).

"Food inflation is going down. It will take some time before it comes to a range that is acceptable to the Government and good for the people," Mr Ashok Chawla, Finance Secretary, told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here on Monday. He, however, declined to put a timeframe as to when the acceptable range would be achieved. 

"Declined to put a timeframe" - these words keep ringing in the ears of Sriman Cynic.  After all how can the government put a timeframe - we can put a timeframe, once we are in control of the situation.  Deadlines have come and gone, only to be replaced by a fresh set of deadlines. The entire inflation debate has become a cruel joke. Times of India's headline (July 29, 2010) sums it up better -

I-T staff to strike work ...

It is now more than three weeks since 'Sriman Cynic' stopped reading newspapers.  Cynic normally thinks that nothing great happens if we stop reading newspapers or stop watching Indian news channels - both in his humble view heap garbage (by default) - though at times, he finds something useful or intellectually stimulating appearing in the Indian media.  In any case, Cynic says he intends to quickly scan though the backlog over the next few days.  

This headline in Business Line (July 15, 2010) "struck" Cynic - IT staff to strike work today.  

It is Cynic's guess that corruption on that date (in India) would have gone down by atleast a few percentage points!  

Cynic says that in other countries, government officials do good to the society, by being honest.  In India, government officials do good to the society, by striking work!  Atleast on that day, they cannot collect baksheesh!!

Cynic is convinced that we cannot eliminate corruption in India, where everyone from top to bottom is corrupt.  But he feels that what we can pray for is frequent strikes by government departments.  Well, that's the only way he feels we can hope to reduce corruption level in India.