Unquoted fears

Industry representatives may be bitterly critical of the lack of progress on economic reform but curiously reticent when it comes to plain speaking about the government's non-performance. Responding to a question on why Indian companies are investing in assets abroad, a senior official of an industry lobby said, "It's better to be a second citizen in another country where our demands and requirements are respected than a first citizen in our own country." Great quotable quote for journalists but when his outrage subsided, the official immediately requested the statement be "off the record".