Not much change since 1983

The High Commissioner of a western country who has served in India before, recently called on Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. After talking for a while, the envoy observed that things had changed a lot in India since he was last here in 1983. “1983...well, not so much has changed,” said the finance minister contemplatively. “I was the finance minister then; I am the finance minister now.” Some bitterness there?