Category Archives: expat
Has Anna Hazare Lost His Relevance…Already?
2011: How It Was
Rewind to about 8 months ago and you will see that this nation was in an uproar about corruption in government. All because of one simple man, Anna Hazare. With his actions – including his fast unto death – and aided ably by the incompetence of the ruling party, he soared as a hero in the country’s collective imagination.
I remember how exciting it was to feel the pulse of people who were protesting with him. There was an unhampered enthusiasm among the people as they fought this war against corruption. I also remember writing about it more than once, since there was so much to capture. To me, it represented one of those movements that happen so rarely that you felt lucky to be a part of it, even if just as a witness. I still feel this way.
Then, There Were the Odd Cynics (Realists?)
In addition, I remember sharing my excitement with one particular person -a middle-aged corporate executive who has lived in India all his life and one who was obviously a hardened veteran. This was at the height of the Jan Lokpal movement. I remember clearly what he said – “Corruption go away because of Anna Hazare? No, that will never happen. Not in this country.”
I remember thinking to myself, “What a cynic! Of course, there will be change”.
Today, I sit here and wonder whether I was the naive one.
Anna Hazare is still very much around but I am just not sure how relevant he is anymore to a discussion and decision on a national level anti-corruption bill. He continues to be a respected and revered figure. But I don’t know who listens to what he says about this. And it’s difficult to pin down whether enough people here really care anymore that corruption needs to be rooted out with a strong set of laws.
The media appears to be be giving Anna some polite coverage in the back pages, every now and again. But then the media is all about stories that sell and it appears that this story has petered out. Lately, there’s been more talk about local murder and mayhem – Bollywood style.
How is This Even Possible?
It was mere months ago that the nation appeared to rally together for Anna Hazare and his inspiring movement, with the media helping spread that notion, every step of the way. Are memories really so short and emotions so transient?
This is so very sad since India badly needs a strong anti-corruption crusader who won’t say die. He would not be needed if the government was taking adequate actions on its own. But, we know it’s not. That’s a bit like asking the fox to guard the hen house.
Here are some random thoughts that occur to me at this turn of events (or rather non-events). They’re more questions than answers unfortunately:
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In these intervening months, Anna Hazare has been raising his voice against state-level corruption and non-corruption related activities (unfortunately, I don’t remember most of them) – has he been diluting his bigger efforts towards a nation-wide Jan Lokpal bill?
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People have returned to their everyday lives after the energizing activist movements of last year. They seem to have stopped listening to what Anna and his team have to say. Another compelling clarion call is needed.
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Perhaps, Anna is just waiting for the government to act on all their commitments…but what if it doesn’t? What happens then? Does he have another silver bullet he can use?
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Movements like these take time. Whether you are talking about India’s independence struggle or that of the U.S. Civil Rights movement – those efforts took many years, from concept and vision to reality. This one, while not of the same scope, will be a long process too, so maybe I am simply seeing a temporary lull? Let’s hope so!
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What will revive the movement again and build momentum like it once had? (It seems like that is what made the government begin to act on this front). I’m afraid that I’m stumped on this.
Can I help the conclusion that I have arrived at? That, at least for the time being, Anna Hazare’s words and actions don’t seem to matter much to the majority of people. Or even to a minority.
Let’s score another one for disappointment and discouragement about this country. 😦
As I close on that downer note, I am promising myself right now that I will actively seek out an uplifting, positive topic that I can think about soon. I need that!
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Photo credits:
Anna Hazare supporters: By Hariya1234 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Newspapers: By Ganesh Dhamodkar (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
Income Tax and the Indian Citizen…Incredible!
Since it’s just past tax season in the US, this post seems timely. But it has more to do with India than the US. I heard an amazing statistic about income tax paying citizens of India that I had to share.
Consider this amazing statistic: Under 3% (THREE PERCENT!) of Indian citizens pay income taxes. (As of the end of the tax year in 2011, that number was actually 2.77%). How is that possible?
Therefore, the remainder of the income tax revenue for the government is derived from corporations.
Regarding income levels, the tax code and rate is relatively simple –
- Annual Income of $4000 or below – no tax
- Annual Income ranging from $4001 to $10,000- 10%
- Annual Income from $10,001 to $20,000- 20%
- Annual Income over $20,000 – 30%
There are various levels of tax exemptions for individuals. For example, any income from agriculture (around 45% of employment in India) is exempt from income taxes.
But, under 3% of the population paying income taxes? That’s insane! Here’s how this lopsidedness looks compared to how many citizens in the USA pay income taxes:
Of course, there’s a lot that’s lopsided in India and this is just one more crazy fact to add to the list. Regarding wealth and income – the top 10% of the population brings home some 34% of the income while the lowest 10% suffers with just 3.5%. What’s interesting though is that even in the top 10% only a paltry number of people actually appear to be paying income taxes. So, what’s happening to the rest?!
No wonder then that the term “black money” is such a commonly used one here…there’s a pervasive “cash society” at work here.
Take the fact that the low income tax collected will surely impact the nation’s tax revenue. Add to that, the endemic corruption that besets this country. And is it any wonder that badly needed (basic) government services are lacking?
Despite what all the promising economic indicators indicate, one would assume that this situation has to change dramatically if India Shining is to become a reality some time in the future.
Yet, there are other aspects of India that counter this. For example, here is some of what is happening in this country:
- The economy is ninth in the world (nominal GDP) and third in purchasing power parity (PPP).
- It is one of the G-20’s major economies and a member of the BRICS.
- It has one of the highest economic growth rates in the 2000’s and is still among the fastest growing economies in the world.
- It is the 19th largest exporter and the 10th largest importer.
- Its growth has been fueled by a huge increase in the size of middle class consumer and a large labor force (but apparently not the tax base…)
Incredible. What can I say? Except that it’s the yin and the yang. All over again.
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Credits:
Income Chart: http://www.onemint.com/2011/01/19/number-of-income-tax-payers-in-india-and-us/
The Yin and Yang of Life Anywhere 