After the Country became independent in 1947 and became Republic in 1950, Country has been following Democratic form of Government as a result of which any person irrespective of his religion, financial status and educational qualification is entitled to choose or get chosen to rule the Government at various level commencing from village right up to Parliament. Unfortunately, political leaders of all political parties have been directly and indirectly following vote bank politics through which a group of voters belonging to one or the other groups are pampered with several schemes to benefit such groups. It is needless to say that such benefits are, though intended to be given as a benefit to particular groups, they in effect richly benefit the party promising such offers by attracting substantial votes in the election. It is relevant to notice that no person or party can give a benefit to a party as the same comes within the purview of “corruption” defined under the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950 but such offers can be projected as their policy if they are voted to power by including it in their manifesto. Farming community is one such group over which all politicians aim to capture to get maximum votes in the elections.
Throughout the world, we have different types of jobs for earning. The most popular and safe is “salary” earned through employment be it under Government or Private. The only drawback is that it has a fixed income paid on weekly or monthly basis. However, salary has several advantages. Apart from the fact that it is an assured income always on the raise without getting reduced under any circumstances, persons getting salary have several benefits such as payment of gratuity, pension, medical coverage for them and their family etc. However, it is difficult to get such jobs as the same is offered only upon successful completion of procedures laid down for appointment amongst those possessing required qualification.
The next form of earning is through Profession or Self Employment. Though fundamentally, they are one and the same as both are master to themselves. However, normally Professional person is referred as the one who does mainly mental work, as opposed to engaging in physical work and according to Cambridge Dictionary, a Professional is defined as:
“having the qualities that you connect with
trained and skilled people such as
Effectiveness, skill, organization…”.
It makes little difference by calling a person as a Professional or as a self-employed in so far as it relates to the mode of earning. Both fluctuate for various reasons. They may get income far in excess than what was expected or invested and suddenly it may slump to rock bottom level many a times much below their investments and expected monthly commitments.
None of these persons have any guarantors to stand by them and even the Government looks the other way when these professional/self-employed are in dire need of financial support. Sad part is that majority of these professional/self-employed would have started their enterprises availing business loan by pledging the properties belonging to them or their close relatives. Financial Institutions have helpful Enactments such as SARFESI Act to get the secured property attached even without approaching a Court of law and may proceed to auction the secured property to realize the amount advanced with interest either in full or in part. It is less said the better about challenge to such acts in a Court of law since such challenge involves prior deposit of 50% of the dues as a condition to maintain the appeal let alone getting an interim order. This is the sad part so far as the financial stability of a self-employed is concerned.
Coming to business, here too he is at the receiving end. There is no restriction on any person establishing a similar industry/business and the sad part is that such new ventures come after one tests the water in an area! For example, one can see eateries almost abutting each other and the food they prepare being perishable item, it has to be sold within a particular period as otherwise it has to be thrown to dustbin. In the meantime, they have to spend on preparing fresh items incurring fresh expenses. Similarly, the road side General stores that monopolized in an area came under attack from big Departmental Stores which in turn is challenged by Malls and now followed by Online shopping. It is like the story of ant-frog-snake-eagle looking at the other as a food.
Similar is the fate of all other self-employed or small-scale business establishments. Same is the position even in respect of Professionals. Earnings made by them through monopoly created by one even in small places like villages and towns has now to be shared by others practicing similar avocation.
It is thus crystal clear that neither a professional nor a self-employed person have any job security and assured income. It is all the more so since they do not enjoy monopoly and provisions of Minimum Wages Act is not applicable to them. Their financial commitments are not taken care. All because they do not have a single and powerful voice.
Now take the case of Agriculturists. All over the world their case is identical except for the fact that some use advanced technology while some still depend on age old systems. However, in India, considering their gigantic vote bank lobby, they are regularly offered benefits under one or the other schemes with successive Government trying to out beat the other in their generosity. Those in possession of less than 150 acres (it is not one acre or five acres but one fifty acres!) enjoy the advantage of not paying Income tax from the earnings they have made from their lands. They are demanding minimum assured price. Please note that the demand is not for fixing Maximum price but for fixing minimum price below which no trader can buy from them.
One of the principal reasons for crash in price is more yield of crops. Who is responsible for such extra yield? Will they protest when prices sky rocket upwards? Their cost of cultivation is one and the same but sale price varies depending upon the yield strength. Less the yield higher the price and bumper crop will result in price crash.
Even if it is to be felt that the case of agriculturist requires sympathy, the question that will then arise is why similar sympathy should not be shown to others. If loan borrowed by agriculturists are to be waived, how can then the Government justify forcible action of recovery from others?
The reason for showing sympathy for agriculturists is not mere vote bank politics. If we lift the veil of relevant laws the cat will be out from the bag. Many, if not all of those who enact our laws in the country are themselves agriculturists. This will be a source of income other than various sources of income they enjoy. All income generated by them which can be avoided to be shown as income from sources other than agriculture will be syphoned off as income from agriculture even when no income is generated from agriculture. The reason is obvious it being that income generated from agriculture is exempt from income tax. It is relevant to notice that this kind of waiver of income tax is not just confined to individuals but is also extended to Corporates. As a first step let the government remove exemption from payment of income tax for individual agriculturists having income of more than Rs. One crore and from corporates irrespective of their income then this alone will result in a saving of Rs. 25,000crores to the exchequer. By adopting such procedure, the poor and medium agriculturists are not put to inconvenience and at the same time the government will be in a position to net a very big sum. Added to that the syphoning of income from taxable source to agriculture can also be eliminated.
In conclusion I feel that no political party will be interested in taking the above bold step as they will be antagonizing a big bunch of voters apart from effecting their own party men who too would have been following such process of transferring income from taxable source to agricultural income. The matter requires people’s movement through press and social media.
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