Odd priorities

I note with astonishment that supposedly impoverished India, which is receiving a total of £1.6 billion over an eight-year period from the UK, is now considering sending a spacecraft to orbit Mars as part of its ongoing and expanding space programme.

Given the inequality and poverty in that country how can this be justified on any level?

India has already decided to equip its airforce with French rather than British aircraft and India’s finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, has already referred to this hand-out as a “peanut”, so, if he feels that way about this misplaced generosity, why does he not return it to Britain, where it could be put to better use by keeping our pensioners warm this winter?

Brian Allan

Kincardine-on-Forth