It is necessary for an intellectual of Sen’s standing to help India, given that he is so proud of having retained an Indian passport, apparently unlike some of his churlish critics. But he can help only if he is willing to illuminate his discussions with his enormous intelligence, not with his prejudices. After all, even a nobody like me has been positive about the MNREGA because it is an imaginative way to tap into the energies of our poor; it is not a dole or an entitlement and it might create some useful assets. Of course, like everything else in India, the challenge is in the implementation.