While the true size of India’s middle class is the subject of much political self-congratulation and corporate research, not much credibility lies with the methodologies on which many of these estimates are based. Despite the heated response in India to Bush’s remarks, no one seems to have mentioned the role of rapidly rising obesity in the West. Some 25 per cent of adult Americans and a similar proportion of children are now counted among the obese. Bush should have mentioned chronic over-consumption and greed as a driving factor for high food prices.

— Sanjeev Prakash

New Delhi

Neighbourly succour

•Cyclone Nargis has caused large-scale devastation in Myanmar, killing over 22,000 people and causing incalculable damage to infrastructure. People who have been rendered homeless face power and water supply breakdowns. Food and medical aid are also in short supply. The people of Myanmar need India’s help. True, years of military dictatorship has isolated Myanmar from rest of the world, but this is not the time to dwell on such matters. One hopes that the world, and India in particular, rushes to the help of the people of Myanmar.

— R.J. Khurana

Bhopal