Arthakranti – a movement to make India prosperous
Whether you call it an idea or a movement, Arthakranti aims to solve India’s problems. Their plans may or may not be workable, and they are still only plans which cannot be implemented unless the government gets involved. Even then the idea is worth thinking about.
Two of Arthakranti’s proposals:
- Abolition of taxes except for Customs and Import duties. The government makes money via a bank transaction tax on receipts. The bank will get its percentage too.
- Currency compression by ensuring that the highest currency denomination is Rs. 50/-
The currency compression idea seems a sensible one because by the standards of some other countries India’s Rs 1000/- rupee notes seem quite unnecessary. As most Indians do not use thousand rupee notes I am not sure exactly why our government prints notes of such a high denomination. Perhaps the government is doing it to save on cost of printing notes or maybe they want to haul large amounts of cash from one place to another or want to facilitate the same for businesses!
Here is a chart which compares the ratio of per capita income to currency note denominations of different countries.
If Rs 50/- is made the highest note, most of us will be forced to use the banking system (the advantages of which are explained in the diagrams below). Lower denomination notes are also a way to reduce fake money as printing fake currency will not be profitable for our enemies.
Here are few visuals to explain the effects of the Arthakranti proposal.
———————————————————————————————————————–
Here is another one:
—————————————————————————————————————–
And another:
The people at Arthakranti agree that there is no magic wand to end corruption as it has now become a way of life. Corruption is easy today as it goes mostly undetected and unpunished. It has taken on the shape of a virus and it will take time to cure people.
Interestingly they have addressed a serious problem confronting our country today. Terrorism. Here are some visuals which are self explanatory:
———————————————————————————————————————-
———————————————————————————————————————–
On the Arthakranti site there are also some answers to basic questions like:
What is capital?
What is tax?
What are the various forms of money?
Importance of bank money
How bank money is created?
What is black money?
On Arthakanti’s proposal, I cannot comment on the viability as I have not studied it in detail. All I know is that the Indian government will never agree to such a proposal. For one thing, they don’t want to rid the country of black money. If they did, they would have not have refused the offer by Germany to provide them the names of the black money accounts. Whether it is for election funds or other dubious purposes, the government is not in a hurry to rid India of black money.
Note: I have not joined this movement and nor have I contributed to it in any way. I also do not know anyone in Arthakranti personally.
Related Reading: All posts on Development in India
All posts on the Economy
A wide angle view of India 
I like their analysis of terrorism. It is very thorough and avoids the simplistic idea that it is all religious doctrine and nothing else.
As opposed to the simplistic idea that it is poverty and illiteracy and nothing else, ignoring the facts of rich/well-off and educated who have dedicated their lives to jihad? 😉
Scott Atran is great in this area –
http://www.shunya.net/Text/Blog/HowTerrorismWorks.htm
Now terrorism is a “youth culture”? When did terrorism become fashionable ?
I’m not sure what that means either. But I can speculate – to accept the ideology of terrorism, one has to start being influenced from a very young age. It has to start with the impressionable minds of the youth. Depending on the other social and economic factors, a youth sooner or later becomes sympathetic to terrorists or worst case, decides to become one. Nobody is born thinking that terrorism is a very natural thing to do. A terrorist too has to have his mind sculpted starting from the time when his mind is not yet set. Think of the human who becomes a terrorist.
Don’t you think family is a very important ideological conditioning device for the young “impressionable” minds… I’m sure that is where most of us get our primary socialisation from.
Then why should it be attributed to poverty and other material factors..
In most middle class muslim families, religious identity is pretty much like that of Hindu families, although they may have their kids trained by a mullah to recite the Quran. But muslim kids go through it like the rote that I went through with the Vishnu Sahasranamam and the Sandhya Vandanam. You have no clue what you’re doing but only a sense of something holy going on.
You may also find this informative
http://www.hinduonnet.com/mag/2008/11/30/stories/2008113050120400.htm
Vinod,
While I agree that prejudices exist in all communities, I have serious doubts about the subtle message that this study is trying to push forth. I tried to get hold of the original research (without subscription) but could not. There is one thing I can say for sure, if the same mediocrity in study design is shown in some serious business(es) like say- Cancer drug study- results could have been fatal. I especially have doubts about the researcher’s assumptions that prompted her to do the study, how she took care of that bias, why Daryaganj?, how she balanced other conflicts of interest with her funding source (Azim Premji Foundation) etc.
azim premji foundation! aha! nothing else need be said.
another piece of over-biased crap written by yet another hindu. there is only one thing i know and i think i said this before sometime: my own experience in my own village in kerala where groups of muslim children coming out of a madrassa pointed to me and said ‘there goes a kaffir’. so if they are able to recognise a kaffir no wonder they also recognise the monkey faced indian god (laugh! laugh! stupid idol worshippers!) and they may well have been trained in most of the hindu customs. afterall small live bombs need to mingle well with the subjects they are trained to blow up!
I’m disapppointed by the way you’ve described them. They are children after all, they know no better…. If anyone’s to be faulted its the parents. Don’t mean to offend you…
rags…
i think this news is very timely indeed. it says this particular species has definite urge and inclination to seek destruction in whichever way. i have a feeling that these are shiva’s children.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090728/ts_nm/us_pakistan_violence;_ylt=Alxszxg1W1OK27fIY0xcVbJ34T0D;_ylu=X3oDMTJwOG9nbmJ2BGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMDkwNzI4L3VzX3Bha2lzdGFuX3Zpb2xlbmNlBHBvcwM2BHNlYwN5bl9hcnRpY2xlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDcGFraXN0YW5yZXNj
Vasudev, it is when you spout like this that I get scared about who you are.
vinod:
do not close your eyes to the ‘stated’ as if the one who stated had no reason to state anything and that he too should have turned a blind eye, acted dumb and become deaf. sorry my dear old chap. it may not work that way with some self-respecting commoner!
I used to skip most slokas entirely when I was a kid. 🙂
I did read this article several months ago. I think the study may be genuine but it is hardly representative and cannot be used for generalizations. What might have been revealing is studies done in areas which have become breeding grounds for recruiting youth for terror activities. Studies of families from such regions would be more useful.
I don’t think anyone is arguing that all Muslim families indoctrinate their children with hate propoganda. That is hardly my point. But I suspect that the few who go on to become terrorists might have had an early influence through their family.
Those that I know who are sympathetic to the terrorists are religious to an extent disappointing their own parents. They become moral busybodies even towards their kith and kin. In my experience with muslim families, there is hardly any from the previous generation (parents of the youth of today) who want anything more from their religion than the emotional support to live through life’s daily pains. Big grand plans to establish Shariah in the world have no place in their lives. The youth become radicalized more by exposure to specific teachings/groups they encounter outside their homes. Many of these youth come from families which are muslim, only in name.
But I don’t want to generalize too hastily and rule out your possibility. There could be that too.
Vinod, I’ve read Naseeruddin Shah’s account of Quranic teachings in his childhood (I can send a link if you want, though google search should turn it up), as well as some other (ex)Muslims’ accounts, and the teachings are certainly not “[..] pretty much like that of Hindu families” as you claim. I doubt that Hindu religious identity is nurtured to paint others as non-believers and inferior. There’s a big emphasis on kaffirs/idol-worshipers and why they (kaffirs) are “bad”. Of course, not all such Muslims go on to become terrorists, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that such a mindset makes it a lot easier to recruit terrorists. It’s the same mindset that makes it easier for Sunnis and Shias to kill each other, as well as for Ahmaddiyas to be persecuted next door.
What’s really difficult is for a Hindu mind – so steeped it is in sarva dharm sambhav – to grasp that a concept like ‘kaffir’ could be a main tenet of a religion, and that’s one reason for denial among those who are unfamiliar with what Islam says.
I’m a bit surprised that you’d be unaware of this (first paragraph), while you’re aware of the status of Akbar/Aurangzeb among Muslims. Is there a lot of dirt under your carpet? 😀
Amit, I really wish you would stop these personal remarks against me. The smileys don’t help either. Part of your focus seems to be on me rather than the topic.
And yes, I entirely agree with your first para. The kafir/muslim worldview is a problematic one. I reckon my bias did blind me to that when I wrote the earlier comment.
Vinod, my apologies for the personal remark, which I believe, was the first. I’m sure you use a good vacuum cleaner and there’s no dirt under, or on your carpet.
As for the focus, I’m responding to your comments and for the most part, I back up my comments by facts. Perhaps it’s your focus that needs to be changed?
Perhaps it’s your focus that needs to be changed?
Amit, if I do make personal remakrs against you, then let me know and I will promptly apologize.
Amit, one reason I find it difficult to make the connection from the kafir-muslim teachings to terrorism directly is that such a teaching has been there for 1400 years. But terrorism is only a post 1950s phenomenon in the muslim world!! That means there has to be some new kind of dogma that emerged post-colonialism that used the pre-existing dogma to construct something justifying and glorifying terrorism.
Having said that, regardless of whether the kafir-muslim worldview spawns terrorism, it is in inprinciple objectionable.
I agree with you Vinod. Induction of Politics in religion started in the last century. This is the cause communal politics and jihadi /hindutva terrorism. Islam is more easily politically manipulated than other religions and thus became a major victim of this menance
charakan…
hindutva terrorism has always been only a ‘reaction’ in self-defence to an offensive ‘action’. remove the action and the reaction would disappear on its own. but one must hastily work towards removing the actions since reactions could become unprovoked actions once one finds the meat is tasty.
Vasudev, Communalism feeds on each other and one needs the other for its growth.So curbing everything together is the solution.
Vinod, and I’m not denying that there are other factors too. Just like a fertile soil needs seeds, then water and right conditions to sprout seedlings (ugh, that was an unpleasant analogy for me to write, since I enjoy gardening). Though, what reasons do you think Osama Bin Laden had to start blowing up things and people, and what makes his reasons valid?
I’m fine with self-introspection, but not to the extent that I start ignoring other people’s obvious faults just because it’d be un-PC to say them.
Though, what reasons do you think Osama Bin Laden had to start blowing up things and people, and what makes his reasons valid?
If I recall correctly Osama gave both dogmatic reasons coupled with political facts (about Palestine and Saudi Arabia) to justify it. How different is this from the justification of ‘spreading democracy and freedom’ to wage war in the middle east?
I’m not saying two wrongs make a right. But I think it is important to see that the extent of wrong in one kind of action and rhetoric is no less grave than another. While we take the pains to see the facts behind the ‘dogma of freedom’ to see the real reasons for the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, will we give muslim terrorists the same analytical treatment? Will we take the pains to see the real concerns behind their rhetoric ?
I think dogma is only justificatory to a pre-conceived course of action, although it is precedes it. A closer look elucidates: An imam choosing what to preach in the mosque picks issues that he thinks the community must pressingly address; he decides on verses to recite in his sermon that persuade towards a certain course of action which he thinks is needed. The teachings of the Quran are for the most part heavily grounded in a certain context that are not easily discerned and deriving the timeless teaching from such verses can be an ardous task. Such derivation allows for sufficient human ingenuity to give the verses the slant that one desires. Verses that command violence and hate can be highlighted without regard to the conditions that such violence should be subjected to or the verses that command tolerance and peace. These verses are combined with certain facts to form a sermon urging for action, even if it be killing civilians.
Interpreting texts involves a subjective component. Islam will continually be interpreted violently by a section of the muslim world as long as muslims feel targeted and cornered. Religion is used to address and justify deep resentments.
I find it impossible to analyze terrorism and its rhetoric without the associated political facts.
[Islam will continually be interpreted violently by a section of the muslim world as long as muslims feel targeted and cornered.]
problem with islam is that anyone who is a muslim in any part of the globe is a problem for another muslim. hence, irrespective of his own position of comfort and richness (like obama) a muslim will take-up cudgels to fight another’s cause, however remote is that individual to him. therefore, a muslim will forever feel targeted and cornered even with the broad expanse of sahara desert or the arabian ocean behind him!
it is this madness that can make a daryaganj muslim teenager or toddler follow suit with a paki or afgani muslim bomber. they just cannot let go of the feeling of being the ‘only one’ pushed to a corner (friend or foe be damned. it is only the religion that counts). the one who always wants to look for corners would find them aplenty!
this is very much differen from both christians and hindus who do not bind on the basis of religion and therefore find themselves enjoying their own present moments. another aspect of islam is the false promise of 72 huris in jannath. they emphasise more on life after death rather than life itself. therefore death as such does notg frighten a muslim who is in a hurry to reach heaven and liberation as if life on earth is a painful wait and any excuse is good enough to kick and depart. in this respect children can be brainwashed as being lucky to wait the least bit before they blast and take-off towards the 72 huris (wonder what un-pubertied boys can do to buxom huries, even in heaven?)
correction: please read ‘obama’ as ‘osama’
Those are definitely good points, Vasudev. Thanks.
But can we ask muslims to stop feeling any brotherliness to their fellow religionists? Can we ask them to stop glorifying the hereafter? The muslim worldview is a real worldview and the only way we can deal with them respectfully is that we recognize that they form a substantial portion of the human population who bond in a unique way. And that is just something that the non-muslim world has to live with. Realistically, Islam is here to stay and there is nothing we can do to alter its fundamental tenets – the belief in Hereafter and the brotherhood of believers. We can only learn to negotiate around it, as much as we may dislike it.
Vinod:
“But can we ask muslims to stop feeling any brotherliness to their fellow religionists? “
What brotherliness? The same one that makes Shias and Sunnis kill each other? You’re ignoring certain facts again, to make that statement. The brotherliness is very selective in nature.
“Can we ask them to stop glorifying the hereafter? “
No, but we can challenge them, just like we challenge issues of racism, sexism and other social issues and social problems, and discuss them. I’ll agree with you to the extent that how something is said, can make a difference. Isn’t truth supposed to set you free? Satyamev jayate?
“The muslim worldview is a real worldview and the only way we can deal with them respectfully is that we recognize that they form a substantial portion of the human population who bond in a unique way.”
So, you’re saying we should ignore facts and be politically correct out of fear? Hindus form a huge population too, so should we apply the same logic to them too, regarding relevant socio-religious issues? The Muslim worldview is not immutable, as many examples like those of Naseeruddin Shah, Taslima Nasreen and other (ex)Muslims show. Shouldn’t we support such people instead of caving in to fear?
I also want to add that the muslim scholars who criticize terrorists also use the texts of Islam in their arguments.
No, but we can challenge them,
Yes, we can. But that needs to be done intelligently and very astutely. The best people to do that are other muslim scholars themselves (Tariq Ramadan etc). I don’t think govts are recognizing the potential that they have. Even if they do, their efforts at enlisting them are not earnest enough.
I’m not sure the ex-muslims are going to be great examples.
“The teachings of the Quran are for the most part heavily grounded in a certain context that are not easily discerned and deriving the timeless teaching from such verses can be an ardous task. Such derivation allows for sufficient human ingenuity to give the verses the slant that one desires”
Why do people even bother about some verses written thousands of years ago in an alien language… Whatever happened to that thing called evolution….
We have been accmodating this brotherhood tendency for several decades. But I’m sure the Western world is in no mood to negotiate around the Muslim identity.
vinod…
thanks for the appreciation.
but my problem is that i cannot polarise god as unique in ways that man designed. and hence i find the teachings of islam quite difficult to digest. and i do not think there should be a brotherhood. if there is a brotherhood then there is also a brotherhood in communism (communists) where they align with like thinkers (including the enemy) to destroy from within.
a religion must be a torch bearer of proper ways and a teacher to one and all, irrespective of temporary beliefs. i do not see any place for organised protests or extreme reactions in a peaceful religion. i do not see any need to isolate and qualify. and above all i do not see any reason to incentivice with dame flesh. hinduism in fact asks every male heaven seeker to reject dame flesh and practice celibacy to attain that strength of character that can hold the mind steady in dhyana.
but then again…it is kalikalam
and
‘vinashakale vipareetha budhi!’
in fact the old testament led those ancient christians to a horrendous life with spikes, inquisitions, witchcraft and human bonfires, devil worship and incests galore till they used the tool of evolvement and normalising in tune with times and brought out the more human-like new testament. however there are sections of christians who reject the new and study only the old. such are the ones who rile, rib and abrade with constant query into the lives of other faiths.
“How different is this from the justification of ’spreading democracy and freedom’ to wage war in the middle east?”
Very different. One was in the context of a democracy, which ensures accountability theoretically, and in practice, to some extent – and an exit of the President after a maximum of 8 years (and hopefully, a reversal of his policies); whereas the other one is a terrorist – plain and simple. Besides, there were many people who spoke out and opposed “spreading freedom”, as well as there was an opportunity to vote Bush out in 2004, with Kerry getting the largest number of popular votes till then, only to be topped by Bush. Where’s the chance to vote on Osama’s policies? Unfortunately, that’s how a democracy works – if you have a better system, please suggest, but pointing out flaws of democracy to validate a terrorist? Then again, these same people would’ve been alarmed at Taliban stoning women, and called for USA to do something if it had stayed out. It’s a case of damned-if-you-do, and damned-if-you-don’t – because some people are confused in their thinking and have a paralysis of analysis.
“I’m not saying two wrongs make a right.”
Seems like that to me, along with creating moral equivalence when it doesn’t exist.
Amit, I am sorry to butt into this very interesting conversation, but I would like to point out that there is a huge difference between the dogma of establishing democracy and actually ensuring the accountability you have mentioned.
My comment here is unrelated to your discussion and comparison with terrorism and Islam.
America and Americans are really not very interested in ‘spreading democracy’. Their support for numerous dictators and their own authoritarian past (ask the native Americans and blacks) is enough evidence. And that really proves that the rhetoric about spreading democracy is just that, rhetoric.
Vinod, Bin Laden’s motivations are both dogmatic and political. But they dont really stem from wanting the well being of the Palestinians, in fact, there are probably highly personal motivations involved here, related to his own ego.
“Amit, I am sorry to butt into this very interesting conversation, but I would like to point out that there is a huge difference between the dogma of establishing democracy and actually ensuring the accountability you have mentioned.”
Vikram, seems like you misread my comment. I was talking about Bush and democracy in America (accountability) and not about establishing democracy in Iraq, or accountability in Iraq, or democracy in any other country.
And yes, I am aware of America’s handshake deals with dictators in the past, as well as the rhetoric of “bringing freedom and democracy” – which many in America saw through and opposed. Having said that, I’m also glad that Saddam Hussein is gone, the Kurds are not repressed anymore and have a say in deciding their future. There’s some silver lining, after all.
Vikram, I see how my earlier comment was a bit unclear. I wasn’t defending Bush’s war in Iraq, or his bringing “democracy and freedom” – merely pointing out that the decision to go to war in Iraq – wrong as it was – happened within the framework of a democracy (America), and there was plenty of opposition to it among the citizens.
Vikram, yes, there is an arguable case that Osama’s intentions are not so much about the Palestianian people than it is about his grievances with his kith and kin who rule in Saudi.
“But I think it is important to see that the extent of wrong in one kind of action and rhetoric is no less grave than another. “
Vinod, I’m not sure there’s a conflict. Terrorism and extremism need to be opposed for obvious reasons, and efforts need to be made to hold those who are voted in, accountable for their actions. I don’t see an either/or situation here.
Amit, I realized that the analogy between the rhetoric of democracy and the kafir-muslim rhetoric was a bad one a few hours after I posted because of the difference in principle between the two labels. But the point I was trying to make is that it is possible to see beyond the rhetoric to identify the factors that give that rhetoric its persuasive power. Even Bush’s rhetoric of democracy moved a lot of Americans because they actually subscribed to that oversimplified view of the middle east (a view long nourished by the media there) and the agenda of the terrorists (“they are out to get our freedoms”).
Rags, Amit as you can see, your approach goes directly to the beliefs of Islam. That will only make muslims feel even more thwarted and hold on more firmly to a twisted idea of it. I believe that muslims are good humans (well…as good as humans can get) like everyone else. If their trust is won, they will create a good, modern view out of their religious texts. And if they are antagonized they will continue to generate terrorist ideologies. I know of Imams who champion for gay rights motivated by Islam!! I know of Imams who champion Sunni-Shiite harmony, again motivated by Islam.
Vasudev, do remember that the beliefs in paradise and the brotherhood of the believers are also ideas that daily inspire a number of muslims to undertake sacrifices to do good. The belief is there to motivate to action. Our concern should be to see what kind of end goals or causes muslims create for their actions and ask why? The beliefs do not provide the end-goals of life themselves.
sacrifice!
i have something to say about this. like what a muslim colleague very correctly (correct from his point of view) pointed out to me that we drown our gods every year and then model them out anew every year i too have this thing against bakri-eid. they sacrifice goats and other animals by the billions every year on one single day. the earth turns red that day and all because of what nabi did. nabi gave away his son to the altar of the sword. muslims give away poor goats! and they tell me the goat is nurtured like a son and at the end its neck is sliced off painlessly, caressingly and with love and care! what trash! god would be more happy if a good muslim simply snicks his own thumb and offers that as the sacrifice.
i remember hindus were equally and grossly aboriginal once, say 5 decades ago when animal sacrifices were rampant in hindu temples. i dunno about other places but in kerala animal sacrifices stopped about 50 to 60 yrs back. where once goats and chicken were head-chopped nicely and the crowd enjoyed th free blood shower while intoxicated to their gills (maybe they also gained a sexual high watching and experiencing all this). all this was stopped and in its place the vegetable kaddu is being cut and offered. now vinod…that is called evolving with the times and tastes and maturing to encompass all that is modern. of course one can see beef stalls, chicken stalls, goat stalls all mushrooming every day in public places where they kill them openly but the temples and hinduism is out of it.
not to say the same about w.bengal where this horrible practice is followed every day in some kali temples and where kali/durga puja is accompanied by public destruction of thousands of goats on a single day per single temple. now, the bengis really need to grow up and stop playing this ‘khoon ka holi’.
Vinod,
I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Though keep in mind that the original comment I responded to, you mis-stated facts about Muslim religious identity development being the same as Hindu religious identity.
Regarding your second paragraph, why not apply the same logic and same thinking to Hinduism then? 🙂
Why give deference and legitimacy to one religion and its beliefs? Unless your beliefs in values of equality and freedom are conditional and selective. There were lots of people who wanted to keep Hindu laws in 1947 when the Constitution was being drafted.
I also disagree that (ex)Muslims are not going to be good examples – you left out the important part – for whom? It all comes down to which subset of population we have in mind, and it’s not inconceivable that many Muslims would want to find a way to leave their religion, if there are examples of others. And if someone has taken the brave step – knowing very well how difficult it is – to not support them, or to even ignore or criticize them, doesn’t quite mesh with the ideas of freedom and a free society, does it?
“Even Bush’s rhetoric of democracy moved a lot of Americans because they actually subscribed to that oversimplified view of the middle east (a view long nourished by the media there) and the agenda of the terrorists (”they are out to get our freedoms”).”
Again, if you look at the 2004 election results, you’ll find that it didn’t move nearly half the population that voted against Bush. Can you give me examples of protests against Osama Bin Laden’s reprehensible actions among those who protested so strongly against Danish cartoons? You’re making your case by focusing on the other half that still believed it, whereas I’m making it by looking at a different subset.
Anyway, looks like the discussion has run its course.
Vasudev, millions of the poor are fed for days by the meat produced in this sacrifice. And compared to the commercial slaughter houses, the hand slaughtering is humane. Atleast one gets to see the animal being killed, the loss of fauna involved in fulfilling a need of man and is grateful for the meat; quite unlike picking up frozen chicken franks from a hypermarket.
To repeat, there is a lot of good being done, including the above, motivated by the belief in the hereafter.
Amit, just to be clear I’m no fan of the Shariah. I dread aspects of it which I deem are fundamentally anachronistic – the apostasy law, the divorce laws, the polygamy laws, the inheritance laws. I don’t think I have spoken in favour of the Shariah anywhere here.
this is eradicates poverty and corruption.we will see the true development in india. it gives original blood to india and it makes wealth and health india.
The jihadist ideology is preached to youths, in formal or informal settings, in college campuses. Ideology is a combination of Quranic verses, ahadith and simplified, one-sided political facts.
I think those are the stuff alluded to by “youth culture”
My first experience of religious hate occured when I was 12 yrs old. My bench mate whispered to me pointing to another classmate of mine that he being a Muslim can marry 4 times while we could marry only once. He also proclaimed that in 20 years Muslims will be majority in India. He supposedly got all those information from the ‘Sakha’ he used to attend.When I reached professional College hostel I saw Muslim students of my class being offered special academic coaching by seniors if they join Islamic classes and participate in community prayers in the hostel rooms. Those muslim students who were unwilling for all these were considered outcastes. Hate is propagated by all who uses religion for political purposes .
Charakan, it is sad and ugly, isn’t it, when religion becomes a divisive force?
The guy who said he can marry 4 times will quite likely have a bad married life and put his wife through misery, unless he has changed his thinking. Let’s pray he has.
I also think that their paradigm is very city and middle-class focussed. While there is emphasis on industry and trade, it does not account for the fact that industry in India (the Tatas, Reliance etc) is in bed with the government in exploiting adivasis and the farmers, which in turn breeds the naxalite and now maliciously called “Maoist” movements.
That whole part of the effect of economics on the social polity of India does not figure in their analysis.
Vinod, I think it does. I will send you the powerpoint presentation that i have, on email.
Can you send that presentation to me also?
I tried and the mail bounced back. Can you write to me from another email id? My email id is on the blog. – Nita
Boy!!! Nita, i freaked out the moment I saw the flow charts … 🙂 I am sorry to have commented like this on a serious post of yours! 🙂
Thats okay sakhi! You are welcome anytime! 🙂 – Nita
This is so interesting.. I will have to get on their site to understand more about the proposal.. It sure sounds a good way forward from whatever you have detailed here.
hmm..I haven’t across this till now…will have to find out a bit more before I can give my thoughts on it…but yes , the idea of reducing notes to within 50 Rs , is a good idea..but then there are problems such as not everyone has a bank account and then a debit card..we need to have enough ATMs around to draw cash quickly…
Hi Nita, people file PILs for stupid reasons like kissing in the public, but, how come they do not file a PIL against the government for refusing to accept the proposal by Germany, which is a clear evidence that they are in cahoots with the tax evaders?
By the way, Nita, thanks for posting this article. I am glad such voluntary movements are coming up and we need to encourage them.
Hi Nita, I came across this article – http://www.citymayors.com/government/india_government.html -while searching for infrastructure rankings of cities of the world. I think it might interest you though it’s not related to this post.
I am not a CA but not hard to find serious flaws in the model.
1) Imagine a case when I lend money to my friend and he gives back the money after he receives money of his own. The money is taxed 4 times between these 2 transactions. Any attempt to exempt such select cases from the ‘transaction tax’ is writing a huge loophole into the system.
2) Another case of two companies- Company A has 500 income and expense 400 with profit 100. Another company B has 900 income and expense 800 with profit 100 also. In today’s system, both pay same tax on their profit(100). In a ‘transaction tax model’, company B is punished for doing more transactions, which I believe is unfair.
will it really help, this article just shows an alternate or path that india will never tread.
Thats has been the fate of india as meek and weak leaders nearing death have ruled it mostly.
Nehru instead of strethening education, gave quotas, rajiv instead of common civil code ceded in shah bano case and now MMS works on the principle that muslims in india have the first right to all resource, why not he offers his daughters to them
i cudn’t understand that bit about mms.
mms refers to
man mohan singh
present pm of indian govt.
ah! so!
mms (as in mobile mms) is an apt name for that homber. no self-brain but might talk a lot of shit when someone else keys it all in.
Hello Nita,
Interesting and thought provoking but very simplistic.
The current system has immense flaws and with so many layers of laws, regulations, rules, guidelines…we have been choked. I also agree that the current system does not work as intended and has serious leak points. It definitely needs overhaul.
Further, government presence and support has become all pervasive and is thought inevitable. A massive machinery, often dysfunctional is in place and it needs massive revenues to justify its existence.
The reform process will be slow and piece meal and cannot be “cutting clean reform” implemented overnight. Arthakranti’s prescription is probably what can be implemented after much has already been purged and cannot be the first course of treatment.
I want to highlight the tremendous positive impact of “tax reforms” in our country. Moderate taxation of income at 30% levels and simplifying many provisions has seen increase in compliance and higher revenue collections. This is a far cry from draconian levels of 95%+ we had in the mid-70s. The last ten years has seen a positive spiral in this matter.
A reform like GST expected to unify taxes and make them uniform across India will eliminate many reasons for corruption and boost revenue and economic activity.
A purposeful action plan which is based on consensus is the way forward. Some prognosis of arthkranti may be relevant but the whole package seems half baked.
I would love to be proved wrong.
interesting proposals especially the removal of higher denominations. Fake currency has really become so rampant in my state.
Also good analysis of terrorism.
I was surprised on my first Bank visit here that there were no notes above the denomination of 50. The cashier was laughing when I asked for a 100 pound note. 😦
I think it makes sense to reduce the maximum denomination.
But Indians have 1.4 trillion $ worth of black money in Swiss Banks. Its a hen which lay golden eggs and feast on the blood of the poor. Who will slay it?
Amit:
Many small retailers and cabbies often refuse to take the £50 note. They legally cannot but if the note is a counterfeit, they suffer a bigger loss than they might if it were a £10 or £20 note. It is also illegal to give someone a counterfeit note which you know to be counterfeit. Just so you know before accepting one from anyone.
Ditto in Canada. $100 and sometimes even $50 is refused.
but in India it gets impracticial
we hardly have a banking system in rural areas where barter still works
worse the govt debases the Re on a regular basis making the value of Rs 50 and hundred shrink …Inflation control is never done seriously… we suffer from chronic food inflation.
The rbi has bungled up and things like kyc pan etc and the forced psu push act as disable-rs and impediment banking growth .
Nita:
Fancy flow charts! 🙂
On the “greater use of banks” bit, I cannot help but comment. According to RBI, over 40% of Indian public does not have access to banking services. The great unbanked’s access to branches is hindered by several factors including how RBI controls/ issues branch-opening licences and how banks assess the commercial value of opening a new branch in an under-served area. So while getting away from the cash economy – whose value is estimated at 100-300% of the officially reported GDP – and other ideas here are quite noble, the investments required to make this all work will be considerable. And how will we fund them in the interim? With taxpayer money I imagine 🙂 Catch-22, isn’t it?
“over 40% of Indian public does not have access to banking services”
those 40% can
be served with
Rs 50 currency
i agree with shefaly point of view……practically it is impossible for india to implement this idea when more than half of the popultaion doesnt have bank account…i dont subscribe the logic that arthkranti is only the medium to tackle the black money and terrorirsm….concept are too narrow didnt took in consideartion so many things which are vital for any economy and specially india’s demographic sitaution.
I think we really need to focus on political and fiscal decentralization and empower local government in our country.
That will solve many many more problems than these ‘movements to make India prosperous.’
I think we really need to focus on political and fiscal decentralization and empower local government in our country
Yup. Venezuala under Chavez has done a fairly decent job of this. There is an example there.
Nita,it is fantastic analyses.But,is anyone in the Govt interested?You have also covered the terror angle so well but how is it that such elementary information is not used by the Govt.
As for large denomination currency is concerned,we all know it is circulation for the big boys for easy handling while bribing.After ages I am seeing a Govt being run by the Industrialists by proxy.They are the ones who are deciding the ministerial portfolios for the benefit of their industry.For all this and for smooth transactions, they need high denomination currency.It is the industry which will decide when to do away with it.
I think one major flaw the author has made is that he assumes India is a singlular country rather than different ‘individual’ countries grouped together for convenience.
Therefore, he cannot abolish taxes. Each state flexes its muscle based on its tax income. And each state is a separate country within the ‘country’.
The total dis-unity amongst indians and the abhorrence they feel for fellow indians basically makes this a paper project.
doesn’t look much practical
when people are forced to use banking system, more of them will move to pvt money lenders etc, because of their illiteracy, no – access to banks etc, that trend is something that we are trying to stop ever since independence
Love this post, Nita! It is an exellent overview, you made such a complicated question very clear.
Another good point is that thi can be applied to probably many countries, not only India. Russia for sure 😦
Expecting the government to buy these proposals is far-fetched. Govt of India has been making certain indirect taxes complicated instead of simplifying them over the last few years. I am surprised how the think tank at Arthakranti have not done away with customs/import duty too. In fact, due to WTO pressures, this is the duty which is vanishing faster than any other. By reducing this duty by all countries, a tremendous boost to global trade is being experienced. The other duties and taxes are insufficient to close the fiscal deficit! Seems like a dream. Terrorism and vandalism can be certainly reduced with more listening to grievances and addressal alone.
Dear all, it was quite wonderful to receive your comments and today I am again thanking my stars that I have such a wonderful and intelligent commentators! Thank you all.
I wish I could reply to each of your comments but at this time have got caught up in something and I can’t. To those critics of the Arthakranti system, I agree with most of your points, their system seems to difficult to implement.
wishtobeanon, thanks for the link.
Nita,
Nice compilation of facts on very serious issue. All the things that matter to us, comes to government a last priority.
I really hope, let this system be implemented to at least 10%, and we would see a change, as Change has to start somewhere and then it gains in own momentum.
sunny…
since the goi is a crooked joker i got a dose of laugh to last me for a week after reading arthakranti.
if arthakranti’s ideas were permissible naxalism would have been a non-issue, in the first place.
high hopes!
I liked the idea of maximum denomination of Rs 50 as people wii be forced to put their money into banks.So, police will have a way to seize bank accounts of convicts, enslaving thier economical liberty.In a way, it will help to reduce corruption.
The idea of having lower denomination of currency to use banking facilities is great.
If people use less cash and use plastic money, the businesses would be forced to pay tax (revenue for govt as well).
1000Rs note would make it easier for those counterfeit currency dealers to add one more zero to the 100 rs note they are printing already !!
Arthakranti, in the currency denomination slide, should convert all the per capita income into dollars and then divide by the highest denomination (also converted into dollar equivalent) to make someone understand the logic better.
of course, while doing so one must consider other variables like inflation etc…
I propose the following, having coins till the denomination of 500 Rupees like 1, 5 (rare), 10, 20, 50, 100, 500. Bank notes should start from 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000 and 20,000 Rupees. Why? Simple experience, i have been busy renovating a part of my house and I have come to conclude you need to carry around huge wads to buy anything these days. More security, ease of transaction and counting and the possibility to use vending machines!
Well written. Arthakranti may be the way forward. But it seems, none of those who matter are really interested. Talking about 1000 rupee notes, I have never had to use it. In fact, such high denominations are hardly used, given the high usage of cheques, drafts, credit (and debit )cards and online bank transfer these days. Also, the analysis on terrorism and its roots with all the flow diagrams was very thought provoking. It is amazing how the effects multiply manifold – how a splinter causes an explosion! All of these indeed need to be taken into account. But, yes, there are flaws in the system – in the roots and that is why, those at the helm of things are not really too keen on changing all of it! Nevertheless, we must keep these analyses flowing – who knows some day, they may finally realise, finally wake up!
I do not see the relevance here for whatever I am gonna say but I am saying it all the same:
today i went to put my son in a tution class for his xith/xiith. a reputed and old tuition centre of mumbai for iit-jee.
i had to walk out half way through, after sitting through a one hour lecture on the greatness of iit.
this is what the fool said:
bush (george the junior) found out that silicon valley was full of indians. he set-up a team (technical cia maybe) to study why. the team went to india and after 3 months of study gave bush junior a ppt presentation in which the final words were:
“sir! there is this great technical place on earth in india. they call it the iit. all silicon valley super-brains are from this holy place. this place is so divine that it is harward, mit and princeton rolled into one and even then the threesome bhel-puri would not match the sheer genius of this one place: iit”
by now my son had already started scratching me hard and when i too found the atmosphere getting richly-indian-offensive i decided to take some fresh air and walked out, proud that i wasn’t allowing myself to be fooled so very openly!
You’re a wise man, Vasudev. Your son is fortunate to have you as a father.
vinod…rather!
nowadays one must put it the other way round which is:
“i am proud to be called the dad of my child”
in any case the 10th classer knew beforehand that harward was world no 1, mit no 4, princeton no 12 and iit a not too bad no 57. that’s why he furiously started scratching me as if to say:
‘papa! follow-me. the door is still open and i must rescue you before you go all glassy-eyed and commit yourself all over to the liberal trash’
but vinod:
i am not sure whether you were pulling me?
I was serious.
I think the speaker should read a book called Five Point Something… Nice comment, Vasudev.
Destination Infinity
thank you di. first time someone complimented me on my comments!
I think its about time we demystified the IITs. These guys are treated like demigods wherever they go, people literally worship them.
rags…
not all are aware of the ‘5 point someone’.nowadays there are more 5 pointers walking out of iit and walking into indian cos. all the better ones still get away and one is left wondering why the ‘ga-ga’ over a mere nit equivalent?
Well, the assumption here is that the nine pointers are better than the five pointers…
aren’t they rags? well…i really don’t know. but of course i think you have a point there because what corporate world wants is not a book worm specialist but an all rounder generalists. i have found that many of my class mates who used to acquire sackfull of backs actually went up faster on the corporate ladder than many of their rank bums.
The proposal seems to be too simplistic . They are proposing Banking and financial solutions for complex socio political problems
I too agree with Charakan. It is the attitude of people that need to be changed, not the systems. The worst people will always find a way around the best systems too. And they would call it their ‘cleverness’.
Destination Infinity
its great and a successfull step towards success of India!!!!!!!!
Artha Kranthi Movement is excellent. But we cannot eradicate corruption until and unless we discard circulation of money in this society. Is it possible to stop circulation of money? Yes it is quite possible, when we practice the following steps:
1. All Banks must get amalgamated in to one Bank. i.e. Under the umbrella of Reserve bank of India.
2. Each individual (whether he is President of India or an ordinary worker or an ordinary citizen) must have only one Bank Account.(with Individual Unique Number)
3. That Bank Account is for whole life. Cradle to Grave.
4. All transactions through that single Bank Account.
5. That Bank Account is operated from anywhere in India.
6. All your assets, Bank balance (Income and Expenditure), Vehicles, Houses, Agricultural land, School, college and university admissions, employment, Business, Trade etc, is to be recorded in that Account.
7. Bank will take care of your income and expenditure as well tax payments. Here when I say Expenditure, your house rent, electricity charges, property taxes, your life insurance, all kind of purchases like petrol, cloths, gold, silver, land, marriage expenses, dowry, bribe, etc. from Rs.1 to unlimited. (that the Artha Kranthi brought out that all kinds of transactions to be carries out by the Banks but it is restricted, that the Money transaction below Rs. 2,000/- may be carried by cash however rest of the transactions to be done by Banks. I vehemently emphasize that no money to be seen by the society and everything to be done or carried on through Bank and that too with your unique Number. To make it possible the I.T. Experts should come forward and make it possible with one given number. (Some may criticize this issue! Saying that we are Indian, we do not know how to operate Banks even today, more particularly village population. I do not agree with such criticism. Because how the money is coming and going from your account, no one will dare to transact from your account. And all the transactions will be made clear, whether you are spending that money at brother or bar or for gambling for spending at the race course.) If this dream of mine is fulfilled one cannot see any corruption, black money etc.
8. Over and above we need Sealing for ones Bank Balance: Sealing for owning properties i.e. Agricultural land, Houses, Business companies, Firms, Cars, Vehicles etc.
How much money one is needed to live his retired life for self and his wife. Say one crore or ten crores, it must be sealed there and more than that amount one should not have. How much Agricultural land one needs 50 Acres or 100 Acres that must be sealed (India had a land ceiling Act 1976 but now it is repealed for what? This kind of ceiling is not only required for land but also for every asset a man possesses. Then only one can dream of controlling corruption and black money etc in this greedy world)
Thanking you sharing my thoughts of Utopian world.
errata: Read brothel for brother .
Artha Kranthi name may be changed as Vitha Kranthi. When one hears or reads Artha, it is understood as half. So it is desirable to change the same with any other suitable name.
Artha Kranthi Movement is excellent. But we cannot eradicate corruption until and unless we discard circulation of money in this society. Is it possible to stop circulation of money? Yes it is quite possible, when we practice the following steps:
1. All Banks must get amalgamated in to one Bank. i.e. Under the umbrella of Reserve bank of India.
2. Each individual (whether he is President of India or an ordinary worker or an ordinary citizen) must have only one Bank Account.(with Individual Unique Number) and hold only one bank card. That Bank card shall give total history of that individual, such as name, father name, mother name, date of Birth, education qualifications, Your passport, employment, earnings, Bank balance (Income and Expenditure), Vehicles, Houses, Agricultural land, School, college and university admissions, employment, Business, Trade etc,.
3. That Bank Account is for whole life. Cradle to Grave. It cannot be changed in any circumstances.
4. All transactions through that single Bank Account.
5. That Bank Account is operated from anywhere in India or world.
6. Bank will take care of your income and expenditure as well tax payments. Here when I say Expenditure, your house rent, electricity charges, property taxes, your life insurance, all kind of purchases like petrol, cloths, gold, silver, land, marriage expenses, dowry, bribe, etc. from Rs.1 to unlimited. (that the Artha Kranthi brought out that all kinds of transactions to be carries out by the Banks but it is restricted, that the Money transaction below Rs. 2,000/- may be carried by cash however rest of the transactions to be done by Banks. I vehemently emphasize that no money to be seen by the society and everything to be done or carried on through Bank and that too with your unique Number. To make it possible the I.T. Experts should come forward and make it possible with one given number. (Some may criticize this issue! Saying that we are Indian, we do not know how to operate Banks even today, more particularly village population. I do not agree with such criticism. Because how the money is coming and going from your account, no one will dare to transact from your account. And all the transactions will be made clear, whether you are spending that money at brother or bar or for gambling for spending at the race course.) If this dream of mine is fulfilled one cannot see any corruption, black money etc.
7. Over and above we need Sealing for ones Bank Balance: Sealing for owning properties i.e. Agricultural land, Houses, Business companies, Firms, Cars, Vehicles etc.
How much money one is needed to live in his retired life for self and his wife. Say one crore or ten crores, it must be sealed there and more than that amount one should not have. How much Agricultural land one needs 50 Acres or 100 Acres that must be sealed (India had a land ceiling Act 1976 but now it is repealed for what? This kind of ceiling is not only required for land but also for every asset a man possesses. Then only one can dream of controlling corruption and black money etc in this greedy world)
What is seen through this kranthi:
• No corruption.
• No black money.
• No transfer of wealth to other Banks (Like Swiss Bank or foreign Bank Accounts)
• No income tax payments from individual. Care will be taken by Banks.
• No Prostitution.
• No donations for education of children.
• Any donations to the charities. ( will be known).
• Your standard of living can be assessed.
• No drug peddling.
• No theft, dacoit, house breaking no killings for property or chain snatchings etc.
• Every thing clean governance, accountability is seen.
• Even terrorism will be reduced to maximum extent.
• Even cheating will be reduced considerably.
• No Dowry.
• No extravagant marriages. etc
Thanking you for sharing my thoughts of Utopian world.
The idea is excellent, i 100% support it and i will spread it from my side also.
I also want to be part of this group.
Amit Ghaziabad, UP