Hair-raising tales

I know I’m bald, and my wife thinks I’m balding … but even a bald man needs a haircut”, is the bewildering way in which RBI Governor D Subbarao began his remarks at the book launch function in the capital for Deputy Governor Rakesh Mohan’s latest book. Subbarao said he liked to go to his old barber in Hyderabad and usually swapped Bollywood gossip with him. The last time around, however, the barber wanted to know when Subbarao was going to cut rates. The Governor changed the topic only to find, a little while later, the barber was back to his rate-cut queries. What do you know about interest rates anyway, an incensed Subbarao asked the barber. Nothing, the barber replied, but I notice that each time I ask you about rate cuts, your hair stands up and makes cutting it easier! This, Subbarao said, proved that even the common man was interested in rate cuts nowadays.