Piyega India- Tabhi Jiyega India??

Centre has allowed sale of liquor in all zones, excluding containment zones, in order to deal with major drop in revenues. Long queues around the liquor shop nationwide was alarming and astonishing. By evening Delhi Government imposed 70% tax on MRP of Liquor “special Corona Fee” while other states has imposed similar high rate taxes, and to a bigger surprise, the queue was never the less. Liquor sale came out to be saviour for all State Governments during this tough COVID Time (REALLY???)  except Bihar, Gujrat(Very Courageous Of Them, Need To Be Looked As Case Study As To How Can A State Survive Without Liquor Income, When All States Can’t).

A report published by the Reserve Bank of India last September (‘State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2019-20’) shows that state excise duty on alcohol accounts for around 10-15 per cent of Own Tax Revenue of a majority of states. In fact, state excise duties on liquor is the second or third largest contributor to the category State’s Own Tax revenue.

According to the RBI report, in 2019-20, state GST had the highest share, 43.5%, in states’ Own Tax Revenue, followed by Sale Tax at 23.5% (mainly on petroleum products which are out of GST), state excise at 12.5%, and taxes on property and capital transactions at 11.3%.

With so many other options like manufacturing, agriculture, technology, government found liquors to be the only saviour.....???

What an irony.....

And the way public are queuing up, breaking social distancing norms and precautionary measures for the liquor its really sad to see such insensitive citizens who are risking their as well as other people's life. The picture is very scary.

Where the whole nation is sitting in total shut down, many losing jobs, bearing pay cuts, industries closed, bearing heavy loss, and people crying their heart out about how they will survive, due to loss of their earning sources, I am wondering from where these liquor lovers suddenly got money from. Moreover, people are buying in huge quantities, despite heavy charges and cess levied on it as if they will never get it again.

State Government allowing sale of liquor, may earn good revenues (no doubt about it seeing the revenue figures of each state within 2-3 days), I were wondering how Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland and Union Territories of Lakshadweep(liquor banned states) are surviving, and they should be provided with special government aids and funds.

This is also going to have long-lasting impacts on social and personal lives of people. Domestic violence cases against women and children would increase. The family reserve fund which were kept to meet out unseen circumstances in this hard time is been spent on liquor. Many lower income group family having liquor lovers will sleep without food and beating. How the government is going to meet the health effects arising out of it. The Government forgot about the well being of their daughters, sisters and children in the urge to raise revenue. It has also risked all the efforts of lock down till now.

Could there have been no better solution to earning revenues, than risking the life of women and children, when the government have always preached to be their well-wisher.

Courtesy

Data table-Indian Expresss

Pictures- Internet

Labour Day 2020- A Myth amidst COVID-19

Let me first revisit the history of Labour Day. Labour Day started in America and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the workers’ contributions, who vitally contribute to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of a country. Labour movement specifically demanded “the eight-hour day movement”, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.

During 1800 era, In United States, the average American 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages, (which is still relevant in India till date).Labor unions, which had first appeared in the late 18th century, grew more prominent and vocal. They began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay (It happened in India too, but got politicized and became irrelevant for labourers well being but very relevant to build a political career). And till now it's been celebrated with parties, street parades and athletic events in US and many other part of the globe. Labor Day also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans.

The first May Day celebration in India was organized in Madras (now Chennai) by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1, 1923.This was also the time when the Red flag was first used in India. Labour Day is known as 'Kamgar Din' in Hindi, 'Kamgar Divas' in Marathi and 'Uzhaipalar Naal' in Tamil. It should be noted that May 1 is also celebrated as 'Maharashtra Day' and 'Gujarat Day' to mark the date in 1960, when the two western states attained statehood after the erstwhile Bombay State was divided on linguistic lines.

Labour Day is observed as a National Holiday in around 80 countries to honor the contribution and achievements of working men and women, but amidst Covid scenario in India, is it really relevant?, especially when labourers who contribute to many industries, in many states are being treated as “Migrants”, who are now, none of the states’ responsibility, be their home state or the state where they work. It’s really painful to hear from states, where labourers contribute to their economy, have abandoned them to face the COVID consequences, calling them migrants. The interview of labourers stuck on the roads, due to lockdown is agonizing. The easiest way shirks off the responsibility, as they are the ones running the industries and factories making them developed states. And then after all, they belong to the One nation- India. How does it matter where the people are stuck, it’s on humane grounds, they should be well taken care of. It feels so disrespectful, when in your own country you are being connoted as “MIGRANT”, and disrespected, due to political unwillingness to provide care. On the first hand they shouldn’t have been allowed to be move out of their working states, by the state authorities and now, they should worry if these labourers would return or not, How will industries and factories restart their operation after Lockdown without these “Migrant Labourers”. The industries who have been running due to these labourers, for years and years, have been so insensitive towards them that now these labourers have just become a cost to the employer, though COVID being once in a life time event but those labourers have given their ages to employer.

Are we really celebrating the Kamgar Divas, with so many labourers in pain? This incident can become a game changer if the labourers decide not to return to their work states.

Observing a day is needed as it reinstates our focus towards the motto of  Day observed, but this year’s Labour day in India has been mocking all the labourers and is indeed a very difficult one, as the working hands of the nations are homeless, workless, in vulnerable situation and in pain.

Image Source:

Internet

labour Statue: Wikipedia