Tax or extortion: Reason to fight against corruption

Since the time I have started earning, one thing becomes quite visible for me- Different kind of taxes which keep fleecing me. I contribute small sum (though huge for me) to my country economy every month through direct tax which is imposed on my income, if I dare to eat out I again pay tax which is the sum of Service tax plus VAT (this tax amounted to 24% in pizza hut, can you believe that? You eat for 400 and pay 100 rupees tax for that.), I pay 10% tax on my utility bill, 30% on any kind of bonus I get, and there are many taxes on my shopping bill. One day I was outraged by this atrocities perpetrated on me by government in form of tax. But I consoled myself that I am contributing this amount to country for the welfare of its people which includes me too.

But does this contribution mean anything???????????

No I don’t think so. My hard earned money makes way to those umpteen holes which has been created by corrupt bureaucracy and politician and we don’t have reach to these holes which vanishes like vanishing mice. I can’t even get satisfaction by paying tax that I am contributing something for my country. It makes me angry to see that how these leeches of country are making mockery of my hard work. You pay taxes to pay those bureaucrats and politicians so that they can serve public purpose and then you pay again in form of bribe to get those services done.

In this scenario tax paid by us to government is no more than extortion money which never gives us any value for our spend and left us to feel like being robbed.

Corruption corrodes not only money but also morality, humanity, honesty and integrity from our life. It makes culprit not only of Bribe taker but also of bribe giver. Corrupt system compels even honest people to surrender and take route of corruption for getting their work done. Nobody can dare to escape it. Our system is rotten to such extent that it now quite a norm (like a procedure) to pay money, if you want to get police verification done for your passport then you have to pay (and payment is also fix they won’t listen for below 1000 bucks) otherwise they will send the adverse report ( it happens with me). I was astonished to see that everyone accepts this as fact and are very casual about that. How come a poor person can survive in this system, I just shudder to even think that.

I don’t think Jan Lokpal bill proposed by the civil society led by Anna Hazare will uproot this corruption from our system which has taken its root very deep inside system. But I am glad that at least we are now taking notice of this. Some good is bound to come out of this. What I wish that bribe should not be glorified but condemned. I have seen parents paying lakhs of dowry to get the groom who is government employee, who hardly earns 10000 but command such market value because of their ability to make money through bribe. I want system to be changed so that these kinds of person will not be admired but abhorred by the society.

Now those are the matter of social revolution for which ‘will power’ of society and individual are needed. But there are matters where we need to see political will from government to bring the revolution to uproot corruption but we all are disheartening to see that much impetus from the common man also failed to shake the government. Is this democracy? Or we call it banana republic. That should be a proper name for it. I had faith on integrity of our honorable prime minister but it’s quite shaken now. I don’t know whether its Manmohan Singh’s own decision to confront the civil society in this manner or he is compelled to do that but whatever is the reason he cannot escape now in the disguise of apolitical gentleman. The course taken by his government in recent wake of event is condemnable and bizarre for a democratic government. I take pride in democracy of my country and I cannot accept any action from government which is direct deterrence from the path of democracy and make a mockery of our constitution. I will support Anna Hazare and civil society not for the Jan Lokpal bill but to defend the rights which have been conferred to us by our constitution. I will support Anna Hazare just not for the passing a suitable lokpal bill but to bring the revolution in our society and wake the youth of this country from the slumber. Jai Hind