No carrot, only stick.

India is a police state where politicians see themselves as feudal rulers and beat up citizens while they remain above the law. Taking their cue from politicians government officials treat people with extreme brutality. On April 22 a 9 year old girl, whose father is a soldier, shot herself in the head while playing with her father's loaded pistol while both parents had gone to the station to drop relatives. The shocked father tried to shoot himself but family members deflected the gun and the bullet hit the roof. Was the grieving father offered sympathy or counselling to deal with his enormous loss? Perish the thought. Local police are deciding whether to charge him with attempted suicide, which is still a crime in India, and negligence in caring for his weapon. In India people mostly use gas for cooking which is supplied by state owned companies in metal bottles called " cylinders ". One cylinder contains 14.2 kg of gas and costs Rs 400 to refill. Couple of years ago people in Delhi were encouraged to change to piped gas, also supplied by a state owned company, because it will cost less. Most people complied happily. Guess what? Now monthly bills for a small family comes to around Rs 600 whereas previously a cylinder used to last for 6 weeks, an escalation of 50%. Most people still had unused cylinders which they would get refilled and give to their maids who thus had easy access to gas for cooking. Last year people were threatened that their gas supply would be cut off and dire penalties levied if they did not return their cylinders. Everyone did. When these poor people, desperate for cooking gas, approached gas agencies they were told that they would not be supplied unless they deposited Rs 6000 for paper work and compulsory purchase of gas cookers. Unable to afford so much money maids are having to buy gas from private sellers at Rs 75/kg which means 14 kg now cost them Rs 1050. So much for the aam aadmi. Our most revered Health Minster has invented a new stick for doctors. From now on doctors going abroad for further studies will have to sign a bond that they will return upon completion and will not be allowed to work abroad, so as to compel doctors to work in villages. This is based on the myth that the government spends millions of rupees to train a doctor. But what about students who were denied admission to government medical colleges despite having high marks, because they were of higher caste, while Reservation candidates got admission with much fewer marks? Parents of these students have to spend millions of rupees for medical education in private colleges. These doctors owe nothing to the government except humiliation, harassment and expense. So why should they sign any bond or serve in any village where they will earn little and have no opportunity for higher studies? Using force to remedy failed policies never works. But then thugs no nothing better.