Hungry Kya, Eat a TV

The hungry and impoverished in India are likely to shift to a new diet—television sets. At least that’s what seems to be the idea of politicians cutting party lines across the country. First it was Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu, then YSR Reddy in Andhra Pradesh, and now the Congress in its quest for power in Karnataka is promising a TV set to people below the poverty line. How blessed are we to live in such enlightened times.

On Tuesday, there was a photograph in one of the national dailies where Naxals in the Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh were being given TV sets. It was then I realized that people had turned Naxals and picked up arms and killed people because they did not own TV sets. Until then, I always thought that they were protesting hunger and lack of opportunities to earn a decent living. How wrong was I! And I have the humble politician to thank for clearing my long-standing misconception.

Earlier, the self–appointed champion of the masses, M Karunanidhi, had promised TV sets to the poor and is still busy fulfilling that promise. Yes Mr. Karunanidhi, like Marie Antoinette you say, if you don’t have bread to eat, try a TV set. How very sensitive. People do not have food to eat, jobs to earn a livelihood, but TV sets they must have.

And now the Congress is planning to do the same in Karnataka. Distribute TV sets to the poor if elected to power. Yeah sure, it isn’t your money anyways, right. All parties realize that the tax payer is stupid and will not fight for his rights. So to fulfill their poll promises they will dip into the pockets of the tax payer. That’s a nice way of doing business, I say. Zero investment and five years in power. I guess it pays to be a politician in this country more than anything else.

For a change, how about preparing workable plans for poverty alleviation through providing gainful employment to the poor? How about devising strategies to ensure that the kids of the poorest of the poor have access to quality education? How about thinking of ways to provide drinking water and electricity to the needy? And for a change how about visiting your constituencies at regular intervals and ensuring that these plans are implemented properly and the benefits are accruing to the target audience and not their own lackeys and yes men? And by all this, I do not mean Reservation.

If politicians are ready to do all that and more, I am sure every single tax payer will happily pay his/her taxes, not look for ways to fudge and cheat, and will every year not end up feeling that his/her hard earned money is being extorted from him and then squandered on foolish, unworkable schemes and that a large part of the tax collected is not ending up in the pockets of ministers, their henchmen, and the babus.

Also, every single tax payer realizes that growing inequalities are not good for society as a whole and is a harbinger of violent revolution. And no one wants a bloodbath on their hands and their conscience. So dear Mr. Politician, it’s high time that you and your ilk stop preying on other’s fortunes like vultures for personal and political gains and assume the responsibility that it promises while assuming power. The promise of building a nation and ensuring that each citizen gets to live a life of dignity.