TN Assembly election 2006 saw some ugly politics. The 2 big parties' election portfolios had lots of promises on freebies - Free color TVs, Gas Stoves, Rice, gold etc. I see so many negative impacts of this.
First, people are not beggars to get freebies. Freebies would just make people lazy. Take the color TV example: People are just going to get more glued to TVs, concentrating less on work/studies. (Didn't mean that TVs are all bad and that people shouldn't watch them at all... I'm thinking hard on whether the welfare of a common man could be improved because of a TV - The answer would be big "NO". Think of poor families that find it difficult to make ends meet - A job opportunity or a loan for small-business or better infrastructure would be far better options than this useless free TV.) Also, people generally don't understand the value of something, unless they make efforts to get it. As I noted in one of my earlier blogs "Kashta padaama Ethuvum Kidaikkaathu; Kashta padaama kidai-kirathu Nilaikkaathu" [i.e.One doesn't get something without putting some effort. Even if he gets something effortlessly, it's not permanent..]
Second, the economics of the state and the Question - "Where does all these money come from?".. From the tax, people are paying... right? A couple of years back, I didn't opt for tax benefits, since I used to think that people would be better and uniformly benefited with more money in the Government hands. But, now I feel I had been one of the stupidest to have paid more tax - Money in the hands of politicians who don't care about people's welfare - All they care about is "Power & Position". How sad!
Third, this kind of portfolio by one party, triggers other parties to come up with similar kind of freebie offers - Simple marketing concept. So, not just a single party, but all parties would start playing this dirty business.
Last, it's not sure that all these promises would be implemented. After all, politicians are very good script-writers... ;) [And even if they are implemented, there had always been lots of scandals/corruptions in these kind of implementations.]
Political parties should aim at people's welfare and not at just capturing power. It would be good, if politicians follow the proverb "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."
Disclaimer: I haven't read the parties' portfolios in-detail. I dont have access to them either. But from what I hear/read in news, the freebies had been their major pitch. I would be more than happy, if there are more useful promises (false!?) in them and let's pray God that they get implemented.
3 comments:
Didnt opt for tax benefits? Surprising!!! I hoped both Dravidian parties would lose!!! But... still couldnt even convinve my father to vote for a third party...
Yes da.. it was in my first year @ Trilogy.. ideally I could have saved nearly 30% of 1 lac by investments.. But I always argue with people that paying more tax is better, since I believed it's the best way to serve all people of the society..
yes da.. having someone new could have been better.. But TN people are unfortuante.. :(
Also, I expected Congress and Left to participate in the goverment.. but again a disappointment :(
Even the stastics on the num of votes which Lok Paritran got in Chennai is very saddening.. Dont know when would people come out of Dravidian parties!!
So surprising because I too didnt opt for tax benefits for the same reason. However no longer planning to do it :)
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