With reference to A Sea of Black (March 26), the latest amnesty scheme will meet the same fate as the previous ones. Few who have stashed their wealth in the parallel economy are likely to come out in the open and declare their assets. For a simple reason: why should they? Appealing to people’s sentiments and nationalism is not likely to convert black money-owners into honest taxpayers. The malaise is too deeply rooted and the status quo will not change unless some innovative schemes are devised. Till then black will be beautiful, whether one likes it or not.
The fear of detection and penalty has not deterred people from cheating the government. It’s time bold steps like abolition of wealth tax and capital gains tax are initiated to put an end to benami transactions, under-valuation and other illegal practices. Meantime, selective tax raids must be carried out without fear or favour to put the fear of law into offenders.
D.B.N. Murthy, Bangalore
What the people pay as taxes to the government makes up its revenue. Of this, 83 per cent is either wasted, mismanaged or misappropriated. Therefore, it has become a tendency for the public to pay less taxes by hiding income, thereby generating ‘black’ money. This has necessitated ‘amnesty’ measures every five to six years, such as the present ‘voluntary disclosure scheme’ (VDS) to treat a patient (the economy) infected with the ‘venereal disease syndrome’ (black money). This explains the helplessness of the government in eradicating black money. VDS is a boon for individuals but a well-laid trap for industrialists who could be criminally prosecuted by shareholders for looting their companies and stashing the funds away in their accounts abroad. Will they take the chance and bring their loot here?
Aarenvee, Mumbai
No efforts were made to curb corruption since the Nehruvian era. Political parties have encouraged black money to grow for the benefit of party funds.Unless our countrymen support this amnesty whole-heartedly, not much can be achieved.
R.G. Taranath, Davangere
The headline of the article Son Rises in the South Too (March 26) should have been Sons Rise in Kerala Too. Even while candidates are being selected for polls, we expect a son/daughter/wife to win. It is this attitude that is responsible for this phenomenon. The general impression is that in Kerala, though a fully literate and politically conscious state, the raising of a son as an heir is the norm. One of the main reasons for infighting in the Congress in Kerala was the allegation that party leader K. Karunakaran was promoting his son Murali. Is the same web now going to engulf E.K. Nayanar too?
A. Jacob Sahayam, Thiruvananthapuram
Yours is a widely read and respected newsweekly. But when you write about important and well-known personalities, please get your facts straight. Your correspondent has stated that the ad agency GAMA belongs to former minister R.B. Pillai’s son Ganesh and that the name is derived from the names of both husband and wife. But it’s common knowledge that Ganesh has nothing to do with the agency and his wife’s name is Yamini and not Mallika.
Benoy J. George, Delhi
Apropos the term ‘canal’ as has been mentioned in Not What He Preached (March 26), the correct usage is ‘kanal’ and not ‘canal’. ‘Canal’ denotes an artificial watercourse used for navigation and is not used to denote the area of a house.
Sanjay Shangari, Delhi
The BJP-BSP marriage of convenience (Together Again, April 2) reminds me of Karl Marx’s statement: "Ideas and personalities occur twice in history; the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce." How long it will last is anyone’s guess.
Abhinav Goel, New Delhi
The BJP-BSP camps in Uttar Pradesh may be celebrating their power-sharing decision at the moment, but these bedfellows will have a lot to repent over in the near future. UP needs a government that can deal with the situation with a firm hand. But this unholy alliance is tied down. None of these parties can take bold decisions to help the people. To remain in power, both of them have to be passive and please each other. The people of the state are perpetually caught between two extremes. Let us pray for the poor souls.
D. Papa Rao, Hyderabad
The cover story reveals the actual state of affairs. Uttar Pradesh has been going through turbulent times for a very long time. Now the BJP-BSP are on a honeymoon for six months each, by virtue of the coalition government. The largest playfield of Indian democracy has been in the news over the years not because of any development programmes, but by the sheer frequency with which its chief ministers have come and gone.
C.K. Subramaniam, Mumbai
The recent train-robberies in Bihar (Horror Trails, March 26) reflect the terrible condition of the state. Fear among people is increasing and faith in administration is decreasing. But optimism still reigns. The show of strength by the Bihar chief minister, cronies bunched in hijacked trucks, cannot possibly bring peace to the state.
Vikas K. Mintu, Delhi
The cover story A Cry In The Wilderness (March 19) is a collectors’ item for nature lovers and wildlife conservationists alike. As the environment movement that aims to create a better habitat for all living beings gathers momentum worldwide, we have reached a stage where the twin tasks of development and conservation simply have to go hand in hand.
K.S. Sundaram, Bangalore
Kudos to the correspondent for the well-written cover story. Mass awareness for animal preservation on earth is the only solution to this problem.
R.K. Amritnidhi, Patna
