I keep on thinking about 800-1000 years slavery before independence and keep on analysing the reasons undergoing slavery. It keep on surprising me that how a small group of invaders with swords riding the donkeys and horses kept on defeating the Big Kingdoms of India one by one.

You must me eager to know that why I am digging up that era when we are already an independent nation and progressing very fast. Looking at today's dirty politics and state of affairs, I want to make you alert that in those days also, we had independent kingdoms and wealthy people and still then lost to handful of invaders. What could have been  the reasons. You may disagree with me but I have the following opinions:

1. Just like today's leaders, there might have been hypocrisy in the king's behaviour. I mean, general public must abide by the rules{ rules for fools(general public)} and no rules for him or his family. In  that case, just like today as we keep on swapping the government every five years,  that era public might have thought that in war whomsoever becomes the king, he must be better than the present one.
2. Just like today on Ram Sethu issue, general public might have been busy in making wealth and no time for self respect. Some people in favour of old king's victory and some are praying for his defeat to see the new king. The people might have been thinking that they can buy anything by wealth. Later on after defeat, the wealthy people might have realized the value of independence when they hardly could have saved their lives in exchange of wealth.
3. Expecting the sacrifice for betterment from his neighbour's son. Just like today, everybody respect the sacricfice of Bhagat Singh but no one wants his son to become a Bhagat Singh instead everybody likes the birth of Bhagat Singh in his neighbour's house (Just recollect the Kandhar’s plane hijack story). In that era also, the some people might have been praying for long lives of their own kids and expecting their neighbour's to come forward for the sacrifices.
4. The war among rich, middle class and poors. Just like today, the distribution of  freebies to the poors from  money collected in the form of taxes. This is a misuse of power. In those days also same thing could have been happening and there was no cohesion among all class of people.
5. Just like today's caste ridden society, in that era also, all people were not happy with each other. There must have been some back stabbing and hence suffered the successive defeats at the hands of handful number of invaders
6. Just like Ram Sethu issue, no respect for each other. Different people could have different opinions and everybody must be thinking that his beliefs must be the best one's.
7. More Value to the personal interest as compared to the national interest.

At last, as usual just like my previous blogs, I would appeal to my educated net users friends to stay vigilant about national affairs and use their vote as a tool to express your concerns about nation. In addition to your focus on money, food clothes, wealth and personal pleasures just save some time to think about nation. Don't wait until some harm happens to you or to your family and then start moving around courts and wait long for justice. I have one interesting story on this. Just read it. The story is regarding the under given quote.

"We never cry as long as a problem does not attack us personally".

 The story is about our defeats at the hands of invaders in the ancient times. The story is here under:

In ancient times, one person had herd about India's prosperity. He planned to visit India to watch the progress and prosperity. After entering India, he decided to take some rest on the way and sat under a tree. Since he was traveling on his horse and Indian fields were full of crops, he thought that let his horse graze along with the fence of the fields. After some time the horse managed to enter the field and started to graze the crops. When the owner of the field watched the horse grazing his crops, he approached the horse and pushed it out of his own filed. Once again the horse entered his neighbour's field and started to graze there.  By chance his  neighbour  was  not  there.  Now same farmer who had pushed out the horse from his own field, was not worried about his neighbour's loss. The visitor was watching all this sitting under the tree.

From this incidence he concluded that indeed India is a rich country and here people are worried only about their own losses and not about their neighbour's losses. That means, if I attacks this farmer's neighbour, he will not come forward to help his neighbour as long as I do not harm him. This visitor went back, told the story to his friends. They all together attacked India and the rest is the history now. Three things can be concluded from the whole story:

1.       We mould ourselves very quickly to the prevailing hard conditions thinking that the problem is beyond our reach and let some one else come forward to solve the same.

2.       We always complain about the problem but never act or think to solve the same thinking that we are too weak people for that much big problem.

3.       We do not cry/act as long as we are safe.

In my opinion, as an individual no body can do any big work in one day. All big works are being done by many people getting together in many days/ years. As an individual, we can take some initiative and approach other people suffering from the same problem to find a solution. We keep on abusing the system whole day but do not do anything to make the things systematic.

Please express your comments. Your comments are welcome.

Many of my friends may not agree with me but this is a hard truth that we pay our taxes when no way is left with us to evade taxes after taking advantage of all tax saving schemes sometimes utilizing some fake bills also. Anyway, despite this, today govenrment's tax collection is very good and getting better with the boom in economy and consumption.

By writing the above notes, I want to attract the attention of my friends towards the fact that whatever is the way, either our compulsion or by choice, we pay a healthy amount of taxes every year for nation's growth.

At the same time it is a well known truth that money collected as taxes by our government is hardly getting utilized for our welfare in the form of rail, road, airports infrastructure, education or health sector because all sectors are in bad shape.

Then where does this money goes at all? A layman's answer is corruption and that is true up to some extent. Corruption is a hidden phenomenon and has become an acceptable disease worldwide.

In addition to corruption, one more surprising disease I want to bring to your notice is the business of votes utilizing our taxes has increased in past 20 years. I would cite three examples to explain this:

1. Two years back in Tamilnadu, different schemes were announced by politicians if they voted to power in state elections. One scheme was distribution of free TV sets to the people which is getting implemented these days with huge expenditure of public money collected as taxes. Isn't it a direct purchase of votes to enhance the personal political business at the behest of our money paid as taxes when other sectors like roads, electricity, health and education are in bad shape.
2. About 15 years back in Haryana, local bank's loan waiver was announced and done. That money was paid somewhere from the tax collections itself. That was a fine example of direct purchase of votes by public money and do political business.
3. About 7 years back in Punjab, free electricity to farmers was announced and done. Again, the political business at our cost.

An interesting fact from the above three examples is that,  in all cases the politicians won with a thumping majority who announced these schemes and did good political business next five years.

Not the last one but the latest by our dear Manmohan Singh and Madam Sonia duo from central government is the 'rural rojgar guarantee bill' where multi million crores are getting wasted and our highways are waiting for funds. One more project still hanging in Supreme Court, dearest to our dear and long living Arjun Singh is the OBC quota bill, where trio(mms, sg & as) are committed to spend multi million crores to increase the seats for Quota students. This is the direct purchase of votes for forthcoming elections.

All of us know this but my basic purpose to post this blog is to provoke the reader  to become a vote bank and put a brave resistance to such kind of politics. In addition to taxes, we need to pay our votes also and get something done for our interests.  

At last one quote from me. Please think it over. "For most of us, tax is our compulsion, hence we give it. Vote is our choice, hence we hardly give it".

Dear All,

               Happy 'Independence Day' to you all! This Independence day, India turns 60. Everyday, as the 'Independence Day' is getting closer, both print media and electronic media are showing achievements and tragedies of past 60 years. I watch and read them patiently and try to analyse that was it all really a big success.

After analysis, I found that if we look at individuals efforts, many people have turned up their fortunes in person. Today, we have a big section of high salaried people, some new enterprenuers came up and established big industries in different areas. Governments tax collections has increased many folds. I can see many big hearted people donating lakhs of rupees to Baba Ramdev for his noble cause of Yoga. Number of educated people is rising day by day. The list of achievements is endless. In brief, we are a big success wherever we put our individual effort. We have the art of getting work done by hook or crook.

The only area, which we lack in is our political leadership. Moreover, honesty and  boldness in their deeds. Due to corruption in our political system, moral values has come down in the citizens. The speed of our justice delivery system is very low. The reason behind this and the solution is already explained in my previous blogs.

Today, we have enough number of rich and educated people but I see the lack of civic sense in many rich people when it comes to respect the rules and laws. We have big houses but when it comes to dispose off the house garbage, we hardly hesitate to throw it in front of our neighbour's house when no is watching. Today we have big cars but hardly few good roads and very little civic sense while driving. This side also, the list is endless.

This Independence day, India turns 60. Generally 60 is the age of retirement. So, this Independe Day, let us retire our 'chalta hai' old mindset / prejudices and pledge to become a law abiding citizen and spread this message among people around us.

Happy Independence Day Again.