misplaced anxieties

text of the letter sent to Indian Express on 12th April:

Mr U R Ananthamurthy has reportedly expressed great anxiety over healthcare and education sectors getting privatised, vide the report in your City Express columns on the 9th April, under the caption 'Ananthamurthy's Rujuvathu released'. But, how come this same Mr Ananthamurthy does not express similar anxiety when newspapers, including yours, repeatedly come up with reports about the deplorable conditions in both the government hospitals, as well as schools.

The conditions in the hospitals are so bad that it is only the real desperate lot who ever go there, to come out far worse of, if they come out alive at all. So much so, even the poorest of the poor choose to go to a St John's or a Manipal, somehow finding the means to pay off the bills and without complaining much, or availing the various beneficiary schemes that the hospitals organise for the real needy.

And, it will shock anyone to know that the BBMP run schools have been spending on an average, per annum, per child, far higher than what a parent spends to send his child to say, a Bishop Cotton's, to eventually report pass percentages barely in double digits. And even this, sequel to a recent intervention by an NGO. As to the conditions prevailing before the intervention, particularly of the toiletary facilities (rather lack of it), the less said the better.

Would Mr Ananthamurthy like to attempt to redeem the situation on the ground, instead of pontificating from his ivory tower? If not, would he let the ones who are doing a good job, and are prepared to do more, just do it, please?