As soon as the early trends of the general elections started manifesting on June 4th 2024, the stock market started plummeting. The following day in a TV interview, Supriya Shirnate aka the #galiwalibai of Indian National Congress gaslighted one of the news anchor saying “why are you so worried about the 3% people who lost their money in the stock market crash; why are you not talking about the other millions who are unemployed and struggling to make the ends meet?“

Who are these 3% people? Where do they come from? What do they do? There are probably irrelevant questions no body cares about, no political party no government. What everyone cares about is that these 3% people keep paying taxes. These 3% people are the only people in India who are paying income tax. Now, Kejriwal and the likes of him would come and start arguing “everyone pays taxes; in the form of indirect taxes, if you buy something you pay taxes“, that’s true but that’s not income tax. These 3% pay income tax over and above the indirect taxes that the other 97% are not paying (that includes the agriculture as well. Quite interestingly, the farmers can protest in fancy cars and can show off their wealth but they still are tax exempt. Why aren’t doctors who save lives tax exempt then?)

Also read: Congress’ Election Manifesto: 7 major reasons why you should never vote for INC ever again

These 3% invest in stocks for a variety of reasons, not for fun but for saving, beating inflation and devaluating currency, probably trying to secure their retirements or saving for their children. These 3% are not the people standing in a queue today for INR 8500 guaranteed by Rahul Gandhi’s Khatakhat Khatakhat Khatakhat scheme. In fact, these 3% don’t rely on any of the freebies that the government offers (of course out of the revenue generated out of the taxes paid by these 3%) just before the elections and aren’t the beneficiaries of any of the social welfare schemes that the government announces after it comes to the power (including the free ration that was being provided by the government continuously for the last several years).

Also read: The addiction to Freebies and Discounts and Delhi’s Bermuda Triangle

These 3% people are ambitious people, who wanted to make something out their lives, they work hard – really hard to accomplish something, their parents and forefathers sacrificed a lot so that they reach a position where they can built on whatever they already have. But what do these 3% get from the system? The amenities that are considered basics and probably fundamental rights are also missing. Are they getting clean air to breathe? Are they getting clean water or rather regular and continuous supply of water? Do they get any special treatment in the government hospitals as they are the ones paying income taxes? Do they have fast track courts for them to get their legal cases sorted earlier and seamlessly as compared to other non-tax payers? Do police treat them with respect and dignity in an unfortunate event when they have to deal with police?

Also read: How does breathing in Delhi feel like? and Reasons why Delhi is failing the coronavirus exam.

If these 3% had an option, why should they not leave India? Why should they stay in India? Just to pay taxes so that the parties and governments can squander the tax money on freebies to win elections and then sideline these 3% like old useless furniture?

You could probably say this was the case forever, then why write this now? Yes, you are correct, there is nothing new in this, however, BJP’s thumping victory in 2014 and the decisions that it took in the last ten years gave me a hope that things can change in India too. The 2019 victory gave re-enforced that very same hope. I had started to actually make my mind to come back home for good. But this election results once again put me in the same dilemma, “should I come back to India? is it worth it?”

The first time I started working in Germany, I came to know something that is called as a “quality of life”. I had absolutely no idea how living should feel like before that. Breathing in clean air – you look up at night and can even see the milky way, I used to think that’s not possible with a naked eye, turns out you just need a clear sky. Commuting to work does not feel like going on a war, I use a bicycle to commute and it is a pleasant 30 mins for me. I can’t possibly imagine using a bicycle to commute to work in India, I had worked for five years in India before I left for EU. For the first time after moving to Europe I realized law enforcement can also be nice with the civilians. I am not going to list down all the things that strengthen my argument of “quality of life” but in one line I would say if it was not because of Indian food and my own family, I won’t be in this dilemma – if I should come back. Moreover, this isn’t just true for Germany, most of the countries that I have lived in outside India in Europe(for example – the Netherlands, Belgium or Switzerland) or the UK(England), it is the same (I switch companies and countries every two-three years, I like to know what’s out there, and I do it because I can!)

Also read: Chandrayaan-3; Modi’s vision vs Nehru’s vision and ASAT, ABM and the shifting Nuclear Paradigm

Modi’s push for a digital economy was an excellent initiative, the jam trinity, the push for infrastructure projects as if the life of the nation depends on it- the life of the nation actually depends on the infrastructure, etc. amongst many other things were reasons that gave birth to the hope that the country might reach the similar standards of living as the developed world. Everything that made a lot of sense to me was getting mocked at in India by the elite intellectuals (I don’t understand why they are called intellectuals in the first place). We don’t need high speed trains, who would even use them? We don’t need a new central vista, what’s the need? Mocking Make in India and startup India! and so on and so forth.

Must read: Lets defeat India together!!

These influential people say only those things that they know will be approved and well received by the 97% and not the things that will actually help the nation transform into a developed nation. With ever increasing influence of the social media the things get even trickier. That is the only reason why I started writing in the first place, I couldn’t find many articles written supporting any of the unpopular but extremely important moves made by the government. I thought if at all I could do something I should do it. I wanted a scenario where I can choose to go back home and not regret it.

This election result proves a point that the other 97% population still has a very short sighted view of things, and they are the ones who decide who wins in a democracy. The harsh reality is that the demographics of the country isn’t in the favor of ambitious, hardworking 3%. A Khalistani in Punjab wins a Lok Sabha seat by a margin of one lac ninety thousand votes while in jail, a Radical Islamist and a Separatist in Kashmir wins by more than two lac votes again while in jail. And yet, the narrative is that “there are only a few people of these radical sentiments others are good law abiding citizens, you should not generalize”; if that’s the case what are these lacs of people voting for? Mind it two lack is the victory margin not the overall votes. The concepts as basic as NRC (national register of citizens) and unique identities are ferociously opposed in India.

Also read: AAP’s no-NRC resolution & a new narrative

The communist sentiment that feeds on the thought that we can take the wealth of the rich and redistribute amongst the poor is once again on the rise; look at the performance of the communist or the left of the center parties in India. As a matter of fact, the other 97% is just waiting to snatch whatever these 3% have built over generations. That’s what Rahul Gandhi’s entire wealth redistribution plan during the election campaign was. Wasn’t it? He can do it because 3% can’t get any party win any election but the other 97% will.

The condition isn’t going to get better, instead it will get even worse. A lot of millionaires are leaving the country, have continued to do so in the past and will do in a larger number in the coming years (number is way more for the upper middle class). You can call them “anti-national” or whatever one feels like but the fact is they are doing what’s best for their future generations. But when they leave, their taxes also leave with them. Where is the government going to generate its revenue when these millionaires leave? The 97% won’t be affected, the new 3% will be squeezed even more.

At last I can only say that this coalition government at best can provide a large enough buffer period for the people who have the option to leave the country before it is too late!

Thanks for reading! please do give a thumbs up, if you fall in that 3% category!!

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