Thursday, November 24, 2011

Cabinet Minister Slapped - Lessons to be Learnt

Just read the news that Union Cabinet Minister was slapped at NDMC center in Delhi by the Same youth who had slapped Sukhram.  This certainly gives rise to the question - "What has happened to the society that it has taken over by hooliganism and shed the cover of tolerance?"

Well, is that the real question that needs to be asked by us sitting in the comfort zone of our Air Conditioned Offices, Cars, Pubs or House?  I would rather say NO.  What we need to also look at is the discomfort of those from the Middle and Lower classes.  How much they have to suffer with the Price Rise, Inflation, Corruption, Red Tapism in Bureaucratic Set-up and so on?

Till what point should the society by large be patient and tolerant?  Why should the average wage earner pay half of the Salary to feed the corrupt set of Public Servants and Politicians?

It just makes me wonder that we sit comfortably in our Comfort Zone because we actually don't get the pinch of the inflation as we have that comfort / buffer amount to meet our ends.  Imagine an average person who has to make ends meet in limited amount to take home.  Just try to get your equations in place for the following amounts -

  1. You pay direct income tax, 
  2. Sales Tax is paid by you
  3. Excise Tax also goes from your pocket
  4. You pay for Insurance and there also you pay regulatory tax
  5. Education Surcharge also is paid by you
  6. VAT also gets added to the taxes you pay


So now when we look at the sort of taxes that we pay, 50% of our earning go back to Government Coffers as various Taxes and then the Salaries of these Public Servants and Politicians are paid from the same Coffers.  Yes we pay their Salary from our hard earned money.  And what we get in return? lets look at the various areas of in-apt governance by our Politicians and Babus -

  1. Inefficient Medical Support - Most of the Doctors in Public / Government Hospitals run their own practice and have their own nursing homes
  2. Improper Infrastructure - We have more Vehicle Breakers on the Roads in form of Potholes than smooth roads
  3. Corrupt Government Officials - They get paid from the money we pay in Taxes and then they want us to pay them from our pocket once again to pass our files and have our work done
  4. Inefficient and Inadequate Education - What does our Education System produce?  largest number of unemployed youth in the world? Yes it is what it is, the Fact is our Graduates and Post Graduate Work Force needs 6 to 10 mths of trainings before they can be productive for the organization and when organizations look for ensuring that they stay till the break-even is achieved, they say it is against the labor laws :)).  Moreover, our education system must ensure free Secondary Education for the amount of Education Cess we pay, but the Education System itself if full of Corruption, you have to pay admission fee and then some Donation for your kid to get admitted to the school for good education.  Irony of the Fate!!!
Now when we look at the various facts around us, do we think that the Government is looking at easing the pressure off our pockets?  I do not get that feel and For that matter the patience and tolerance limit just would certainly lower with time and that would result in many more such incidents.

I guess its high time for the Government to Learn from these incidences and come out to support the Society.  They need to Realize that they have been elected to serve the people of the country and NOT rule them.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Why oh why?

I often wonder when a mosquito bites us why do I think of a repellent, why a coil or HIT why dont I have the courage to question my municipality?

Why do I buy water in a bottle? Why do I purify water at my home? Does the water bill say that the tap water is only for washing clothes or having a bath? Why dont I get drinking water in my tap?

Why should I pay? a toll tax on every single black, nice looking road? Why a basic road, is not my right?

Why do I buy? an inverter or dream of a generator? Why dont I get current in my wires 24x7?

Why do we call? the private schools as public schools.. I always thought schools run by the government should be called public schools!!

Why- the cricketer? who sold the ethics of game sits in parliament or comes as an expert on sports channels?

Why someone? who is known? for beating his wife and had charges of holding drugs is a celebrity to judge dance shows and all of us watch and clap too?

Why is it that the? so called high profile tainted journalists still run public and talk shows and we all watch it...

Why dont I know? the fine on jumping a red signal or for not wearing a helmet? but am very well aware of the power of 100 rupees, the cost of integrity of most of the traffic guys across the country...

Why is a girl raped? in a roaming car in the capital of the country and all that the government says is, that girls should be careful...

Why does the trial? and judgment? of social activists take a few weeks but of Raja, Raju, Reddy needs careful exhaustive time consuming deliberations!!

Why even after killing hundreds? of people on road the blue line buses still ply on roads? Do you know any city apart from the capital of your country where the city buses crush people on a daily basis?

Why didn't we? protest on the roads when someone built elephants of stones for thousands of crores rupees in U.P., where people still dig pits to sleep or die of hunger?

Why a tainted, corrupt minister? is called to IIM and the Academy for IAS and is applauded? unstopped on his desi style?