Ignorance is not blissful
Poverty and lack of knowledge is a deadly cocktail encompassing Goa, says PLASTINO D’COSTA
Every Goan however poor she or he may be has to make purchases at some point of time or the other. A branded product is being purchased from the market, be it a packet of biscuits or toilet soap. The product is wrapped in laminated paper and has its price printed on it, which includes all taxes. This tax simply means that the end user of that product has effectively paid his contribution in the form of tax to the government, even though the actual tax transaction takes place between the manufacturer of the product and the government. This contribution, however small, is meant for usage by the government to prudently run its operations, build state infrastructure, healthcare, education, maintain law and order, manage garbage and all tasks which are carried out collectively by the state for the benefit of its people.
Goans, whether rich or poor, pay their taxes in one form or the other, even though their contributions differ depending on their net worth. However, over the period of time, politicians, with the help of bureaucrats, and in order to have an upper hand over their citizens, have learnt the art of using fancy names to this tax contribution such as the Direct Tax Code, Excise, Octroi, Personal Income Tax, TDS, VAT, MAT, Sales Tax, Corporate Tax, cess, and what have you.
Keeping aside this terminology, it simply means that money is collected from every citizen, whenever they happen to purchase a product. It is also deducted from their salaries or the TDS (tax deducted at source) from fixed deposits opened by citizens with various banks. The income so earned goes to finance the government machinery and the upkeep of those in charge of the government.
Most Goans, due to their ignorance, do not believe that they pay taxes since they don’t file their income tax returns or pay their personal income tax. For example, Goans working on cruise liners never realise that they pay taxes on their big ticket purchases, because they usually bring their money in cash. Those who opt to use banking channels don’t take the trouble of filing returns. They literally donate their money to the government in the form of tax deduction at source, on their fixed deposits. Most never understand the complex world of taxation, wherein the government has devised a plan to make sure that every citizen falls into the tax net. Of course, Goan politicians prefer that their voters remain ignorant, so that they can continue to keep them on a tight leash. If at all this does get noticed, then they have a Plan B explanation which says that hardly anything comes to the state and most goes to the centre. The bottom line is that all Goans pay their taxes irrespective of whether it is collected by the centre or the state.
Politicians are elected to the seat of power. They exploit the poor and ignorant. The time has now dawned to educate this section of the population that everything the Government spends, comes from the contribution of each and every Goan. The need to decode the tax jargon and change the Goan psyche is of paramount importance now, because most Goans are still under the impression that Government produces money from thin air or at the most, taxes the rich and pays the poor, through their endless schemes. For politicians this is a win-win situation. They collect money from the population without them even becoming aware of it. While disbursing the same, they pretend it is their personal money, thereby gaining instant Robin Hood type of popularity. No wonder, almost every poor Goan, is made to believe that voting a more corrupt leader, is in their personal interest, so that they can avail schemes from the government coffers officially. Unofficially, it can also be obtained from the politician’s personal account.
Few Goans do shout, write, and demand accountability on a regular basis from politicians. This hardly makes any dent on the majority of the population, because most don’t believe that the money involved is theirs. Goans should instead demand better services from the government in return. After all, they expect value for their money. Cunningly though, the tables are actually turned on the people themselves. Politicians view it as a favour to the people, no matter whatever little they do. No wonder some politicians are making an all out effort to prove that more and more people are given the ‘Below Poverty Line’ status, so that they can be hammered below the belt, once they avail of poverty benefits. If the poor is somehow made to realise that the money received from these politicians is actually from their own contribution, the perception towards their leaders may change.
When a politician approaches its electorate to seek votes, it is generally perceived that the politicians would decide on the electorate’s behalf and wants to be in charge of the taxes that are being paid by his constituents.
Poverty along with ignorance is a deadly cocktail which is being successfully exploited by our leaders to come to power, time and again. It, therefore, becomes assumes significance that smart and knowledgeable Goans start educating all those in their circle of influence. This applies to the milkman, housemaids, vegetables vendors, fisherwomen etc., of the basics of tax collections and expenditure.
Once the poor realise of their capabilities and the fact that even the beacon on top of the minister’s car is bought from their contribution, their perception will change thereby forcing a leadership transformation, from an arrogant variety to a more humble one.
Only then can Generation Next politicians with the right credentials, can think of entering the political scene.
++
The escape
By Dr Pradeep V Kamat
So finally, Atala managed to jump bail and has gone missing. Just like his dramatic escape, government also escaped from its responsibility by quickly saying that “based on police report, no one is to be blamed!”
Whenever I read escape dramas like the above, my mind goes back to panchantantra tales and fables, and history lessons in school, where great many escapes made chilling stories. To name a few, the great sensational escape of Chhatrapati Shivaji from Agra who hid in one of the sweet boxes, ( when he was put under house arrest by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb), the great escape of Napoleon Bonaparte from the island of Elba (where he was exiled) back to Paris, come to mind immediately.
In our times, we also have some ‘heroes” like Charles Sobhraj for instance, the sensational bikini killer of 80’s, who made headlines when he escaped from Tihar jail by befriending and then drugging the jail guards. That he was caught later, — which had trappings of a film scene from the movies — in Hotel O’Coqueiro in Goa, is another matter.
More recently, the dramatic escape of three prisoners from Sada jail in Vasco also made front page news. That reminded me instantly of a movie, an American thriller of the 80s, ‘Escape from Alcatraz’ (based on a non fiction book by J Campbell Bruce), which dramatises the success of three escapees from the heavily guarded prison on Alcatraz island.
Besides these jail escapes, other situations where the word ‘escape’ grabs attention are: miraculous escape for air passengers (more frequent of late), providential escape for a minister in car or helicopter crash (may their breed survive!), narrow escapes of sports persons now and then in adventure sports, cool escape of kidnappers, muggers, gangsters before police party arrives at the scene, escape of robbers and dacoits under the cover of darkness, or by throwing chilly powder in the eyes… All these catchy, sensational headlines add masala to the other daily news.
Most of the time, the escapee gets help, or assistance or an expert advice. Politicians caught in piquant situations during a press conference always say ‘no comment’ or ‘truth will come out at an appropriate time’ when grilled, and thus escape from embarrassing situations. The other day Saina Nehwal criticised the work at the CWG and then upon advice, quickly backtracked and escaped controversy. Many a times, errant students escape from class and attendance is given by proxy.
The word ‘escape’ is also used routinely in our day to day life for many other purposes. The annual ‘Mahindra Great Escape’ for instance, is a nerve wracking, mud splattering SUV rally, which makes adrenalin flowing in racers’ veins. Most hotels also market their holidays under the caption ‘the great holiday escape’ meaning escape from monotony and tension of day to day life. Then there are escape valves in big engines to let off steam, escape button for computers (useful in games and JavaScript), escape velocity as in astrophysics and so on.
Escape dramas also pertain to court matters. There have been many instances where a convict has escaped death sentence given by the High Court, which has been reduced to life by the Supreme Court after an appeal. Sometimes death sentences given by the Supreme Court are reduced to life term by the President of India, after a mercy petition.
Thus, as said above, there are always escape routes open for every one in this world in any given situation. A bag full of tricks should be at one’s disposal, at such times.
But one situation where these tricks don’t work, and which every one has to face at the end of his/her career, is death. Also known as the final journey, no one has escaped from it so far.
