Fighting black money! Is it the target now?
Black money is a topic most public opinion makers, old and young better avoid it. Even in New Delhi, in the leisurely leafy environments, the subject of current politics people avoids. We had spoken to AICC office bearers, they in fact are very nice and very courteous and they all avoid any current politics. They are there, we don’t know for what purposes. May be the comforts of living in Delhi, with a government quarters, is the most prized possession you can imagine in Delhi.
Yes, otherwise you have to travel long, at least an hour’s drive either to Guregaon or Noida! These outer spread of the city takes much more time. To travel back into the city to keep up an engagement is a day’s task!
So, you know what life in Delhi means. So too to run the parties, political parties, we mean!
The days when politics was al clean or at best earnest affairs. That day gone long before. A JRD Tata can write to Pandit Nehru a cheque for Rs.one lakh, as said one in a letter also openly as a contribution for the Congress party. Yes we too in our times in the 1960s did work at the AICC and we didn’t get any big money.
Now to travel from Delhi to any state capital by flight and the expenses for two or three days must easily cost Rs one lakh and above. Then calculate how much the AICC alone must be spending in a month?
So, any political party is nowadays is fund-flush!
So, doing politics is a rather big money game. That is you need so much money and ironically also there is big money, unaccounted money, black money, fund without known sources, call by any name, black money, in one word, is a conundrum!
As per a latest book by a JNU professor, black money in India roughly equal to 62 per cent of the GDP!
What are the implications?
The learned Prof.claims that black money has been costing India an average of 5 per cent of the growth since mid-1970s. If we add 5 per cent to the rate of growth over the past four decades or so, our economy whose size would be Rs.1,050 crore or about 15 trillion dollars! This would mean that if we had controlled black money as we want Indian economy would have become the world’s second largest economy, after the USA. Before China!
Now, we know what we are losing out. To put in another way and in populist language, the poor of this country must know that our rulers, all the past party presidents and the Prime Ministers, now the BJP government and the BJP party faces must all know and must openly acknowledge that 40 per cent of our economy is in driven or held in black money or unaccounte4d money! Black money generated through all sorts of bribes, illegalities, more illegalities and more political compromises, our many departments, Income tax depts. to other CBI, Ed and such supervisory and investigating agencies bring out many uncomfortable news but most powerful people manage to keep them away from media glare! Media channels are controlled or browbeaten to black out such uncomfortable news!
Can the Election power would be increased? We doubt.
Can anyone really dare and tell the public that he or she would take oath before they enter any office, party or government office?
So, dear citizens, you ask yourself and be satisfied. This is what G0d has given you. This is you lot!
Political thinkers and political leaders are all not political animals. They are also criminals and conspirators!