Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Ever widening inequality

A well presented article on a topic which has been missing a serious debate and follow up action. The gap between haves and have nots has been widening very fast with the full knowledge of our politicians , buraucrats , academicians and thinkers. The way policies are enunciated and implemented give an impression that this society does not have any  poverty and by and large all families are well placed financially. The gap between the rich and the poor widens fast and the reasons are not far to seek.The taxation policy pursued is the culprit behind ever widening inequality. A person earning a salary of Rs 3 lakhs has to pay Income tax @ 10 % whereas a person earning a dividend of Rs 1000 crores need not pay a single paise tax. Similarly a person who earns a minimum wage of Rs 100 a day has to maintain a family of three or five members where as  an industrialist , a bureaucrat , a politician, a self employed professional like Doctor, advocate, chartered accountant, real estate broker, share broker, a whole sale merchant ,or a luxurious car dealer earns in lakhs and crores and most of their expenditures including family maintenance are accounted for in such a way that their earnings are fully saved.Here opportunitoies are made to make the rich richer and the poor poorer and wonderful interpretations and explanations are widely publicised to conviince the poorer that good days are ahead for them what ever may be the policies pursued. This has been going on for decades and the black money generation through all mal practices knowingly or unknowingly allowed to be perpetrated have helped the rich to widen the gap beyond recognition or noticeable level. It is high time a debate is called for as rightly suggested by the author involving all serious thinking politicians, academicians, social reformers and all well wishers of the nation and its people.   

Dr T V Gopalakrishnan

(This comment is given in Business Standard).

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