Should a newspaperman tell? This is always a difficult decision to make because, in the process of speaking out, he runs the risk of annoying somebody, somewhere. In the case of the government in India, the tendency to hide and feel horrified once the truth is uncovered is greater than in an individual. This is apparently so because, in official jargon, “repercussions” are wider. But what are these “repercussions”, and who assesses them? Such questions are never answered.