THE HEAT, as they say, is on, especially in the capital. The resentment building up against the government, and police, is once again leading to bitter protests in the capital, yet again. Incidents—more rapes—are leading to dissent across the state. The governance, and its mouthpieces, are coming out with a new set of excuses to fill the gap between expectations and reality, amid protests. Dismissing every civilian protest against the governance as ‘routine’ will only remove politicians from their support base—further of. Why is it that the Indian political class is so far removed from the reality that its citizens face everyday? Not only in civilian matters—but also when it comes to setting economic expectations. India’s economy grew by 5.3 per cent from a year earlier in the July to September quarter, the slowest pace of expansion in three years. Yet, the Budget 2013 harped on a growth rate of 10 per cent in coming years. Meanwhile, foreign investors have also been wary of entering the country amid a delay in key reforms. That has led to concerns that India’s growth rate may slow further in the coming months. These were some questions that we posed before Dr Bimal Jalan, the former Governor of India’s national bank (Reserve Bank of India). True, Dr Jalan is no political commentator, and neither does he make any claims to be. In fact the former Governor is a gentleman who would credit circumstances and not merit for the pinnacle that he has reached today. However, we coaxed the economist to make several observations about his country–one that he says has one of the most robust democracies in the world. So what goes wrong? Is it the lacuna between policy and implementation? Is it a gap between expectation and reality? There were no clear answers, but Dr Jalan did make some interesting comments on the economic needs of the hour. Read his views on Page XX. On a merrier note, Marryam H. Reshii will be taking us on an Indian tour for this month. After several international destinations, she felt that it was the right time to go desi on her readers and in this month when several regions of the country celebrate their New Year, it seems to be a perfect fit. Shubho nababorsho and happy Vishu to all of you. May your new year be blessed.