Bad air day

Pollution in India is a serious health issue but politicians clearly worry about other things. One index of this casual approach was Union minister V Narayansamy's recent address at an Interpol global programme on anti-corruption. He told foreign delegates that he hoped they had enjoyed their stay in Delhi, which he described as a "beautiful city". Then he added smilingly, "Although there is a little pollution problem". If the understatement was meant to be a joke it was a poor one, since few of the delegates laughed.