After dithering for a long time the Indian government has increased patrol price by Rs. 5, diesel by Rs. 3 and domestic gas cylinders by Rs. 50. This has been applauded by our free loading journalists who are always complaining about subsidies on fuel because this helps the middle class people who own vehicles and use gas for cooking. Since the subsidies are paid out of the government's tax collections there is less money left for poverty alleviation schemes. This is so false and perverted that it takes your breath away. Very little of the poverty alleviation schemes actually reaches the poor. Vast sums are siphoned off by politicians and kleptocrats. These schemes are hand outs which make the poor think that they can go on producing any number of children and then expect to be given money. Studies have shown that rapists and criminals come largely from the poorer sections of society and these people are breeding without control. The middle classes pay all the taxes, get no services and are ignored by politicians because they do not form a vote bank. We are supposed to be equal in a democracy but to be middle class in India is to have no power at all.