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G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016
G Talk
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Expectations from Budget 2016-17
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See you on the other side
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ver heard of the Stockholm syndrome? It is that situation where a hostage, long held in captivity, begins to actually empathize and sympathize with his captors’ ideologue, especially if it is a political kidnapping. Essentially, it is a change of mind that seems irrational and is difficult to comprehend given the grave dangers that the hostage is exposed to. The talking point today is “change of mind” of the Manipuri Iron Lady. I had always contended that Irom Sharmila was the proverbial agitationist – something like Anna Hazare - who wanted to change the system from “outside.” Hers was a heroic stance, a dangerous exercise carried out bravely through the prime of her life for a belief that she held very dear. By and large, it remained her individual struggle without any mass support or mass participation. It failed to gather the momentum of Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption mainly because her demands were raised from and concerned remote Manipur and never got the national exposure that it deserved. For all of Sharmila’s tenacious struggle for a decade and a half, she could not exert enough pressure to get the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) repealed from her beleaguered, terrorism-ridden state. In this context, her decision to give up her fast and get into the system through the prevailing constitutional provisions of elections and subsequent legislature is correct and most welcome. Arvind Kejriwal has done it before and has so far had a reasonable, albeit funny, career. How much of corruption has been wiped out by Ke-
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jriwal from within the system than without is something I am not sure though. By the same yardstick, Nelson Mandela did way better from within the system and the South African assimilation is a shining example of the power of politics. But democratic politics is a game that is funny, confusing and makes strange bedfellows. There is just no guarantee of victory and the admiration that a candidate might command socially is often politically immaterial. BJP candidate Bhupen Hazarika’s resounding defeat in a parliamentary election is a case in point as much as Imran Khan’s total annihilation in one of his country’s elections is another. What Manipur is confused about today is what preempted Sharmila to take this amazing decision. Is it because realization has dawned on her that her struggle is getting her nowhere in getting her demands to be met? Does she also feel that she might be able to get her job done from within the system? That being the case, how would her simple soul get around to tackling the complex vortex that is Indian politics? Will she win an election? From which party? And if she does come within the system, would a variety of Stockholm Syndrome kick in whereby she finds herself actually endorsing the continuation of AFSPA in Manipur? A thousand questions can be raised at this point but it will be interesting to see Sharmila on the other side. Swapnil Bharali Editor
Disgracing the media
o it is evidently clear that Arnab Goswami and Barkha Dutt do not like each other and they’ve made their spat a full blown public affair. But what if one authority mandates the shutting down of the other? This is the way everything has been functioning in this country. There has to be one alpha and one person who dictates what is right or wrong. Sometimes they change their forms to media personalities or political parties or even spiritual gurus for that matter (basically, whatever sells). Media, the 4th pillar of democracy, is being gagged by each other so much so that even the journalist fraternity does not share a cordial relationship among each other. This cutthroat industry only believes in being the first one to report and so, star one-upmanship. The media feeds and the public consumes; we are all hypocrites who have chosen sides in this bitter quarrel and labelled people as terror sympathizers or pro Pakistan or anti national. No, I am not a journalist, but have worked in close quarters with them and thus consider myself an appropriate person to offer this opinion. But please know that this is just an opinion and no one is forcing you to believe this.
The public has only fuelled this debate by adding random curse words and irrelevant tags because Retweets = fame. The public is supposed to be an intelligent organism that has evolved opinions and yet they continue to be easily manipulated. A media house is not supposed to please the public. It is our duty to report if the Guwahati Press Club decided to have Anup Chetia over as their ‘Guest of the Month’. We are not supposed to sensationalize charges that an ex-ULFA leader has already been acquitted of. We do not force opinions or make assumptions. We believe in keeping the public informed and that is what was needed to be done instead of demanding gagging media houses. It was the same Barkha who earned laurels for her reporting during Kargil and it is the same Barkha who is being chided for being pro Pakistan. Every time the public is considered to be intelligent, we prove that we are a herd of cows, ready to take any direction we are guided to and we charge head on. We are involved in a fight where we have the option to just change the television channel and silence will follow automatically. SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA
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n 26th July 2016, Assam’s Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the first budget of the BJP led government with Rs. 2880.91 crore deficit for the current financial year, i.e., 2016-17. Among high hopes and aspirations, just an overview of the budget by the finance minister would allow a sense of positivity for the immediate future. It seems an attempt has been made to give a populist shape by taking into account different aspects of socio economic life of common people. The budget goes with the motto ‘Sabka Sath Saabka Vikas’ as it takes along with it all sections of people in the process of building up a new Assam and thereby paving the way for a very positive change to our state. The prime reason for the importance of the current budget is that the finance minister himself sought suggestions from various concerns and sections of the society. In his budget speech in the state assembly, Sarma revealed that the total budget size would be Rs. 78,253.36 crores and of the total expenditures, 38% would be plan expenditure and 62% would be nonplan expenditure. The total receipts for the year are estimated to be to the tune of Rs. 2,54,599.87 crores against total estimated expenditure of Rs. 2,47,974.36 crores, leaving a surplus of Rs. 6,625.36 crores. However, because of the opening deficit of Rs. 9,506.27 crores, the year is estimated to end at a deficit of Rs 2,880.91. The very term ‘deficit’ associated with the budget speaks of a sadistic angle for the previous ventures undertaken. Given these crucial economic times of the state, where the state’s finances are in deficit and people are also dissatisfied with price rise, the budget has tried to reduce VAT on certain things while VAT exemption is proposed on certain others. This makes certain commodities cheaper such as e-rickshaws, candle, citronella oil, jaggery, tamarind, baby feeding bottles, kerosene stoves, packaged drinking water, LED tube, hospital equipments, room rent of hospitals, bamboo industry products, indigenous Mekhela-Chador, locally made gold ornaments, etc. On the other hand, VAT on
Dear Sir,
certain commodities is proposed to be hiked. The commodities which become costlier are cigarettes, imported gold ornaments, furnace oil, alcohol, mobile phone, marble, granite, car, etc. Though inflationary in nature in the short run, VAT is beneficial in reducing the burden of fiscal deficit in the long run. The Finance Minister has proposed creation of a tax surveillance
prominent persons and officers will mentor at least 3 students each. This is a very encouraging initiative which will boost up human resources development.
Health: Introduction of health insurance called ‘Atal Amrit Abhiyan’ will be a life line to BPL families. Total sum assured will be Rs. 2 lakhs per person per year. The scheme will be free for BPL people. Putting up All India Yoga Institute, adding super specialty wards in hospitals will boost medical tourism for the 6 NE states.
State Employees :
Jayanta Barooah
wing to detect and tackle cases of tax evasions. Provision of imprisonment of transporters and dealers habitually indulging in tax evasion for a period of 7 to 14 years is also proposed. Hence the budget is very much concerned about unethical issues of bribery, corruption and tax evasion so that the burden of deficit and the need to procure revenue does not absolutely fall on common or poor Assamese people.
Education : Priority to education and allied sectors is a welcome move. Along with the addition of new technical institutions, medical colleges and three more universities will be set up by upgrading the existing colleges at Barpeta, Bihpuria and Hojai. But along with a boost in quantity, the need of the hour is a serious review into the quality of the prevailing institutions. So quality has to be improvised and improved upon to yield significant results. TET appointments will help the grass-root education but again their performance has to be monitored closely to bring a social change. The Government also proposed a new scheme ‘Aarohan’ where
The Government has proposed a housing loan of Rs. 15 lakhs to all eligible employees with focus on Grade III and IV employees while higher education loan will be provided for children of state government employees. This initiative will indirectly help in reducing corruption.
Agriculture : CMSGUY is a very good scheme and will boost both marginal farmers’ confidence as well as initiate rural development with a multiplier effect. It will go a long way to change Assam’s economy but only if the grass-root bureaucracy is sensitized and made responsible for any discrepancies in its implementation. Agricultural tax exemption ceiling has been raised and it will complement the CMSGUY scheme. For the first time a well projected budget for development with tax structure to generate fund is seen in this year’s budget to meet the expectation of the people. So it would be proper to say that this is a good budget and quite ambitious with a strong pro development initiative. What remains to be seen is how well it is going to be implemented. Given finance minister Sarma’s track record, I am hoping for the best! The writer is Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Narangi Anchalik Mahavidyalaya, Guwahati
Letter to the Editor
It was a pleasure to pick up the Vol 3 Issue 40 of G Plus. The tabloid looks cool. The matter of Dr. Prakritish Bora appears to be a clear case of sexual harassment with the hospital guilty of not putting in place any institutional mechanism to encourage employees to seek redressal. It has happened earlier with a nurse and now this lady doctor. It is in violation of Visakha Guidelines detailed out by the Supreme Court. Dr. Prakritish Bora is apparently under treatment for clinical depression too. He really should not be seeing patients till he sorts out things in his head. Sumanta Deb Via email