A Surgical Budget for India - 2017

Since yesterday (30th of Jan 2017), my email box has been bushed with tons of e-invites for the 1st of Feb (tomorrow) to the post-budget analysis by experts. I was humbled that I am still counted in the "those who would be greatly impacted by the budget" list of wealth managers, until I realized that the people who are most impacted in this nation today are those with little or no wealth. Demonetization was a proof of how "Modi proposes - CA disposes" worked with the poor man bearing the brunt of the PM's stick.

I hope to be proven wrong tomorrow, but the budget tomorrow will be no different in putting a penny is the honest man's pocket and taking away a pound. The whole concept of income tax in India revolves around cracking the code or cracking the tax man. Tax is paid in return for goods and services to be delivered to the people. When all that one reads of is corruption and scams on a daily basis, is is hard to figure why people shy away from paying the formal tax when the "Corrupt Tax" works?

I, as a human appreciate the toil of the farmer. For his existence he is completely dependent on mother nature. But just because I live in the City, is my toil to earn my daily bread any less than tilling fields? Fending for survival in the urban jungles of India is equally a hand to mouth story filled with adjectives of stress and pain. Why then is the rich farmer allowed to go Tax Free?  

Preferential tax exemptions to certain States, class of people, types of businesses, all create loopholes for people to escape the tax noose. While Indians are now comparing President Trump to Mr. Modi for enforcing policies, I want to see if our PM has the same courage to stand up to and do something to kill this division and discrimination in tax classes which impacts the wealth of this Nation economically.

What is needed is a surgical budget that does not go after the tax payer's pocket but after the complicated anomalies and contradictions of the tax code; to make it so simple that there is not room for corrupt interpretations.

No I am not interested in post budget analysis, because it will be no different than the budgets in the past. Even if it is broadly good, it will be one of failed expectations cause it will not address the fundamental issue of making all equal when it comes to contributing to the welfare of this Nation.

Redefining Republic

Just yesterday, 25th of January 2017, President Trump made good his election promise by ordering a Mexican Wall across its (USA) southern border and banning Muslims from 7 nations from entering the Country. Not only that, anyone  (Non American)  having traveled to those 7 nations from 2011 on will also face visa restrictions.  Further most Europeans, including ally nations will have to apply for a US visa. The American and Indian markets rejoiced in tandem; is their a linkage.

Well, from an Indian point of view,  President Trump and Prime Minister Modi are very similar in their thinking when it comes to trade and terror. The former called the latter and invited him to the US later this year calling India the US's new best friend. I wonder if that is really some news to cheer about?

The US is not the same nation it used to be, nor is India. One can easily pin Trump and Modi as catalysts of disaster, but the truth is that the days of diplomatic politics are over where politicians said something and did something else. Not everything will turn out right but even medicines have side effects. Rather than suffering the ailment is it not better to try the bitter pill? Maybe the age of Republic is over, at least the way it is defined now.

Today, India turns 68 as a Republic. I don't know what our founding fathers had in mind, but the Country is more shackled and divided than it was under foreign rule. It's not I for India anymore but I for an I whichever way you may want to read it. We are progressively handing more and more power to the people who should least control it, and global events the perfect excuse for them to take it.

The Republic as we know it is dead. it is being redefined. No longer is the rule of the people by the people for the people. It is the rule of politics by those in politics for absolute power alone, and to hell with the people. Division of people in the name of equality, control on free speech in the name of liberty, restrictions in the name of justice, and unfair use of taxes in the name of redistribution of wealth.

Do I sound cynically morbid? Hard not to in the current world that we live in. Well Orwell provided hope in his book 1984 (being re read all over again) and I am not one to give up on a better tomorrow either.

Happy Republic Day India and Happy Trump days USA.

Goodbye MH370 - Claimed by the Devils of this world.

17th of January 2017, the hunt for Malaysian Airline MH-370, the aircraft missing since 8th of March 2014 was officially called off, after a collective spend of some US $ 160 million covering 2.24 million square nautical miles (which in scale translates to about 1.5% of the planet). It may have been the largest search operation in the history of mankind, one that ended in what may be termed as a complete failure in either finding or deciphering the fate of one of the largest flying machines in the world - a Boeing B777-200

All that the world has is a few pieces of wreckage and tons of conspiracy theories, with a few very credible ones - even if empirically unsupported.  If any of the theories is true, then is not a entertaining trick played out by a magician matching the David Copperfield but a very sinister one played out by a Nation so powerful, that those in the know have decided to toe in line - in what has now become a common myth sold to us by politicians - "For a noble cause and a greater good". We the unaffected nod in sympathy but do nothing collectively to force out the truth. there are just too many unanswered questions to make any sense. We are not living in some dark age. There are millions of eyes in the sky and ears on the ground to not have noticed. If a giant state of the art plane with several fail proof systems engineered can disappear into thin air, then one wonders what good are the global surveillance and tracking systems in the event of catastrophic hostility? The world deserves an answer - will we ever have the truth?

None of the statistics, however grand and impressive,, certainly no talks and sympathy will be of any satisfaction to the families of the 239 persons on board. This blog is my tribute to those who went missing and condolences to the ones they left behind.

Tale of 2 sons - Taimur and Tipu

A reconstruction of Tamerlane's face. | Source

I was cooking some breakfast for my 12 year old niece visiting us from Delhi. She asked me if I was as good with history as with my culinary skills. On answering in the affirmative, she queried if i could help her with a school project. "Sure" I said.

"What are your thoughts about Saif (Ali Khan) and Kareena naming their kid Taimur?"


"That's your history project?" I asked.

"Yes, I have to write a 1000 word essay on why this name is troubling so many people to call a new born a 'jihadi-terrorist' on social media, possibly forcing the parents to change the name."

I don't know with what perspective the school teacher initiated this project, but if it is for getting an objective perspective, then, I think I must stand up and salute that person.

All I could remember from the history books was that Taimur, a Turk-Mongol from Central Asia attacked and plundered Delhi in the 14th century. It's a different matter that he was not the first Muslim foreigner to disrupt the largely Hindu sub-continent. Indian history is full of them. Mohamad Qasim - Sabuktagin - Mahmud Gazni - Mohammed Ghori - Qutubudin Aibak - Ulugh Khan Balban - Jalaludin Khilji - Alauddin Khilji - Muhammad bin Tuglaq were all foreign invaders who preceded Taimur between the 8th and 14th century.  It didn't end there either. The Lodhi and Babur clan followed right until the Europeans made their presence felt 17th century on. All of them ruled ruthlessly and were responsible for rivers of bloods to flow. So, in all honesty, singling out Taimur as the worst is just a great job done by some his-story teller.  If mass killing and plundering was an issue, then does anyone recall Emperor Ashoka and Kalinga?

My response to my niece was pretty straight forward. "Let's first start with why the parents may have named their child Taimur. What does it mean?"

She had done her research well. "I agree. Saif means sword, and Taimur means iron or steel. So Taimur Saif would mean an iron or steel sword."

"Well! that could be a possibility, or the fact that Saif's best role to date was that of 'langda (lame) Tyagi' and you do know that Taimur -e-lang was lame too. (It is a well known fact that Kareena and Saif got romantically involved during the making of the film that had him play that role).  There could be another reason too for all we know. It is a parental decision and they would have certainly thought through the naming. Moreover, as Kareena's uncle Rishi said - It is their (Saif and Kareena's) child and what they call him is frankly no one else's business. If he was some ordinary persons's kid, this controversy wouldn't have risen and you would not have had to do this project."

"I so totally agree," she responded.

By the way, from a historical perspective, Taimur did not invade India but the Tuglhaq empire head quartered in Delhi. Taimur's atrocities included several cities which now lie in Pakistan, but at that time were part of the Tughlaq empire. India and the subcontinent as we know it today is largely a western (read British) creation of clubbing several kingdoms under a single rule - theirs. History, depending on whose version you read, suggests that Taimur was not the only villain of Delhi he is portrayed to be. Some blame his brother in law Amir Husayn which led to their falling out with each other. On the other hand Taimur believed that he was fighting a jihad and killing people who did not follow his faith was justified, as did any Muslim ruler at the time. "

"Wow! so why the fuss? Is it because she is Hindu and he Muslim or something that I have not understood?"

"I don't know that, but the very fact that you are asking me this question makes me believe that had it not been for the global situation today - one of terror - this would have been a non issue."

"The poor kid has become infamous for no fault of his. I wonder if the same problem would have arisen if they had named him 'Tipu'? he was a good Muslim ruler - right?"

I could not help but laugh, but for another reason. Not because of the 2015 November controversy surrounding the 'Tiger of Mysore' as he was popularly called, but rather at the thought of  a current day Tipu (Akhilesh) giving his father MSY nightmares by having cleverly usurped his fiefdom called the Samajwadi Party. While the VHP felt that Tipu (Sultan) has been wrongly painted as a hero for he too did the same things Taimur did, (kill and/or covert Hindus), MSY may be considering renaming his own son as Taimur just so that his sons actions are not debatable as those of Tipu.

Well! young Taimur Saif Ali Khan Pataudi may get a name change. Hopefully his parents will not consider Shah Rukh as the alternative, for that was the name of Taimur's son.

I don't know if my Niece was left any better educated for the project, but I am sure in her own intelligent way, she will figure out that the names parents give a child have a lasting impression. Being the butt of joke at school can have a life long psychological impact on a child's future. Too bad that Taimur will not have the opportunity to redeem his name as also Tipu going forward.

A P.S. for Saif and Kareena. Congrats on the birth of your child, and Taimur is a very popular name in Turkey and Central Asia even today. But given the situation there, please don't pack your bags and move there. Your child will do just great here, even if he is called Taimur.

2017 - Good Bad or Ugly?

For most, saying goodbye to 2016 was easy. It wasn't a great year for almost anyone living on Earth. Too many deaths - natural and unnatural, took away a whole lot of famous personalities. A lot of economic disruption too, the largest being the demonetization of large currency notes in India. Most important though, the rise of right-wing ideology trumped liberalism virtually everywhere, and spiritual tolerance pounded by hard core intolerant religious zealots. Intolerance, is slowly but surely becoming fashionable, as is violent behavior, to the point of making even  peaceful protests passe.

In many ways, 2016 could qualify as the mother of all years when Earth is turned into hell. Welcome then, to the Devil's own world in 2017. Have we had so much of bad news in 2016 that we have reached a point where we really don't care?  In many ways Mankind has become the "Devil's" product than "God's", and is hell bent  in turning God into a Devil with his actions. The daily news is a testament of it. There are arguments which support that Man's progress is a direct result of indulging in the 7 cardinal sins. On the other hand going by theory of evolution, I wonder if our pea-brained ancestors were any more intelligent  than animals to have understood the concept of Din.  What we as modern society call sins were just basic instincts doing what they do best - help a species survive. Which gives rise to the question - why was mankind the chosen one to think? Obviously, nature must have recognized our species as the most capable or most devious. But then, was it nature that selected us or some alien race? (The real ones - not the ones in the US of A). The increasing number of credible UFO citing as well as data from Mars suggests that there is a good chance that we may meet our real creator soon. If that were true, what would it do to all the practiced religions on earth? I really hope that it does happen cause we have had enough destruction in the name of God by his devil worshippers and the concept of both God and Devil needs to be put to rest for the survival of Mankind.

Okay, my first resolution for the year is that I will not blog as much. My second; I will not indulge in predicting world events, which I can with great accuracy. Third; I haven't had time to think of a third.

My best wishes to all for a Good if not Great 2017  in a world that is increasingly appears to be headed from bad to Ugly.