Congress
has promised to carry out a socio-economic census in its electoral manifesto.
This census, it states, will be conducted for all citizens across the country.
In its manifesto, the Congress has also guaranteed the rights of minorities in
the nation. They have also stated that minorities will receive equitable
treatment in the areas of skill development, sports, government works
contracts, public sector employment, health care and education. The crucial
question is – why does the Congress want to perform a financial census of the
nation’s citizens?
Congress
prince Rahul Gandhi had stated at a campaign rally that the task of
redistributing the nation’s riches proportionately to the inhabitants can be
started after the socio-economic census of the populace. The Congress manifesto
and Rahul Gandhi’s remarks spike a lot of concerns. The first question that
comes up is – Does the financial audit of the citizens entail the collection of
data regarding their income? Does this also imply that individuals earning more
than the nation’s per capita income will contribute to government coffers? Does
this imply that people who have already paid taxes will have to do it once
more? Will only the financial assets be redistributed, or will all wealth be?
And I think these questions need to be answered by Congress. Given the promises
made in the manifesto and remarks made by Rahul Gandhi, it appears that the
Congress has a firm strategy in place for how it plans to disperse wealth
following the completion of the socio-economic census.
Indians
hold money in the form of cash, gold, jewellery and land. The Congress
leadership also need to clarify how it intends to examine and assess all of
this money. Will wealthy farmers’ properties and holdings, as well as those of
private trusts, religious trusts and religious institutions be examined? Also,
will the properties of religious trusts and institutions run by the minorities
be surveyed or left out of this survey when it comes to the surveying of
religious trusts and institutions? The Congress’s manifesto raises these and
numerous other issues.
In
its manifesto, the Congress has mentioned about granting minorities their
legitimate rights. Does it imply that members from the minority communities
will not be included in the citizen economic survey? Does it also imply that
the survey will be conducted of the wealth and properties owned just by the
majority – the Hindus? People also want to know if simply the properties of the
wealthy and the affluent will be evaluated and redistributed or if the
properties of residents from all social classes will be taken into account.
Until
a few years ago, teachers, academics and bank employees were viewed as
middle-class. However, these individuals now fall within the upper middle-class
group. Nowadays, these people also possess assets like homes, properties and
ornaments. I wonder if the dispersal of this hard-earned property will be taken
into account as well.
The
Congress has been lobbying for a caste-based census for some time now. Their
manifesto also makes reference of it. Congress has combined this census with
the citizen property census. In India, Income Tax, gift tax, wealth tax and
estate duty were the four direct taxes that were imposed till a few years ago.
With the exception of income tax, three taxes got eliminated over a period of
time. The tax on various donations received got included in the income tax in a
different manner. The wealth tax was eliminated and, in its place, an income
tax surcharge was levied solely on the extremely wealthy. Rajiv Gandhi had
abolished estate duty in 1985 after his mother Indira Gandhi’s death to save
her wealth from going to the government. Now, whether the removal of estate
duty simultaneously at a time when transfer of Indira Gandhi’s property to
Rajiv Gandhi was coincidental is for every individual to decide.
Immediately
after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out Congress’s idea of dispersing
Indian citizen’s wealth as mentioned in the latter’s manifesto, Sam Pitroda put
forth the notion of enacting a 55 per cent inheritance tax on citizen’s
property in India similar to what is done in the US. The Congress
instantaneously emphasized that Sam Pitroda’s, who is reputed to be close to
the Gandhi family, statement had nothing to do with it. Our country is known
for its ‘a lake is formed by one drop at a time’ ideology. Indian culture does
not believe in extravagant spending of wealth. An average Indian has a modest
expectation that the money he has acquired by knowledge and hard work must go
to his heirs and future generations. And that is the reason why Indians are
seen voluntarily giving away portions of their holdings to different charitable
organizations or to religious organizations. We have seen how many Indians have
contributed portions of their agricultural land to support Vinoba Bhave’s
‘Bhoodan’ movement. All Indians, regardless of their social position, are
required to pay income tax and business tax to the government as long as they
are alive. And hence, the idea of the government claiming ownership on the
hard-earned assets that its inhabitants have amassed over a lifetime is quite
dangerous. If a citizen learned that his property will continue to be taxed
after his death in addition to being taxed while he was still alive and
employed, he will certainly be inclined to curse the government.
Congressmen
think that the country will prosper when the wealth is redistributed and that
economic disparity will come to an end as all citizens will have equal share of
properties. I wonder – even after redistribution, in case economic disparity
still exists in the society, will the property get redistributed again? I think
Congress ought to make it clear. Individuals from the working class, business
owners, entrepreneurs and vendors, who do not inherit family property, attempt
to establish themselves. And hence, after reading this section of Congress’s
manifesto, one would wonder why Congress is interested in the possessions that
Indians have obtained independently.
According
to Pitroda, there are just six US states where the 55 per cent inheritance tax
is in effect. If we assess Pitroda’s claim, it indicates that if an individual
in the US has generated property valued at $100 million, his heirs will receive
just 45 per cent of that amount upon his passing. And the remaining amount will
go to the government coffers as inheritance tax. Congress intends to introduce
this law in India which could not be enacted as a federal law even in the US.
Rahul
Gandhi and the Congress have just demonstrated their lack of intelligence by
adopting such an oppressive communist strategy.
(Article Pre-Published in
Times of India -29 April 2024)
Keshav Upadhye, Chief
Spokesperson
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