Sir — This refers to the article, “Entitlements are not rights” (September 26) by Ashoka Jahnavi Prasad. The writer has described the mai-baap culture, wherein the poor or the less powerful bend over backwards to please political leaders, hoping that the latter would throw some crumbs their way. The Congress began this practice and other parties have quickly latched on to it.
I once witnessed the motorcade of then British Prime Minister John Major pass by. I was walking on the road. A policemen politely stopped me at the crossing and said that the Prime Minister was coming through. There were just two motor-cycles in the front and a car behind the Prime Minister’s vehicle. The entire affair was over within minutes.
