First, Fix the Plumbing

Manan Vatsyayana / AFP/Getty Images

Protesters in New Delhi, seen through a flag, voice their opposition to Singh's ambitious changes.

At around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's bespectacled visage popped up in the Twitter feeds of his 231,902 followers. "In a growing economy, there is enough space for big and small to grow," his missive read. He was touting his government's recent decision to pave the way for more foreign investment in retail, a long-awaited move that its supporters say promises to create millions of jobs, increase farmers' profits and decrease prices for consumers. Minutes later, Singh got his first reply: "@PMOIndia: can we also have clean toilets...

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