Letters to the Editor: April 09, 2019

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April 9, 2019

Bringing political parties under RTI Act

It refers to a public-spirited BJP leader who is also an advocate approaching the Supreme Court to put political parties under the RTI Act. However, already a petition of RTI-activists pleading to implement full-bench CIC-verdict of June 3, 2013, holding six national political parties under the RTI Act is already pending at the Apex Court. It is noteworthy that the law-making political parties have neither complied with CIC-verdict nor they have challenged it in any court. Even all efforts to amend the RTI Act to keep political parties out of RTI Act has not been fruitful.

Ruling BJP should become a path-breaker by supporting the petition filed by its own leader for bringing political parties under the RTI Act. Rather BJP and central government should approach the Supreme Court for an early hearing and decision on two petitions in this regard now pending at Supreme Court.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

Check use of unaccounted cash in polls

It refers to the media reports wherein it is analysed that maximum poll-expenditure in cash is done on holding rallies and road-shows. Otherwise, the ruling parties are always blamed for a large-scale misuse of public resources in holding rallies and road-shows for their candidates. There is otherwise a huge loss of man-hours and unnecessary disruption in public-life at places and surrounding areas where these political rallies and road-shows are held.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) should impose a total ban on holding political rallies and road-shows. Instead, the ECI can coordinate with the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to conduct live TV debates between spokespersons and key-leaders of rival political parties. The ECI and PIB can also coordinate live press-conferences of top political leaders.

Such proper utilisation of electronic media for poll-purposes is quite common in advanced countries which need to be followed by India to effectively check poll-related evils including misuse of unaccounted cash. It may be recalled that a similar ban on unproductive campaign-items like posters and banners has already been successful in India.

Madhu Agrawal

Manifestos far from the need

The recent spate of the release of manifestos ahead of the upcoming general elections is only seen as a move to appease the opposition parties. The manifestos presented witnesses no real issues being met to appease the end participants i.e. the voters. The manifestos remain a mirage only till the announcement of the next general election dates, as by the time a voter realises that the five-year period has gone away, it’s yet another round of promises which strongly remain rooted within the political corridors than touching the common man at the ground level.

At a time when India is facing severe drinking water crises and floodcyclone-related policy issues, which need immediate attention at the highest level, surprisingly finds no mention in the manifestos. Fulfilling the promise of clean drinking water to every house as a priority is yet a distant dream than building a dream kuccha house as promised by some parties.

Fighting climate change remains no longer a mere air dashing opportunity and fancy meeting of diplomatic conventions but a key point which needs to be highlighted in the manifestos and thus addresses the issue arising at the ground level itself. Providing public transport as an affordable mode of transport within urban areas is high the need of the hour, especially as many cities witness uncontrollable traffic mess. Finally, necessary steps to the ever-increasing risk of air pollution especially in cities like Delhi finds no mention in the manifestos as released by the parties.

A common man finds no connection with the promises as presented in the key manifestos. The political stakeholders should understand that the voters remain deep-rooted at the ground level and are required to address issues related to clean drinking water, finding solutions to traffic mess, air pollution, water pollution, and availing affordable public transport.

Varun SD

ST hitting a new low

BEST is in very bad shape as a heavyloss-making transport service and to give fillip failed to raise any hope so far. Adding to that, now ST is also suffering from heavy loss and it is under the Intensive Care Unit. As both the transport corporations are not able to recover losses. With ST loses touching Rs 4,000 crores the position is impregnable and there is no chance of recovery. The State government should take the lead and help out the ailing transport corporations by pumping money and privatise them with proper funding by the new buyer. Instead of just leaving to die a natural death, it is time to rejuvenate them in time and provide them a second lease of life.

Jayanthi Subramaniam

Then Urmila should render public apology!

Urmila Matondkar has been in great form since she has been given candidature by Congress and it is observed that she is losing her mental balance while giving interviews on TV channels. In one TV show, Urmila exhibited her lack of sense by saying that Hindu Dharma was the most violent Dharma in the world which has put her in trouble. BJP leader Suresh Nakhua has lodged a complaint with police against her for making such statement and it seems that her audacity would create problems for her. Hindu Dharma is known to be the most tolerant religion in the world even today. It is the most ancient religion on the Earth which is not man-made. Moreover, its existence has remained limited only to India because of Hindus’ over tolerance attitude. Hindus form the majority population in India; still, people from other religions are living in harmony in Hindustan. Hindus have happily accepted secular governance. In this country, where Hindus are in majority, the Constitution has provided several facilities to the minorities through special laws, separate ministries, reservation, to name few among them. India, once known for her prosperity, was looted by invaders, who forcefully converted Hindus and sexually exploited Hindu women; even today, they are challenging internal security of this country through terrorist attacks. Urmila should tell us which religion is followed by these invaders. Urmila, accusing Hindu Dharma as violent, should submit proofs to justify her statement; else render a public apology to all the Hindus!

Mokshada Ghanekar

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Meaning of Income Tax raids in poll season

By

Rajesh Choudhary

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April 9, 2019

When the Income Tax department suspects any person or a business establishment to have hoarded illegal money, it conducts search and survey operations. This action of IT officers is also called a raid. It has been seen that just ahead of the election or during the poll season, there is a surge in Incomes Tax raids. Suddenly, the officers of the Income Tax Department have come into action. It does not mean that the department conducts no search and survey operations rest of time at all. However, when we compare the graphs of raids conducted in the poll season and normal period, we find that there is a sharp rise in the graph of election season. The parliamentary elections of 2019 are no exception.

In wee hours of Sunday, a team of about 300 officers of Income Tax launched raids on at least 50 places in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Goa against people related to the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. The large-scale searches have come at a time when national elections are just four days away. Prior to this, the last month Income Tax raids had raised a political storm in Karnataka. Simultaneous searches were conducted at several locations, covering houses and establishments belonging to relatives and associates of JD(S) leaders. Whatever may be the rationale for the Income Tax department’s action, but its timing has certainly raised some serious questions.

The Congress and the JD(S), partners in the ruling coalition in the state, are crying foul, pointing fingers at the Centre and accusing it of using the central agency to target political rivals. It is a charge that has surfaced again and again. The Income Tax department most likely had its reasons for carrying out such raids at this juncture. However, the fact that only people linked to the Janata Dal (S) leadership were brought under scrutiny does add strength to the argument that there could be more to the raids. The Congress and the JD(S) held a joint protest at the Income Tax regional headquarters in Bengaluru. Even Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy also participated in this protest.

In the month of March, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker had been detained by Income Tax department officials for questioning after their team surveying a builder in New Delhi found over Rs 2 crore cash allegedly linked to the legislator and his associates. According to the Income Tax department officials, Uttam Nagar lawmaker Naresh Balyan, a property dealer and two others were being questioned by the officials in Dwarka to determine if the recovered cash was illegal and unaccounted.

Just before the assembly elections in five states Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram last year, the Income Tax department officials raided properties of AAP leader and Transport Minister of Delhi Kailash Gahlot. The Income Tax department officials claimed that Kailash Gahlot had evaded tax worth Rs 120 crore. A senior officer said that we have also detected several benami properties in the names of employees and a huge piece of land in the name of a driver. There is also evidence of Gahlot’s investment in a property in Dubai. Kailash Gahlot, who holds the portfolios of transport, law, revenue, information technology, and administrative reforms in the Delhi government, denied all claims of tax evasion. He called the raids a deliberate act of spreading disinformation at the behest of the Central government with a view to cover up the abysmal failure of the Income Tax department.

According to Kailash Gahlot, the Income Tax officers searched Gahlot’s flat for around 60 hours but could only recover Rs 11 lakh, the amount which has been duly accounted for in his books. Another sum of Rs 24 lakh was admittedly related to the family of Gahlot’s elder brother.

Similarly, every time political leaders or persons closed to these leaders claim that they are innocent and the Income Tax raid was conducted at the behest of the central government. While the Income Tax officers say that this is part of their routine work, we cannot set aside the allegations of the opposition leaders. At the same time, we cannot give them a clean-chit. Introspection about Income Tax searches is necessary as these allegations belittle the image of Income Tax department and the Indian government.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

Modi vs Fauji: Hollow Nationalism To Be Exposed?

By

Moumita Mukherjee

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April 8, 2019

Bringing the Jawan vs Chowkidar war of words in the front room, sacked BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav is all set to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his UP’s Varanasi constituency as an independent candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In 2017, Tej Bahadur released a video on social media on the poor quality of food served to the soldiers. The video became viral in no time but the revelation of the plight of Indian soldiers cost him his job. He also lost his 22-year-old son in January this year who reportedly committed suicide. Calling this election a contest between real and fake ‘Chowkidar’, the former security personnel calls himself hell-bent on exposing the “corrupt” BJP and the PM, who according to him is “hand in gloves with the dishonest people”.

On the opposing side of the independent candidate Jawan, stands both the State and Centre ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its one prime face — Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The card of nationalism has been used multiple times in the last five years and mostly as a last refuge on many issues. Be it on the notes of promoting the PM’s achievements on two Surgical Strikes in Pakistan (as claimed) in his tenure and both as a national revenge to the deadliest terror attacks on Indian security forces — killing of 19 soldiers in Uri Indian Army brigade headquarters (Sept 2016) and 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Pulwama (Feb 2019). Taking timely advantage, slogans like “Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai (if Modi is there, it is possible)” found its place both on political billboards and social media. Ones who questioned the authenticity of the government claiming retaliatory bombing of Jaish-e-Mohammad terror base in Balakot in Pakistan, the intelligence failure that led to both the Uri and Pulwama massacre, followed by the latter capturing and then returning an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, were conveniently called anti-nationals both by the government and its supporters. They were blamed for daring to ‘question the integrity of the Indian armed forces and the government’. Nationalism was tactfully given an aggressive form.

Now, ironically enough, Indian Prime Minister will ideologically fight the polls countering one of those Jawans, once a part of the Central Armed Police Force. Who will the so-called flag-bearers of ‘shrill nationalism’ vote for? Who will the supporters of Prime Minister Modi vote for? Two most important considerations — Chowkidaar Narendra Modi and former BSF Jawan! Keeping the Josh of Nationalism high, are they going to support independent candidate former Jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav or this election will brutally expose the prevailing Hollow Nationalism in a section of the society?

BJP leader Praveen Kumar Nishad said, “Jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav won’t pose any challenge to PM Modi. Whether it is politics, political party, or Indian Army — all three have an organisational structure and army personnel are disciplined. I am unaware of what hindered Tej Bahadur Yadav while lakhs of Jawans posted for the nation’s security are working in tranquillity. This is a national election and citizens will once again vote for Narendra Modi and bring changes in the country.”

The video that led to Tej Bahadur’s dismissal from service on the charge of indiscipline was uploaded in 2017 where he is seen complaining that poor quality food (watery dal and burnt chapattis) was being served to the troops in the icy, mountainous region along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The BSF had set up a court of inquiry against him. The Home Ministry ordered an investigation into the incident and the PMO too sought a report. Later, initially, he was shifted out of LoC and then got sacked.

Stating that he had high hopes from the Modi government that it will put an end to corruption, Tej Bahadur also accused the armed forces authorities of harassing him whenever he pointed out ‘discrepancies and corruption’ in his department. He even called the vote bank politics in the name of Jawans ‘unfortunate’.

Samajwadi Party MP Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel told Afternoon Voice, “We have immense respect for the Indian Army. PM Modi is using the name of the armed forces for winning the election. The PM is making it an election agenda and doing wrong campaigning. It will be difficult for Narendra Modi to win election from Varanasi this time.”

The seven-phase general elections are scheduled to start on April 11 and end on May 19. Varanasi will vote on May 19. With the support of over 10,000 retired security personnel and some social organisation, this UP candidate vows to strengthen and eliminate corruption in the forces and it is one of the highlighted objectives in his poll campaign. He wants to reach the Parliament and take his fight against corruption to the next level. He also claimed to have support from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Suheldeo Bhartiya Samaj Party, Yadav Sena, Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh, and Janshakti Party’s Renu Chawdhary.

BSP Maharashtra President Suresh Sakhare expressed, “BJP is indulging in politics in the name of armed forces. Soldiers leave their families behind to guard the nation. No political party must politicise the contribution of the Indian Army.”

“If PM’s patriotism is genuine, then no soldier would have come forward to contest poll against him. The government has failed to fulfill the promises made by it to people. The PM Modi-led government had promised to control inflation but it has increased; it also failed to generate 2 crore jobs, the cylinder has become costlier, and farmers are committing suicide,” he added.

Uttar Pradesh Elections — Modi vs Many

By

Vaidehi Taman

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April 8, 2019

The BJP released its first list of 184 candidates for 20 States for the Lok Sabha election, with Narendra Modi slated to fight from Varanasi and party President Amit Shah also getting into the battle ring from Gandhinagar, represented six times by LK Advani. The party retained most sitting MPs, the biggest drop in Uttar Pradesh with six candidates replaced in a list of 28. In all, 24 sitting MPs have been dropped. Meanwhile, the first thing to be noticed is that Modi is contesting for BJP and against him, there is a huge list of contenders. One of them is Border Security Force jawan who was posted along the Line of Control and was dismissed from the paramilitary force after he complained about the poor rations the BSF provides its soldiers. Yadav alleged that the higher-ups in the BSF were “selling off” rations meant for the soldiers illegally, leaving soldiers to suffer. Yadav is going to contest as an independent candidate, despite many parties have approached him. He believes former servicemen and farmers will be his main allies in the campaign.

A group of 111 farmers will file their nominations from Varanasi this year. They are currently crowdsourcing funds for their campaign. They are reaching Varanasi on April 24, and have booked train tickets for 300 farmers. They will walk on the road undressed to show their resistance. This is the same group of farmers that has protested in Delhi a number of times, in ways designed to attract the attention of the so-called mainstream media which is apathetic to their issues. In 2017, they protested at Jantar Mantar carrying the skulls of farmers who had killed themselves due to indebtedness. They also protested carrying dead rats in their mouths to draw attention to starvation, malnourishment, and farmers getting inadequate prices for their produce.

Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’ is the young leader of the Bhim Army, which started out as an organisation providing primary schooling to the primarily Dalit kids violently excluded from formal schools, but has grown into a formidable political force particularly in western UP. Ravan has been jailed a number of times by the state government, first under Akhilesh Yadav then under Ajay Singh Bisht alias Yogi Adityanath. The charges usually relate to national security and his popularity seems to have risen with each arrest. After wide speculation that he wouldn’t contest the 2019 polls, followed by speculation that he would ally his organisation with Mayawati’s BSP, Azad finally announced his candidature from Varanasi last month on a Bhim Army ticket. After his latest arrest last month, for alleged violations of the Election Commission’s model code of conduct, several senior Congress leaders including Jyotiraditya Scindia and PG Vadra visited Azad.

The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are yet to declare a candidate for the seat. The Congress has announced a number of candidates from UP but none for Varanasi. Congress General Secretary and eastern Uttar Pradesh in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has smilingly hinted to the press that she may contest from there. AAP has announced 6 out of 7 candidates from Delhi among whom Kejriwal doesn’t figure. Meanwhile, Togadia, who had floated Hindustan Nirman Dal (HND), wants to fight against Modi.

Last week I was in Varanasi and got a chance to interact with several local people like the boatman on the ghat, shopkeepers, and auto rickshaw drivers. I was keen to visit places worth seeing and get a feel of the city and its culture. However people generally looked keen to comment on Modi without even being asked. Incidentally, the driver who showed us around for three days was a Muslim gentleman probably in his early 20s and was no admirer of PM Modi. He held his opinion on most issues, criticized all parties for dividing society, and called people fools for falling for propaganda. He even went on to say that Ram Mandir should be built in Ayodhya that would at least build some confidence between the two communities. He criticised former PM Chandra Shekhar for his foreign policy and VP Singh for Mandal Commission. About the current one, he said, ‘He talks too much! He cries wherever he goes. It seems in his childhood, his mother didn’t let him cry. The changes you see are mere cosmetic. Main streets have been uplifted because Modi asks the videos to be sent to him to see the weekly progress. See, no videos of this neglected corner are sent. Know what! A lot of funds have been poured for the development of Varanasi, but are not used for the same and instead, those funds have made some rich.’

The man who showed me the Ghats and Aarti, lights and prayers on the Ganges, told me many positive changes that have taken place since PM Modi came to power. He said that he has lately seen many officers working hard like never before. With obvious pride, he said that Narendra Modi is his MP first and PM of the country later. He felt lucky to have seen many foreign dignitaries from close while working for livelihood. Then, the owner of a shop, a middle-aged gentleman, looked quite satisfied with the development work going on in the city but was apparently quite distressed over GST. Not that he minded paying taxes but he found the procedure far too complicated. People might criticise UP state government but they are staunchly with Modi. No one can stop Modi from winning elections in UP, no matter how many opposition candidates are lined up to fight against him.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

In UP-Bihar, 85% of Ujjwala beneficiaries still use earthen stoves

By

Web Team

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April 8, 2019

About 85 per cent of Ujjwala beneficiaries in rural Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan still use earthen stoves (chulhas) for cooking, due to financial reasons. The indoor air pollution due to these earthen stoves can lead to infant deaths and harm child development. It also causes heart and lung diseases among adults, especially the women, cooking on these earthen stoves. It is disclosed in a new study by the Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (RICE).

The survey, conducted in late 2018, covered a random sample of 1,550 households in 11 districts of the four States.

It is noteworthy that the Ujjwala Yojna, launched in 2016. Under this scheme LPG connection was given by providing a free gas cylinder, regulator and pipe. Central government data shows that more than six crore households have benefited through this scheme. The RICE study shows that there has been a substantial increase in LPG ownership in all 4 states due to the scheme. Now 76 per cent of households has an LPG connection.

However, more than 98 per cent of these households also own an earthen stove. Surveyors found that only 27 per cent of households exclusively used the gas stove. Another 37 per cent used both the earthen stoves and the gas stove, while 36 per cent made everything on the earthen stoves.

According to study this trend is more acute among those who received an LPG connection from the government; almost 53 per cent exclusively used the earthen stoves, while 32% used both. Ujjwala beneficiaries are poorer than households who got LPG on their own. Refilling the cylinder is a greater fraction of their monthly consumption, and they may be less likely to get a refill immediately after a cylinder becomes empty. Most of the survey respondents agreed that it was easier to cook on a gas stove, but felt that food cooked on the earthen stoves especially roti was tastier. More than 86% felt that cooking on the earthen stoves was better for the health of those eating. A common belief was that eating food cooked on gas causes gas in the stomach. Therefore, awareness campaign among Ujjwala Yojna beneficiaries is necessary to change their behaviour.

Cool & Clever captaincy call shots in ODIs

By

C K Subramaniam

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April 8, 2019

The game of Cricket is a sideways game and one-day Cricket is a different cup of tea like T-20 Cricket. In both the forms of the game, captaincy plays a stellar role. It is just like a game of chess and each and every move counts in instant cricket.

The common feature of this season’s IPL matches has been the twists and turns they take in the final phase of the matches. Kings XI Punjab defeated Delhi Capitals by 14 runs in a cliff hanger game. Captaincy played a crucial role as the Punjab outfit’s captain Ashwin did the trick for the second time. In an earlier game against Rajasthan Royals, the skipper affected a “Mankaded” dismissal of Butler and that changed the complexion of the game. Again, he did the trick by opening the bowling with the new ball and got the scalp of in form P. Shaw for a blob first ball to trigger a sensation. He used Curran for one over initially with the new ball and rotated his other bowlers and bowling in between to get the scalp of Shikhar Dhawan LBW. He brought left-arm seamer Sam Curran in the 18th over and he caused a collapse with 4 wickets in four balls and that includes a hat-trick. Thus captaincy twisted the tables in two games.

Hit and run game of Cricket is a fast-moving game and tactical moves can turn the tides in a close game at the World cup level. First and foremost is batting. To overcome this problem facing the new ball, we must always use the role of a pinch hitter. We should make to pad up two batsmen when the opener’s bat. One must be a left-hander and the other a right-hander. In the event of early loss of an opener a pinch hitter can serve the purpose and help to score fast instead of just pinning at the crease and crawling.

If a right-hander is dismissed, then a right-hander should replace him as No. 3 batsman. If by chance a left-hander gets out first, then a left-hander should bat at No. 3. This will help the team to rotate the strike and confuse the opposition bowlers. The right-left combination is to be maintained throughout as far as possible. Australians were doing this during the recent tour to India and won both T-20 and ODI series with calculated moves.
There is no need of a set batting order in one day cricket. Hence, we should have a batting option open. A useful cricketer should not mind going in as No. 6 batsman. He should make use of his experience in scoring quick runs.
The bowling department is not safe in the hands of the five preferred bowlers. Both the spinner can be a mainstay in one day cricket since both are penetrative and can attack in tandem.
Wicketkeeping is a key position. Better to play an experienced keeper and shift the second keeper as the main striker in batting. He can be sent in as No. 8 as we need to prop up the late order batting during the slog overs and score runs at a faster play when the batting power play is applied and that will help to hit out each and every ball during that crucial period.
Senior players need to be placed inside the circle and the tall fielder should occupy slip and another close in positions and allow the youngsters to do the running.
Running between the wickets is the key to the success of a team. One should be converted to two and two to three to provide a challenging target. Yes-No caution will take care of the proceedings perfectly.

Instead of allowing an opposition left-handed opener to prosper every time he comes to the wicket, we can make use of an off-spinner to use the new ball and unsettle the key left-handed players.

Forget about the recent defeats to Australia and plan well for the tougher World cup. Tough World cup matches are expected with teams like Afghanistan is doing well in the shorter form of the game and upsetting high ranked side.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: April 08, 2019

By

Web Team

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April 8, 2019

Horror on the streets!

The viral video of contaminated ‘Nimbu Pani’ being sold at a railway food stall does not come as a surprise in a busy city like Mumbai where people surprisingly have become indifferent to such events. People hardly have the time to think about hygiene in their rush to earn their bread and butter, compromising on their health in the bargain. Vada Pavs get sold like hot cakes outside the Cancer and TB hospitals in a zippy, Idli’s on cycles where the seller doesn’t even wash his hands after urinating in public places gets sold in minutes and most fast foods do excellent business even though most of the cooking is done near open gutters speaks about the prevailing culture in the city.

Diseases are on the rise and the main reason is our eating habits. Many people become a victim of tuberculosis and cancer which can easily be prevented if we improve our diet. Singapore has many roadside stalls but they don’t compromise on hygiene. Education is the need of the hour and government should not only punish those selling contaminated products but also make citizens aware of what they are eating to create a healthy culture in the city so that people do not become victims of contaminated deaths!

S.N.Kabra

Wayanad fight left unhappy

This is not a fight with the Left or the Right. This is a fight to espouse the aspirations of the people of south India, including the people of Kerala. This is a fight to give a befitting reply to those forces that are attacking the culture, language, the way of life and the deep connection between two portions of India. Congress and Rahul Gandhi considered Wayanad as the safest bet. Wayanad is one of the safest seats for the Congress. MI Shanavas of the Congress won it in 2009 and again in 2014. His victory margin in 2009 was over 1.5 lakh votes, but it dipped to 20,270 votes in 2014. The seat has been vacant since his death in November 2018. The Congress has lost the plot somewhere and it is fought between the coalition partners and that is pathetic in the wake of strong opposition.

Calicut Krishnan Ramani

10-fold jump of stop-filers of IT returns in demonetisation year

Media-reports about number of stop-filers of Income-Tax returns jumping 10-fold to 88.04 lakhs in the fiscal-year 2016-17 of demonetisation as compared to 8.56 lakhs in the previous year 2015-16 highest in last two decades is just contrast to success-claim for of demonetisation citing addition of 1.06 crores new tax-payers in the year 2016-17 which was 25 per cent higher as compared to the previous year 2015-16. It is also noteworthy that the target of direct-tax collection for recently closed fiscal-year 2018-19 could not be collected despite best of last-days efforts of Central Board of Direct Taxes CBDT.

It creates doubts about the downfall in trade-activities and fall in a number of jobs which is certainly a cause of worry for fiscal-system. Another notable feature is 19.14 per cent rise in currency-circulation post-demonetisation indicating failure of efforts towards a cashless-economy for which demonetisation was aimed. GST-system was also introduced after demonetisation which has already been modified numerous times indicating that proper planning was not done before implementing such a fine taxation-system.

It is time to review and total overhaul of complete taxation-system for a simplified and practical tax-regime for both direct and indirect taxes which may make tax-compliance voluntary at all levels and people may find it advantageous to switch over to banking-transactions from cash-deals especially in big deals after studying fiscal-system of countries with cashless-economy.

Madhu Agrawal

Congress Chaos

After the change of leadership in the Mumbai State Congress unit, we find infighting between the top two and it is an awkward situation for the age-old national party. Sanjay Nirupam is a stalwart and he could digest seeing Milind Deora being given the pride of place. The State Congress chief Ashok Chavan is complaining about the party cadre listing to him. Rebellion and infighting is the root cause of all the confusion. Congress panel is instructing the state unit to stand united as each and every seat is counted in Maharashtra. BJP-Sena is having whip hand and any weakness ahead of polls will be grabbed by the saffron outfit. Instead of just getting into fighting mode unity is the need of the hour. Congress needs to learn from mistakes and not go ahead with their unwanted in a fight at this crucial hour.

Nikhil Anantharaman

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Initiative for preventing Chit Fund and Ponzi schemes — Part II

By

Web Team

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April 8, 2019

More than 1 million non-registered chit fund companies across the country

However, it is not possible to assess how many non-registered chit fund companies are active in the country, but according to an estimate of the All India Association of Chit Funds, more than 10 lakh such chit fund companies are active in the country. According to a report published in the Business Standard’s January 20, 2013, issue, the size of the non-registered chit fund companies is more than Rs 30 lakh crore, whereas the size of registered chit fund companies is Rs 30,000 crore. According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, till October 31, 2014, a total of 5,000 chit fund companies were registered in India.

What is Ponzi scheme?

This scheme was named after the name of a person named Charles Ponzi, whose full name was Carlos Giannion Givovani Guglimle Tombaldo Ponzi. Ponzi took advantage of monetary and exchange disorder in Europe after the end of World War (I) and started a scheme called Ponzi in America. He cheated people by enticing more returns on an investment in countries like Italy, Canada, and America. Under this, he lured every investor to give a 50 percent return in 45 days. Ponzi later formed a company named “The Securities Exchange”, in which huge crowds of people came to invest and thousands of investors invested in it. Later the money of the investors was lost. In the year 1964, the Oxford English Dictionary included the word “Ponzi”. This shows that how much this scheme was infamous.

Method of cheating

Under the Ponzi scheme, people are cheated by tempting attractive returns on investment. Companies work vigilantly to execute the fraud by deposit schemes. For this, firstly the local person is selected, who is unemployed for a long time, but his image is good in the area. Usually, 85 per cent of the people invests in such schemes due to trust or on the insistence of any member of the family or friends. These kinds of cases of investing in such schemes have normally seen. Commonly, such deposits are promoted by the famous people of the society, which makes the trust of the common people unbounded on the scheme. In the beginning, investors are given a good return on investment. When people are completely confident about the company’s activities, then companies wind up their business.

Presently, the network of Ponzi schemes is spread to the far-flung areas of the country. Mostly, small and medium farmers and laborers come under the scanner of such schemes. Farmers of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Punjab had lost their investment in large numbers in the name of Emu farming. In some states of the northeast, in the name of goat rearing scheme, common people were cheated. People are also being cheated in the name of giving ownership of tea gardens. For luring of investors, fraudulent companies are also offering a free foreign tour to them.

How to identify Ponzi schemes

Identifying the Ponzi scheme is not easy, because there is no definite form of it. However, by using vigilance and discretion in such investment schemes, the fraud can be avoided. If any scheme is tempted to give more returns then there needs to be cautious before investing. If a company is repeatedly claiming a scheme under government rules, then there may be scope for fraud. If a scheme is being promoted more or if it is claimed to pay more than 15 per cent, then it may be bogus! In such a situation, it is necessary to invest only after thorough investigation.

Investor is also guilty

It is legally wrong to deposit money in companies that run Chit Fund or Ponzi scheme. This provision has been made in Section 3 of the Prize Chit and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978. It is a crime to be a member of money circulation or chit fund companies. That’s why people should stay away from such companies, because if anybody has filled the form of such company for investing money, then the police may consider it a criminal. Provision for punishment is the same for those who invest the money or run such companies.

Most policemen do not know the law

There is a provision to take action against companies running chit fund and Ponzi scheme for cheating investors under the Prize Chit and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978. If action is taken against chit fund companies under this act, then the possibility of come out from the clutches of laws will be reduced, but most of the police do not do this in the absence of information.

Conclusion

At present, people are being cheated by chit fund companies, Ponzi schemes, and other irregular schemes. By taking advantage of corporate governance deficiencies and regulatory shortcomings, such companies are executing fraudulent schemes. They are fooling people through fake schemes like investments in land, gold, goat rearing, etc. True, it is a business of robbery — not by intimidation, but by showing lovely dreams. Ultimately, the government has passed an ordinance on February 21, 2019, to curb irregular deposits, Ponzi and chit fund schemes. It is believed that due to its stringent provisions, millions of people will be saved from being cheated.

By Satish Singh

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

Raj Thackeray Ray of Hope for Congress-NCP?

By

Suraj Chandran

-

April 7, 2019

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will not be contesting Lok Sabha polls but is expected to campaign Raj Thackeray for Congress-NCP in Maharashtra. MNS President Raj Thackeray won’t be sharing the stage with Congress but will hold rallies in western Maharashtra and Marathwada. He will be aggressively campaigning for ensuring the defeat of Shiv Sena-BJP in the state. Raj will be addressing six rallies in support of Sushilkumar Shinde (Sholapur), Supriya Sule (Baramati), Sameer Bhujbal (Nashik), Ashok Chavan (Nanded) and Ajit Pawar’s son Parth (Maval). He is also expected to campaign in Mumbai for Priya Dutt (Mumbai North Central), Urmila Matondkar (Mumbai North), Milind Deora (Mumbai South), and NCP’s Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East).

MNS General Secretary Shalini Thackeray said, “The incumbent government is dangerous for the country and it is necessary to oust them. If any party derives benefit out of this motto, then let it happen.”

Raj Thackeray has already instructed his party workers to support Congress-NCP. The talks are doing rounds whether the support from MNS can enable Congress-NCP to attract and secure the Marathi voters in the state. Thus, it is looked upon as that Raj Thackeray will be the star campaigner for Congress-NCP this poll season. Congress-NCP, which had suffered a massive defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, is eyeing a comeback in the state. Marathi votes will play a decisive role in the state politics. In return, as per reports, MNS expects Congress-NCP combine to give it some seats in the assembly election scheduled to be held later this year. The Congress-NCP is using MNS to cut the votes of Shiv-Sena-BJP.

Shiv Sena MLA Anil Parab said, “The question which arises is whether Marathi votes are under the control of MNS. No candidate from MNS is contesting the election, so, what will they say to people. Will MNS ask people to vote for Congress which has always opposed it? People who vote for MNS won’t vote for Congress. People who are unhappy with Congress, have joined MNS. Sena and Congress voters are aware that the latter has not done anything for the welfare of the Marathi voters.”

The MNS has no representation in the state assembly and has a single corporator in the BMC. Despite this, reportedly both Congress and NCP are relying on MNS to lure the Marathi voters who are considered as the party’s major vote bank. Through this act, MNS is trying to revive itself in the state. At a public meeting in Shivaji Park on the occasion of Gudi Padwa, Raj Thackeray took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said, “PM Narendra Modi is another Adolf Hitler. On the occasion of Gudi Padwa, I wish Modi-Mukt Bharat year ahead.” Thus, it seems quite evident that MNS is aggressively campaigning for the defeat of Shiv Sena-BJP.

Minister of State for Home Dr. Ranjit Patil said, “In a democracy, a candidate campaign for his/her own political party. This is the first time that I have seen a leader like Raj Thackeray campaigning for other party and it makes any difference to neither Shiv Sena-BJP nor RPI.”

Raj also backed Rahul Gandhi for the prime ministerial post in the public meeting and said, “We tried Modi, but he was disastrous. Let Rahul Gandhi become PM and let us see. If the country is fortunate enough he may just do a good job.”

Senior Congress leader Suresh Shetty said, “Raj Thackeray has delivered a good speech but we will have to see how it translates into the vote. Then only we can say whether Raj Thackeray’s campaigning has made any difference.”

Raj Thackeray had quit Shiv Sena to form MNS in 2006. The party follows the motto of working for sons of the soil. The MNS had surprised everyone by winning 13 assembly seats out of 288 in Maharashtra. The party didn’t contest 2014 Lok Sabha polls and fared badly in the assembly polls by winning a single seat. In the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Election, the tally of MNS was reduced to 7 seats. In October 2017, 6 councilors quit the party to join Shiv Sena taking its representation in the civic body to 1. In September 2014, the MNS released its first look of Maharashtra’s Development Blueprint with a slogan “Yes, it’s possible”.

By Suraj Chandran and Moumita Mukherjee

Raj Thackeray — A failed politician dancing to Sharad Pawar’s tunes

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

April 7, 2019

Raj Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, both launched simultaneous attacks on Modi but none of them has the courage to win elections in the State. Sharad Pawar is never steady in his comments and Raj, who once endorsed Narendra Modi as a PM candidate, is now spewing venom; but, in spite of their attacks, no one has the guts to stop BJP from coming to power. Divide and Rule can work as a policy for a while but if your party is created on this motto, then you won’t survive for long. You will be used by others for their political benefit which may make you feel that you are successful but in reality, you live the life of a parasite. That is exactly what happened with Raj Thackeray. Raj Thackeray started the party on the plank of Marathi Manoos and started atrocities against Biharis (largely all north India) in Maharashtra who were there to earn their livelihood. When Raj created MNS, his goons were not stopped by the then Congress and NCP mainly to counter SS and BJP alliance. Congress never took action on MNS to ensure that the vote for SS splits between MNS and SS. Over a period of time, this policy of MNS backfired. Also with BJP becoming the senior partner in Maharashtra, they can’t allow the atrocities on north Indians as BJP is a national party. So, essentially there is a very limited role for a party like MNS, they are often used to cut votes for a party. PRP in Andhra was used in a similar fashion by YSR in 2009 polls; though PRP was not formed on similar lines of MNS, they ended up being used in a similar fashion.

Raj Thackeray is a failed politician who is dancing on the tunes of Sharad Pawar. A tacit understanding seems to be in place between the Congress-NCP alliance and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or the MNS. Recently, Raj Thackeray hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah during his Gudi Padwa rally at the same venue where his cousin Uddhav Thackeray’s party, the Shiv Sena holds its annual Dusshera rally. Raj Thackeray outlined how he will campaign against the BJP and in the one-hour speech, he tore into the BJP, attacking it over the suicide attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama that killed 40 CRPF soldiers. He used newspaper articles and clips of PM Modi’s speeches to highlight inconsistencies in the statements on several issues like Aadhaar and handling of the Kashmir issue. The MNS leader used snapshots of newspaper articles as he went point by point, making the rally a complete takedown of PM Modi and the BJP.

Raj Thackeray is expected to campaign for Congress-NCP candidates without sharing the stage with them by holding rallies in western Maharashtra and Marathwada. In return, his party expects that the Congress-NCP combine will give it some seats in the assembly elections scheduled later this year. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar admitted to the possibility of the BJP emerging as the single-largest party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, but not with the kind of majority that would ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi a second term. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar too claimed that the country was witnessing a definite shift in public mood against the BJP. Rural India is practically bent on defeating Modi. They are against the Modi government, they are unhappy with the Modi government. Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule dispelled suggestions of a rift in their party on account of the NCP chief’s nephew Parth Pawar. Pawar had reversed his decision to contest the elections after Parth threw his hat in the ring recently. Some saw this as a sign of family rivalry. Pawar rejected reports of a divided opposition too, saying that he definitely saw victory in store for the opposition coalitions in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Even in electorally crucial Uttar Pradesh, he did not see any problems with the Congress not being a part of the Bahujan Samaj Party-Samajwadi Party coalition. Sharad Pawar is a powerful and seasoned politician, whereas Raj Thackeray failed to reach to the peak. While all the migrants learn Marathi and gel with Marathi culture, the UP and Bihari don’t learn Marathi and they have some kind of superiority complex although they work as labourers. North Indians always force others to speak in Hindi claiming it to be National Language. No matter how long North Indians stay in other states, they never learn the regional language. Even the President of India is asking the migrants to respect the regional culture. Asking Marathi people to stick to their culture is nothing wrong. A corporate would not like to set up an industry in UP but in Maharashtra, because there have been instances of burning alive the owners of industries by UP people. Businessmen feel safe in Maharashtra because of the culture, peace, and cooperation they get in the state and that is why they set up industries in Maharashtra because of which many people get a livelihood. The least everyone could do is learn the language of the soil of Maharashtra. In the era of development, Modi overpowered Thackeray claims and he lost elections miserably.

As a person, Raj Thackeray is very friendly and down to earth; he is people’s leader. People from all over Maharashtra come to him with their problem. He is a hero for the Marathi youth but at the same time, he is a villain for the UP and Biharis because his Image is portrayed the same by Media. He fights for the betterment of Marathi people and local Mumbaikars. However, people have disowned him on polling booth. Let’s see if this time Pawar and Raj’s attacks can really prevent Modi from becoming PM of India again!

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