Cure for optimism

At the launch function for his latest book, former chief economic advisor and Business Standard columnist Shankar Acharya said he had tried to balance his bearish outlook by having at least two people on the panel (on the current global and Indian economic crisis) who were known to be bullish — Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Oxus Investments’ chief Surjit Bhalla. Despite the bulls outnumbering the bears two to one (ICRIER chief Rajiv Kumar said he was a middle-of-the-roader), Ahluwalia wasn’t sure they’d win. He said, “If, by the end of this discussion, there’s anyone left with even a shred of optimism, we’ll give him half an hour with Shankar!”