Cap and trade

Demand for khadi Gandhi caps and the Tricolour touched record highs last week as a result of the anti-corruption stir led by social activist Anna Hazare. That put more people than just government ministers in a spot. About a week back, at the height of Hazare’s stand-off with the government, a senior Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) official was in Lucknow for a meeting. During a meeting with reporters, he was asked about the shortage of this trademark headgear. Since even such answers were fraught with implications at the time, he merely smiled and wisely chose not to answer.