Make Me A Party

Yesterday’s Bloomberg web site carries following report :

“ India's Top Court to Examine Modi's Political Funding Plan “

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempt to eliminate corruption in election funding has landed in the country’s top court amid allegations that the measures will lead to a spike in anonymous political donations.

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday agreed to hear a  public interest litigation, akin to a class action suit, that challenges the introduction of electoral bonds and seeks a ban on cash donations to political parties.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra sought replies from the finance and law ministries, apart from the poll panel. The court hasn’t fixed a date for next hearing.

In the annual budget speech this February, India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley introduced "electoral bonds" as a measure designed to cleanse the funding to political parties.

Unlike debt instruments, these bonds resemble promissory notes backed by the nation’s central bank, which allow donors to pay political parties with banks as an intermediary.

The government had also cracked down on cash donations reducing the permissible amount to 2,000 rupees ($31) from 20,000 rupees limit earlier.

A petition filed by a non-government organization, Association For Democratic Reforms, said the attempt to clean up political donations had opened the " floodgates to unlimited corporate donations" and "anonymous financing ".

"The consequence of these amendments is that now the annual contribution reports of political parties need not disclose the names and addresses of those contributing by way of electoral bonds," according to the petition, adding that the measure will lead to creation of shell companies.

A study by ADR based on an analysis of funding of the six national and 51 regional political parties showed nearly 70 per cent of the 113 billion rupees in party funding over an 11-year period came from unknown sources, according to income tax returns of parties.

Dear Hon Chief Justice Shri Dipak Misraji :

I request you to take cognizance of my following blog ( sent as Email to NDA Ministers ) in this matter and forward it to ,

·         All the Political Parties

·         Central + State Governments

·         Election Commission

·         Association for Democratic Reforms

And ask them to submit their views on my proposal , through an affidavit , before 31 Dec 2017

Thursday, 6 July 2017

Transparency in Political Funding ?

Economic Times ( 06 July ) carries a report titled :

“ Political Funding Next on Radar : FM “

As per this report , Shri Jaitley said :

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“ We are looking at some major steps to be announced by which we want to cleanse the entire political funding in India

For the last 70 years, the world’s largest democracy has survived on funding which really brings no credit to the democracy and I think it has been the prime minister’s insistence that this has to be one of the subjects that the government has to take up now as a top priority “

We are aware of some modest reforms ( electoral bonds / cap on cash payments ) that Shri Jaitley introduced in the last budget

But no one believes that these reforms go far enough ( - including CEC ! )

Millions of Indians ( but no political party ) want ALL donations , irrespective of the amount involved , to be by official / transparent channels ( cheque / Online Payment etc ) , and want mandatory filing of INCOME / EXPENSE statements with CEC !

I request Shri Jaitleyji to consider following suggestion :

STRUCTURE

·         No direct donations ( even Rs 5 ) by anyone to any Political Party or to any Political Leader ( even as birth-day gift ! )

·         Creation of a CENTRAL ELECTION FUND ( CEF ) , controlled / administered by the Central Election Commission

·         Donations can only be given to CEF – and only by cheque / online etc , quoting Aadhar number

·         Donations will get tax exemption as CSR

·         CEC will publish , on its web site , a continuous / dynamic / daily ACCOUNT of amounts received ( with Aadhar No of each donor ) and amounts spent / disbursed by CEC to Political Parties / Candidates ( with full details of each )

·         From CEF , Election Commission will distribute FUNDS to political parties for fighting elections / other expenses , on predetermined ‘ Occasions ‘

PROCESS

·         Funding of Political Parties by CEC ( from CEF ) , can be made as per following two alternatives :

[ A ]    AFTER  THE  ELECTION ( CANDIDATE – based Reimbursements ) :

#  After each Election ( Central / State / Municipal ) , ALL candidates contesting the election ( including independent candidates ) , shall submit to CEC , a STATEMENT of EXPENSES incurred in fighting the election.

Even if a group of parties have come together to fight the election ( MahaGathBandhan ), each candidate will get linked to ONE party only

#  Statement will be as per format decided by CEC , giving category-wise expense details ( all payments listed in the statement , must be through legal / official channels , such as Cheque / Electronic Bank Transfer / Mobile Wallets etc )

#  There will be UPPER LIMITS of REIMBURSEMENT for each category of expense and an overall limit

#  The statement will also show the “ Sources of Funds “ ( with full details such as OWN or borrowed from CLOSE RELATIVEs , with names )

#  Actual amount to be reimbursed to each candidate , will be computed based on a number of factors , main factor being the “ percentage of popular votes polled “ by that candidate ( no reimbursement for those candidates who get less than 5 % of popular vote )

#  Actual re-imbursements made by CEC , shall not be counted as INCOME of that candidate , for Income Tax purpose

[ B ]   BEFORE  THE  ELECTION ( PARTY – wise ADVANCES ) :

# Before each election , All recognized Political Parties will get ADVANCES from CEF , computed using a TRANSPARENT , mathematical formula , based on following factors :

# FACTORS with POSITIVE WEIGHTAGE :

·         In all the elections since independence ( Central + States + Municipal ) , percentage of popular votes polled by each party in those elections along with the percentage of seats won by each party

·         Number of years for which the party has been recognized by CEC

·         Cumulative number of “ Days “ ( not months or years ) , each party was in power ( Centre + States + Municipality ) since independence

·         No ( or percentage ) of seats “ won “ in each election

     #   FACTORS with NEGATIVE WEIGHTAGE :

·         No of MPs / MLAs having criminal cases pending against them

·         No of times candidates / parties were “ warned “ by CEC ( for any reason )

·         No of years for which Annual Return NOT filed with EC

·         No of candidates / Legislators convicted by a Court

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DEAR SHRI JAITLEYJI :

Above mentioned suggestion , is by no means , comprehensive

You may want to consider a HYBRID MODEL which is a combination of the alternatives listed above

It is important that all the figures / data used in the FORMULA , are supplied only by the Election Commission and the Speakers of various legislatures – and made public

Since there is no way political parties will reach a consensus on my suggestion , best way would be to publish an online SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE  and ask citizens to vote / rate , against each item of suggestion and then publish the FINDINGS ( on ALL government web sites ) , on a continuous basis

It would be too much to expect the Political Parties to accept this reform without building up pressure from 800 + million voters .

You may even consider a REFERENDUM !

04  Oct  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Sarva Dharma Sthanam ?

Meaning , “ A Place for all religions “

In his autobiography , Mahatma Gandhi wrote ( not verbatim , but in the essence ) :

“ Initially , I debated what should be my attitude towards other religions ?

I came up with the concept of : Sarva Dharma Sahishnuta ( Tolerance for all religions ) :

On deeper thinking , I realized that this was a wrong attitude . It implied that the other religions are somewhat inferior to my own but I must tolerate them

Then I found my inner peace when I thought of the ancient Hindu Philosophy of ,

“ Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava “ ( Equal respect for all religions )  “

That brings me to my own solution for the Ayodhya – Ram Mandir – Babri Masjid  tangle , as suggested in my following blogs ( sent as E Mail to all Policy Makers / the Supreme Court / AIMPLB Members etc ) :

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ReachOut  Time  [ 20  Sept  2013  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2013/09/reach-out-time.html

Yogiji! Make it a “ WIN “ for all   [  03  April  2017  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/04/yogiji-make-it-win-for-all.html

Yogiji  !  Thisis Your moment  [  11  Aug  2017  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/08/yogiji-this-is-your-moment.html

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followed by this email to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court [  12  Aug  2017  ] :

supremecourt@nic.in

Dear Hon CJI Shri Khehar :

I urge your lordship to send my proposal to :

·         Parties to this litigation

·         All Political Parties,

And request them to file their response before 30 Sept 2017

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I am glad my suggestion has found an echo in the following news report appearing in DNA ( 02 Oct  ) :

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“ All faith structure offered for Ayodhya “

With Ram Janamboomi-Babri Masjid dispute once again taking centre stage, a Pune-based educationist has offered to build a world class multi-religious complex at the site to cater to all religions.

Chairman of Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) Peace University Dr Vishwanath Karad, who himself is a designer, has also petitioned the Supreme Court to admit him as a party in order to present his suggestions to amicably settle the century-old dispute between the two communities.

At a time when Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and even many government functionaries are demanding construction of Ram temple ahead of 2019 elections, the move assumes considerable significance.

Karad, who is holding a round-table meeting here on Monday with religious leaders as well as government officials, is offering to build a Viswadharmi Sriram Manavatha Bhavan — that includes an idol of Lord Ram at the centre and nine structures belonging to different religions radiating on different directions on the 67-acre land acquired by the government three decades ago to showcase 'sadbhavana' of ancient Indian culture. The complex to use Makrana marble in its construction will cost Rs 2,200 crore, according to Karad.

The Pune educationist said he had been working on to evolve a solution to the vexed issue in a way that there is no sense of defeat to any party. He claims to have discussed the issue with Ram Vilas Vedanti, former executive president of Ramjanambhoomi Nyas, Shia leader Syed Kalbe Rasheed Rizvi and other leaders. Karad said he got enthusiastic since a Vedanti, perceived as a hardliner agreed to the suggestion of making Ayodhya and the disputed site an "all-religion worship place".

Karad has set up five universities in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh with several colleges and institutions. This also includes MIT Peace University, which will house largest brick and mortar dome in the world. The dome, spread across 160 feet in diameter and is 190-foot high, will cover a 65,000-square feet complex. As of now, the Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, has the largest octagonal brick and mortar dome in the world. Like the planning, design, calculations, and construction of this dome has been done by the professors, engineers, architects, artisans and students of MIT, he offers the expertise to build structures at Ayodhya as well.

In an affidavit filed before the apex court, Karad has presented architectural features called 'Temple of Humanity' or Viswadharmi Sriram Manavatha Bhavan , which will give equal space to all the eight (8) major religions.

The design envisages a huge central dome of about 360 ft. diameter covering a circular central World Peace Prayer Hall. At the centre of the hall is statute of Lord Ram. Eight places of worship in eight directions radiate around the perimeter of the Central World Peace Prayer Hall.

The radiating structures will include a ,

·         Mosque  along with a " Holy Quran Dnyan Bhavan " representing Islam,

·         Church  along with a " Holy Bible Dnyan Bhavan ", representing Christianity

·         Vihar  along with a " Holy Dhammapad Dnyan Bhavan " representing Buddhism,

·         Dehrasar  along with " Holy Agam Dnyan Bhavan " representing Jainism,

·         Synagogue  along with " Holy Torah Dnyan Bhavan " representing Jewism,

·         Agiary  along with " Holy Avestha Dnyan Bhavan " representing Zoroastrianism,

·         Gurudwara  along with " Holy Shri Guru Granth Saheb Dnyan Bhavan " representing Sikhism

·         and also a structure to represent Bahai, Tao, Shinto, Zen, Confucian etc

.

It is estimated that the distance between each religious place of worship around the perimeter of the Central World Peace Prayer Hall will not be less than 450-500 feet

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Dear  Fellow  Indians  :

I urge you to lend your support to the above proposal of Dr Karad , by forwarding this blog to 

supremecourt@nic.in

This is your chance to influence the  DESTINY  of , not only India but of the entire WORLD , which is on the verge of getting split along petty / false religious beliefs

03  Oct  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Biggest Problem with Zero Tax ?

Only two days back , I wrote following blog ( and sent it to Cabinet Ministers / MPs / MLAS etc ) , urging total abolition of Personal Income Tax :

What  would happen  ?

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/09/what-would-happen.html

Then , on Sunday I came across a write up ( Times of India ) titled :

“ How voting for higher taxes can make us all richer “

In an essay published in AEON magazine , Associate Professor of Philosophy , at the Central European University in Budapest , Philip Goff says :

 “ The biggest problem with zero or low taxes is that , by voting for them , common people allow the rich to hold on to a large share of their earnings, and this has become a hurdle for fair redistribution of wealth “

No doubt , abolishing Personal Income Tax would enable the RICH to become RICHER

But ,

WhatWould They Do   [  with the tax-money saved ?  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/05/what-would-they-do.html

Philip Goff may want to read my following blog ( 03  May  2016  ) :

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For the year 2012-13, Personal Income Tax paid by individuals is as follows :

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(  Number of Tax payers  ) (  Total tax amount paid - Rs Crore )

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(   3                    )........ (        437     ).... Super Rich

(  5430               )........  (     8,907     ).... Rich

(  14  Lakh          )........  (  253,656    ).... Middle  Class

(  111  Lakh        )........   (   23,000    ).... Neo Middle ( Minimum Slab )

(  162  Lakh        ).........   (   NIL        )....  Poor  ( Tax Exempt )

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(   Total = 287  Lakh ).........(   2.86 lakh*Crore  )

  

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Now , I have repeatedly advocated total abolition of Personal Income Tax

So , it would be natural to ask :

If these people did not have to pay personal income tax , then what would they do with this ( Rs 2.86 lakh*crore ) tax amount saved ?

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MY   GUESS  :

#    3 Super Rich individuals

They might buy some more gold / ornaments / flats or take more holidays abroad

Of course , the expenditure for the purchase of flats and ornaments will help the economy

#    5430  Rich  persons

Some of them would also indulge in buying gold / flats

Many would buy luxury cars / luxury goods ( Consumer Durables , like domestic appliances or Consumables like expensive clothes / ornaments / purses etc )

All of this expenditure will , no doubt , help the economy grow and create more jobs

#     14  lakh Middle Class persons

From the above data , it is obvious that it is this Middle Class persons ( 14 lakhs ) , who bear the brunt of the Personal Tax collection !

And , as Rajiv Gandhi once said , for every rupee of tax that they pay , only 15 paise worth of " Civic Services " ( infrastructure / drinking water / health-care  etc ), returns to them !

And , on top of everything , they have no " Social Security " of any kind !

So , I believe that they would invest the saved tax money in bank fixed deposits / mutual funds / life insurance / Public Provident Fund etc , to ensure a small - but steady - source of income after retirement

Now , if Rs 2 lakh*crore of this tax saving were to become " Bank Deposits ", it would enable these persons to raise their " Credit Rating / Loan Repayment Capacity " and take out bigger loans for homes / cars etc

This would give a huge boost to our economy !

That would also raise our Domestic Saving Rate , once again , above 30 %

That would also relieve some pressure on the Government to introduce a forced " Pension Regime "

And , if this group spends some more money in sending their girl-child to better schools , they would be investing in a better future of their children - a highly desirable type of expenditure  !

And do not discount the long term social impact of investing for retirement

In most middle class Indian families , parents today depend upon their SONS , to look after them in their old age .

Male child is THE only retirement assurance for these people

When tax savings make it possible for them to become independent of their male child , the desire to have a male child ( at the cost of aborting a female child ) , will go down !

#   111 lakh , Neo - Middle Class persons

They have just entered the minimum tax slab ( 10 % ? )

Without doubt , they would spend the saved tax money in buying items of daily NECESSITY - food being the foremost  ! May be some cheap clothes !

By being able to meet the Cost of Living  a little better , these persons would be able to live a dignified life - even if living in slum-like conditions !

Their tax-saving would just not be enough for them to book a 250 sq ft flat !

And since there would be no Personal Income Tax to be paid, no one would want to hide any income !

Every rupee of income would get accounted for in official banking channels !

Other than small daily purchases , large CASH payments will disappear !

Official payments ( through electronic transfer / credit cards / mobile wallets etc ) will dramatically go up  !

Banks will get huge amounts of deposits and be in a position to engage in micro - lending !

P2P lending platforms will take off like a rocket  ! Especially those " RICH " and the " SUPER RICH " will now start lending to Start Ups and Self Employed Entrepreneurs , through this P2P web sites

I request Shri Arun Jaitleyji to seriously consider my suggestion in the forthcoming Central Budget

I am confident that not a single Political Party will oppose this , either in Lok Sabha or in Rajya Sabha

It will be a political " Harakiri " for anyone to oppose !

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02  Oct  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs