One must first realise that TNS's former colleagues in IAS do not have much of an opinion of him even though his contribution as CEC has been vital and did prove that existing rules are sufficient to put the pressure on the politicians to conform to the rules of the game. But it now appears that TNS is cut off from reality. With over 350 million people in dire poverty and with the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor, TNS talks of India making substantial progress. How to you measure progress? Any economist will tell you that one sure way is to reduce the people below poverty line. If one goes by that yardstick, the Govt of the day and the previous Govts have miserably failed. Today a one ground plot in the city of Chennai costs upwards of a crore of rupees. How many except the "filthy" rich, can afford to shell out this money. But most of the rich, especially those with political connections, evade taxes, break the law, and amass wealth just for its sake. TNS just does not know what he is talking about and I feel sorry for him. S Rajendran
