An Open Letter to Policymakers of India

And it was announced - the Union Budget 2018. Highlights and figures are already all over the media. So, without going into the numbers, I will focus on 'What's for me in it?' Well, I may sound selfish by doing 'me'-centric analysis, but then who isn't selfish – at least I am being honest.

Sorry in advance for the length.

To clarify few things:

• I have never been a dedicated follower of news channels and debates.
• I condemn politics.
• I am often more cynical than optimistic.
• My name is 'Hardik Patel', but I condemn every kind of reservation.
• By far, I have always voted for BJP either due to faith or due to lack of better options. But, I am neither a 'bhakt', nor otherwise.
• I belong to a salaried middle-class.

I understand that no government can make a 130-crore population happy. In a democratic country like ours, me being on the unhappy side doesn't matter as much as the fact that how many are on the happy side does. And by 'how many', I do not mean just the numbers, I mean the magnitude of tax payers.

Photo credits: https://sbitutorials.com

I have some important questions to ask:

• By announcing schemes for agricultural and rural development, whom are you trying to please? The farmers? Good. I am fine with that. But were we not already paying Krishi Kalyan Cess (before GST)? Anyway.
• You announced the biggest healthcare scheme which would cover 'the poor', which by the way are 50 crores (out of 130 crores). This obviously doesn't cover middle-class people like me, who pay the highest tax, to whom no relief was given. Tax slabs were untouched. The fixed deduction of 40,000 INR is also nothing but just 'jaggery on the elbow', as it is in lieu of medical and transportation reimbursement which already constituted 30,000 INR.
• Whatsoever small savings the middle-class people do in equity, you introduced a tax at 10% on that too, as if the tax slabs were not unjust enough.
• In simple mathematical terms, % itself is a relative phenomenon. So, equal % of tax for any income would levy a higher or lower amount of tax to the individual proportionate to their income. Then what is the need of slabs, and why a high-earning individual is supposed to pay more tax?

I have the answer. To provide the freebies to the so called 'poor', and thereby creating (and reinforcing) the vote bank.

• You also increased stamp duty on some imported goods. This will also make basic necessities such as mobile phones costlier for us.
• On the top of everything, I do not understand the need of 150 crores budget for Gandhi's 150th anniversary. Are the living countrymen less important than one overrated dead fellow?

All in all, as I understand, we (the middle class people) are supposed to:

• Pay maximum taxes,
• Give up subsidies,
• Stand in long queues for your dictatorial non-productive decisions like demonetization,
• Pay more for everything due to GST,
• Pay more for fuel because it is not covered under GST,
• Be preached maximum about keeping India clean,
• Make all the efforts to keep India clean, and still pay Swaccha Bharat Cess (before GST) even on internet packs,
• Gain less from bank deposits and provident funds (thanks to demonetization),
• Gain less from real estate (thanks to demonetization),
• Gain less from equity (thanks to the new LCGT),
• Pay for our houses, education, healthcare and all other expenses on our own,
• Hear the lectures on patriotism from 'bhakts' while criticizing any policies by current government, and
• Always remain ‘middle-class’.

So that you can give gas connections, healthcare, and even houses for free to the few.

You claim to improve the overall economy of the country, and hold the fiscal deficit of the country, which is very good. We are willing to contribute to that.

You claim the budget to be oriented towards ‘easy to live’ principle, but for whom? Why do you want to please one set of people by taking away from another set of deserving people who contribute the most to the economy?

Isn't this (for lack of better term) exploitation?

I do not have anything against the farmers or the poor. But these acts of yours are only making me apathetic towards the pain of the less privileged, whom I am supposed to consider 'brothers and sisters' by the 'National Pledge' which I read my entire childhood on the first page of all text books while studying. You are indirectly promoting classism.

Exploitation of the middle-class is not something new that this government is practicing, you may argue. Well, you are right. But the sad thing is that the current government is continuing the trend of previous governments, and thereby contributing heavily to my pessimism.

Again, this is a debatable topic, and I might not understand fancy economic statistics. But, I understand the sentiment based on what is practically in front of my naked eyes. I bet majority of the common population judge the governments by the visible outcomes than by their electoral manifestos. I may not be able to see the long-term picture or the so called 'vision'. But, so do you. You also seem to be more worried about short-term upcoming political events focusing only on your tenure.

I know that this letter will only be seen as a negative outrage, and nothing more. The exploitation of middle-class will prevail as always.

• Because we are so busy earning our breads, and rightly so.
• Because we have to be ready and equipped to face potential exploitations in future as well.
• Because we can only show our outrages in debates and social media platforms for a short duration.
• Because we suffer from chronic short-term memory loss.
• Because we get accustomed to each and every situation.
• Because we get so easily carried away in the name of (pseudo) patriotism.
• Because we are seriously short of genuine options to vote for, and you are leveraging on that fact.
• Because after every such discussion, we do not reach to any conclusion.
• Because we truly believe in 'Mera Bharat Mahaan' (My India is great) due to our inherent respect for our nation, but we are now growing skeptical about 'Saare Jahan se accha Hindustan hamara' (India is the greatest in the world).
• Because we are gradually and systematically losing all the points to pursue the youngsters to take active interest in ‘constructive politics’, because it simply doesn’t exist.
• Because I can no longer judge a person for their lack of love for nation when they move to abroad for better future.
• Because the fact that this country is still in working condition despite this dysfunctional political dynamics, inclines me to believe in God.

I rest my case.