The Indian State As A Tax Terrorist

By Manuwant Choudhary

To tax and to please  is not given to men but to be rationale is but the Indian government under Narendra Modi has lost its way and its mind - completely.

Tax authorities have become the BJPs political wing in targeting opponents as ordered by their masters, helping break up parties or alliance partners to spread the tentacles of the party in power.

Its not that the Congress Party has not misused these authorities but this government does it with a vengeance like never before.

For the ordinary businessman life is repressive at best.

The other day a Patna businessman told me, "I spend my mornings right upto 2 pm working for the Government of India, filling up endless forms, attending calls from tax authorities. After a quick lunch I begin my real work which is to see how I can pay the salaries to my staff. Its only at 8 pm that I have time to think about profits and future growth of the business,"

"Had it not been for the jobs I help provide I would shut down my business...Inhein (showing his employees) pareshaanee ho jayegee..)"

The businessman was an ardent Nitish Kumar supporter with a photo of the chief minister at his home with his family...he even supported Narendra Modi.

But now the Nitish photo gathers dust.

A Tax-to-do list from the Bihar Chamber of Commerce has some 34 items for income tax.

And under GST some 12 GTR's have to be complied with !

The businessman continued, "Taxes are deducted at source but they lie idle in banks and are not given to the Income Tax for which we get repeated notices. Its become our job to ensure that tax credits are transferred by government departments."

Modi's mad decision to demonitise 86 per cent high value currency hurt businesses and halved their turnover for the past one year.

And now the multiple tax GST is a nightmare.

For businessmen selling a product they have to quote multiple taxes for every single item that goes into mking that product..For example a light post will have four GST !

Jay Panda, the Member of Parliament of Biju Janata Dal in Orissa, happily tells students of Columbia University that he could not find a single person opposing Demonitisation in his constituency.

I think he should be really worried. Very, very worried.

In We The Nation Nani Palhkhivala quotes G.K. Chesterson's essay "The Mad Official" which is about how a society goes mad.

The rot begins, he says, when wild actions are received calmly by society.

"These are people who have lost the power of astonishment at their own actions. When they give birth to fantastic passion or foolish law, they do not start or stare at the monster they have brought forth...These nations are really in danger of going off their heads en masse, of becoming one vast vision of imbecility."

Tera Zubaan Katarna Bahut Zarooree Hai - By Dr. Rahat Indori

Conflict

Confucius Left The Next Day..(A book excerpt)

By Manuwant Choudhary

Lord Ling asked Confucius about battle formations.

And Confucius replied, "I have learned about the disposition of ritual vessels, but I have not studied military matters,' and left the next day.

This story represents the disappearance of humanity (Confucius left the next day) from the thoughts and considerations of rulers in the coming centuries of war.

Thomas Cleary tells another story  in his translations of  The Art of War  by Sun Tzu.

Yen Hui, the most enlightened disciple of Confucius, went to the teacher and asked about going to the State of Wei.

Confucius said, "What are you going to do there?"

Yen Hui said, "I have heard that while the ruler of Wei is in the prime of life, his behaviour is arbitrary - he exploits his country whimsically and does not see his own mistakes. He exploits his people frivolously, even unto death. Countless masses have died in that state, and people have no one to turn to."

I have heard you say, "Leave an orderly state, go to a disturbed state - at the physician's gate, many are the ailing.' I would like to use what I have learned to consider the guidance it offers, so that the state of Wei might be healed."

Confucius said, "You are bent on going, but you will only be punished."

The Mumbai Local Is A Death Trap 2

By Manuwant Choudhary

Protests and violence are rare in Bombay when it comes to fighting for basic rights.

So in the early 1990s as a junior reporter with the Afternoon newspaper we got news that there had been some protests for improvement of services resulting in police action and violence.

An inquiry followed and a public outcry.

So the Railway Board from New Delhi led by its Chairman...a Mr. Bhatnagar....arrived in Bombay to conduct their own inquiry.

At Churchgate station I notice heavy security and suddenly a group of men arrived.

They were escorted to a special bogey near the Guards Wagon at the end...but suddenly Mr. Bhatnagar turned around and told his officers, "I want to travel like a local...in the general compartment, not even First Class."

The officials protested, "But Sir, they are so crowded you won't be able to get onto the train."

Mr. Bhatnagar, a rather large man, did look worried but persisted, "Why have I come all the way from New Delhi if I don't get the feel of how people travel here?"

So security persons surround one wagon and let the officials in..I manage to squeeze in too.

But as the train left Churchgate the officers asked Mr. Bhatnagar to take a seat.

Mr. Bhatnagar insisted he will only travel like a local would that is `Standing'.

But Sir, all the seats are vacant.

Mr. Bhatnagar, "No I will not sit down."

This went on for a while, until I found a policeman telling me to sit down.

But I wanted my exclusive story and over hear the Chairman so I politely told him No.

The policeman looked angry...he was carrying a rifle...and he literally threatened me to sit down.

Scared I took a seat.

Then the Chairman asked for the files.

His officer replied, "Sir files have been left behind at Churchgate Headquarters."

Mr. Bhatnagar, now visibly annoyed, "I order you to fetch them."

By the time we arrived at Andheri station we noticed a Sepoy with the red files waiting at the Andheri station platform.

Mr. Bhatnagar, "Arre yeh files humare pehle kaise pahunch gaya?"(how did the files arrive before we did?")

His official replied, "Sir, It took the Fast Andheri !"

My newspaper had a decent headline the next morning...a commuter story...our readers were predominantly those who took the Mumbai local.

I felt happy that today we would sell.

Later I went to the stands hoping to see everyone pick up the Afternoon.

But to my shock I found every one pick up the Mid-Day.

Their story in like 7 inches Headline "UFO Sighted."

The Mumbai Local Is A Death Trap 1

By Manuwant Choudhary

I can imagine what must have happened on that foot-over-bridge at Elphinstone Road station a few days ago, because although I do not live in Mumbai, like Salman Rushdie I still call the city My Bombay !

But local trains have always been a part of my painful memory of the city - a gross human rights violation.

Yet people travel every day for hours to come to work in South Bombay or return to distant Borivili late every night...I don't blame anyone for calling it a lifeline.

Because without the local train..Bombay will grind to a halt.

A driver I knew told me once, "Sir, the only day I meet my children is Sunday. Otherwise on all other days I leave for work at 4 am when they are sleeping and get back home at 11 pm..when they are asleep !"

But when the stampede happened I searched for news on Midday - a popular city tabloid.

Its like instinct..as a reporter from Afternoon it had been my job to check competition.

I have commuted on the Mumbai local but mainly for work, not as commuters would because I chose to live illegally in South Mumbai rather than live legally in a suburb and travel every day.

But whenever I did, it was eventful.

Once as we waited for a local, they were all so crowded that we could not even manage to place a toe inside...

But like in all difficult situations there is always a trick.

Here it is.

You don't board a Mumbai local..all you have to do is squeeze yourself between the crowds and the crowds will push you onto the train.

Inside there is no space to even move...sweaty bodies against each other...all you can do is watch someone's tired face, returning from work.

But suddenly out of nowhere someone would hold this thin briefcase and lo and behold it would turn into a table...pressed against the human body..with no support whatsoever.

One of them would pull out cards and the game would begin...3 hours gone !

I just marvelled.

The toughest part was figuring out whether Andheri would come on the right or left. There were no announcements like you have on the Metro.

So you just have to ask someone who travels daily or observe some crowd movement two stations before yours...if you really want to get off at the right station.

I rarely got that right...often travelling farther and then returning....

Demonitisation - The English Moral Story That Modi Missed At School !

Virasat - Ramdhari Singh `Dinkar'

When no one clapped !

Hamein Desh Ki Suraksha Se Khatra Hai: Pash - Read By Swara Bhaskar

The Best Doctor (Book Excerpt The Art of War - Sun Tzu)

By Manuwant Choudhary

I've been reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu and the book never fails to amaze with stories and insights.

You need to read it again and again to let the ideas sink in.

The translator Thomas Cleary in his introduction tells this ancient Chinese story.

A Chinese lord once asked his physician, a member of a family of healers, which of them was the most skilled in the art.

The physician, whose name was such that his name became synonymous with medical science in China, replied, "My eldest brother sees the spirit of sickness and removes it before it takes shape, so his name does not get out of the house.

My elder brother cures sickness when it is still minute, so his name does not get out of the neighbourhood."

"As for me, I puncture veins, prescribe potions, and massage skin, so from time to time my name gets out and is heard among the lords."

This the translator says is the essence of  The Art of War.

He writes, "What is essential for leaders, generals, and ministers in running countries and governing armies is no more than this."

You can try guess which doctor our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ?

C Rajagopalachari's Message To Voters in 1967 !

Gauri Lankesh - Salute !

India's Shortage of Leadership - Sam Maneckshaw

The Monkey King

By Manuwant Choudhary

It's a strange co-incidence that 2016 was the Year Of The Monkey !

I've been currently reading The Art Of War by Sun Tzu and in it I came across this interesting Chinese fable of `The Monkey King & The Buddha.' (Translated by Thomas Cleary)

The tale is about this `Magical' Monkey King who founds a monkey civilization and becomes its leader.

He defeats a `devil' and takes his sword.

When he returns he begins training other monkeys using toy swords the practice of swordsmanship.

Just then the Monkey King wonders how his country may be attacked if the neighbouring country sees this and when attacked his monkeys will only have toy swords to fight.

Unfortunately, though ruler of a nation, the martial monkey king is not a ruler of himself.

So the king thoughtfully initiates the arms race, ordering pre-preemptive stockpiling of real weapons.

This is a 13th C description of 21 C politics.

The monkey king in the story exercised power without wisdom, disrupting the natural order and generally raising hell until he ran into the limits of matter, where he was finally trapped.

The Taoist immortals tried to capture and cure this monkey king by cooking him in the cauldron of eight trigrams but he jumped out still unrefined.

The story is that the Monkey could travel anywhere and literally everywhere...and so he went all over...even to heaven where stands the seven pillars and he was about to return when the Buddha holds his finger and he turns to see Buddha's hands and on the middle finger was written, "The Monkey King Was Here."

The Monkey King is imprisoned in the mountain of the five elements by Buddha.

After 500 years Guanyin the Buddhis saint who is the personification of universal compassion shows up at the prison of the now repentant monkey and recites this telling verse.

"Too bad the magic monkey didn't serve the public
As he madly flaunted heroics in days of yore.
With a cheating heart he made havoc
In the gathering of immortals;
With grandiose gall he went for his ego
To the heaven of happiness.
Among a hundred thousand troops,
None could oppose him;
In the highest heavens above
He had a threatening presence,
But since he was stymied on meeting our Buddha.
When will he ever reach out and show his achievements again?"


The monkey pleads with the saint for his release.

The Saint agrees to release him but only if he devotes himself to the pursuit of higher enlightenment not just for himself but for society at large.

But just before releasing the monkey as a precaution the Saint places a ring around the monkeys head, a ring that will tighten every time the monkey misbehaves or brags about his achievements.

A great king or warrior is one who never forgets the ring on his head !

The Day India Burned - By Roothmens

Khol Do - A Short Story By Sadat Hassan Manto

Aisee Taisee Democracy !

Between a crop and crop...

Poverty and unemployment have haunted India continuously within living memory. The cities may now be dotted with pockets of enormous affluence, but the lot of the small farmer, the rural labourer, remains unchanged:

His speech is of mortgaged bedding,
On his vine he borrows yet,
At his heart his daughter's wedding,
In his eye foreknowledge of debt,
He eats and hath indigestion,
He toils and he may not stop;
His life is a long drawn question
Between a crop and crop.

- Excerpt from the last chapter Panorama of the Lost Decades in We The Nation By Nani Palkhivala.

Godman Chandraswami - An Encounter

By Manuwant Choudhary

Controversial Godman Chandraswamy is dead....age 66. If India's much feared Enforcement Directorate (ED) could not get him...then it says a lot about how India is being run.

Among Chandraswamy's followers were India's Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, Chandra Shekhar, Rajiv Gandhi...and virtually who's who of Lutyen Delhi.

He was also a suspect in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

Born Nemi Chand Jain in Alwar Rajasthan...he went on to become a Tantric and was India's most influential wheeler-dealer Godman.

International arms dealer Adnan Khashogi was also his follower.

I met Chandraswamy once.

As a reporter in Bombay with the Afternoon Despatch & Courier I got a scoop that Chandraswamy is visiting....

I am not sure how I gathered the courage to go all the way to Dadar at 9 pm...it was quite dark..and Dadar itself is a leafy suburb with those old colony houses.

I wasn't sure if I would be allowed to meet the Godman.

Outside the house there was a flurry of activity with cars all lined up....mercedez and contessas.

I was quite surprised that when I said I was a reporter I was easily allowed into the house..the room was not well lit....but here I was sitting face to face with the Godman.

Chandraswamy looked dangerous.

All kinds of things went on in my mind..what if I asked him a `touchy' question he may use his Tantra on me.

How does a reporter interview a corrupt, dangerous, holy man ?

I simply had no clue.

Yet, I recall mustering courage to ask him my question...but he just stared at me.

He had this stick with a shiny diamond like magic wand in his hand...his eyes looked deadly and red.

I thought this may be my last night...I may not be able to get back home.

After a few times..the host tells me that Guruji is on a maun vrat (vow of silence).

We sat opposite each other for 20 minutes or so....and I did report on this darshan of Chandraswami...

Just to build my silent interview I said let me see who his followers are...perhaps some Bollywood heroes...and as I looked around I see this Blue Contessa...(early 90s this was the best car available) come into the drive way and out came Gulshan Grover, a Bollywood villain.

Chandraswamy's chela was India's Prime Minister Narasimha Rao but that evening I spent in the company of eminent villains.

The Gaiyya Song

Ganga Behti Ho Kyun - A revolutionary song by Bhupen Hazarika.

By Manuwant Choudhary

The decision by Narendra Modi to demonitize high value indian currency has been painful for the people of india....some 150 died waiting in queues outside banks, clutching onto their hard-earned savings but a heartless, careless government let them die.

This has pained me and I wonder if in this noise called News we even ponder on human tragedies facing this great country of ours.

So let me just say I am not bothered about elections...or who wins and loses anymore.

I am concerned about India and her people who live here.

Listen to this song  "Ganga Behtee Ho Kyon" and each word, every pause or even a breath taken ...is about the pains of the people of  India.

A truly revolutionary song by Bhupen Hazarika for India to win her freedom again.

Let this be our song to defeat Modi and such like him..

Lets take him on and his machinations.

The Ganga will pause and protest...when we sing this song together...as Indians.

The English Translation is amazing...read it slowly. The song has its origins in Paul Robsons Old Man River.

The songs starts with a verse  in Assamese language. The English translation in brackets ().

Bistirna paarore( On your wide/mighty banks)
Axonkhya jonre
(That are home to countless people)
Hahakar xuniu
(In spite of hearing their anguished cries)
Nixobde nirobe
(so silently and unmindfully)
Burha luit tumi
(Oh you Old Luit – Luit is another name of Brahmaputra river.)
Burha luit buwa kiyo?
(why do you or how can you flow?)

[ I am thankful to Mohan Bhuyan for translating the Assamese verse  into English]

MAIN SONG

[Opening line] The people who live in the vast stretches on your both side are screaming in grief, yet meekly, as always, O Ganga, you! O Ganga, why do you flow [without a protest]?

[1] Morality is destroyed and humanity is corrupted, yet shamelessly why do you flow [without a protest]?  With a loud voice of anger, the history  beacons, O stream of Ganga,   yet why do you not turn weak into strong warriors and complete doers?

[2] There are uncountable numbers of uneducated, illiterate, and unfed  people, yet like a blind that cannot see, O Ganga, why do you keep silent  ? With a loud voice of anger,  the history is beaconing, O stream of Ganga,   yet why do you not turn weak into strong warriors and complete doers?

[Female Voice] The people who live in the vast stretches on your both side are screaming in grief, yet meekly, as always, O Ganga, you! O Ganga, why do you flow [without a protest]?

[3] People are self-centered and society is bereft of a character. O Ganga, why do you not dissolve the lifeless society? With a loud voice of anger,  the history beacons, O stream of Ganga,   yet why do you not turn weak into strong warriors and complete doers?

[Female voice] The people who live in the vast stretches on your both side are screaming in grief, yet meekly, as always, O Ganga, you! O Ganga, why do you flow [without a protest]?

[4] Why did you stop being a source of action and energy? Why did you become inanimate? Why you stopped giving inspirations to lives. Where are the battle cries of Avani or Kuruskshetra  ?  O mother Ganga, in the newIndia, why do you not beget a victorious son like Bhishma, the great warrior?

[Female Voice] The people who live in the vast stretches on your both side are screaming in grief, yet meekly, as always, O Ganga, you! O Ganga, why do you flow [without a protest]?

The Grapes Of Wrath Revisited

The Emperor's New Clothes

Aisee Taisee Democracy - An Ode To Demonitisation