Let justice prevail

Media trial and conviction must stop

This is very unfortunate trend that there are allegations of corruption and scams with only public debates. No scam or corruption reaches its conclusion with recovery of amount and sentence to guilty. It only serves political purpose and vitiates the atmosphere of the nation. People have lost faith on politicians and media. All this looks cooked up and managed.

To bring out facts and alarm over corruption is good but it should not become only media activity. To eliminate corruption is need of the hour and it should be assigned serious organized effort. All allegations must be taken seriously and a predefined system must follow.

1. We must have independent CBI, Lokpal, CAG, and CVC

2. Media must have elected representatives. Media must declare its objective and unbiased integrity. Both print and electronic media houses should not be allowed to be owned by one person or entity. They should not have any political tilt towards a particular party. Corporate houses should not have majority share in media and should not be allowed to be the head. Since media is fourth estate of democracy and very important one, its core body and management must be elected representatives from public or like IAS & IPS they should be selected through a process.

3. CBI must maintain a website Corruption FIR

Scams since independence and till date


All scams and allegations of past under this must be listed and published online. Thorough investigation must follow and periodically case progress must be uploaded online so that nation is aware of what has been done, procedure followed or not, culprits caught or not. If allegations are found incorrect then on what grounds. It should be allowed to add to this list if someone wish to bring to surface some past wrong doing.

Scams and allegations now on

It should be mandatory for anyone who claims a scam or corruption to follow a procedure. The concerned person must first post his or her complaint on Corruption FIR along with copies of relevant documents or affidavit that these documents being sensitive have been sent to CBI. Once posted that person then can go to media to put forward his or her claim. In case of highly sensitive issue, if that person wish to go to media first then must post Corruption FIR within 72 hours. This should be followed by investigation and conclusion by investigative agency.

4. Fast track investigation and courts

All corruption cases and scams must be investigated within 6 months and case must be completed in next six months. Nation must have conclusion within one year. Any investigation or case going beyond time must automatically get converted into SIT supervised case.

Let things be clear for nation. Either the person or entity is guilty or innocent. Media trial and conviction is bad for democracy. Those guilty must suffer and those innocent must get their name cleared.

Let justice prevail.

Clean up the system

This is very crucial time for nation.

All government agencies must be on high alert and do the clean up act in nation and more so in itself.

A scheme was announced to catch black money and those who are associated with it. Entire nation is for the cause and ready to bear all inconvenience for it. Unfortunately it is being seen that those with black money are using every means to convert their black money notes into new. It is shocking to see how Jewelers, Real Estate Agents, CA, Money Exchange dealers, Sham companies and even Religious Place people are being caught in facilitating this conversion. What is most shocking is when honest common people are struggling to find new notes, corrupt people with black money are changing bulk notes from old to new. These are blacksheeps of society.

The entire purpose of catching black money is getting defeated.

The status is alarming. When every note is counted and well documented right from RBI to bank. How corrupt people are getting bundles of new notes. This is a serious lapse in system. Who is doing this?

It is time for government and government agencies to act quick and tough. They must ensure that all such blacksheeps both within the system be it IT department, ED, politicians, bureaucrats and outside like Jewelers, CA, Real Estate Agents, Money Exchange dealers, Religious places, Sham companies and especially bank officials are thoroughly checked and action taken against wrong doers.

Since this is the till date biggest action against black money, the black activity to bypass this is also big. This is proving a huge loss to nation. Considering the magnitude of black activity there must be thorough investigation supervised by Supreme Court and its SIT to make sure no wrong doer escapes. Every account must be checked and entire black money must be traced through its route to its root.

This is big opportunity for nation to catch the culprits and cleanup the system.

Making economy cashless

Making economy cashless will do good for nation but it should be done as a sustained mid to long term effort.

There can be gain without pain.

Justice says that not a single innocent person should suffer even if hundred culprits escape. Even if single innocent person die due to reform process, it is injustice done. 

Reforms must be gentle on honest and tough on dishonest.

Many things can be done to bring about a change and moving towards making a society free from corruption and black money.

Taxation
-  Reform and simplify taxation.

-  Abolish direct taxes and all other taxes except GST and following. GST should cover all transactions. With this more money will come to bank and will become part of white money circulation.
-  No tax should be more than 10%. Low tax will improve compliance.
-  Wealth tax. This should apply to all movable and immovable assets. This should be collected only once at the time of purchase.
- Custom tax on all goods bought and brought from abroad.
- Single annual Corporate tax for large scale business ( average of 2% of turnover and 10% of profit can be one such formula) 
- Unorganized sector should be issued annual license with nominal fixed charge. These can be further divided Category A, B and C depending on type and place of work, expected turnover, age of person and family background. 
 

Plastic Money and Mobile Wallets

- Government must issue credit and debit card in association with some public sector bank. These credit and debit card should charge fixed one percent that should go to government as service tax. These being cheaper will replace all other credit and debit cards and will raise revenue for government.

- Pre paid money cards like RuPay. These should be freely available at every corner. Any one should be able to exchange cash with these Prepaid RuPay cards by showing Aadhar Card. Card can be punched in that person’s name and all transactions linked. It should be possible to return and get cash back. These cards must be freely available at banks post office, institutes, offices, markets, petrol pumps, railway station, airport, bus terminals, religious places etc.

- Mobile Wallets – Different mobile wallets must be able to send and receive money across each other be it from any bank or private wallet.

- Promote Registered Mobile no and Aadhar Card no linked payment through simple sms and password. Make linking of every mobile number to Aadhar No mandatory. People may have many mobiles but have single Aadhar No so every transaction will get linked.

- There should be no transaction charges while using cards or wallets or any other epayment methods.

Cashless Zones

- With RuPay cards and other options available slowly various zones can be declared as cashless zones. To start with shopping malls, institutes and institutions, airports, railways and bus terminals.

- It should be made mandatory to make all purchases above Rs 5000 only through cheque, epayment or RuPay cards.

- All purchases through cheque, epayment or RuPay cards should get attractive cash back bonus points which should become part of bank account or RuPay account as long term deposit investment.

- It should be mandatory to pay all salaries more than Rs 5000 only through cheques or online transfer.

- Ecommerce websites should not be allowed Cash on Delivery. It can be Card on Delivery be it credit card or RuPay card.

Cash
Only by eliminating higher denomination notes above 100, all goals of cutting down on black money and promotion of cashless economy can be achieved. It will not be convenient for anyone to keep and carry loads of small notes. Small notes can continue to run small scale transactions.

Be careful with national symbols

Do not mess with pride of India. Do not mess with sacred national symbols.

Never think loud is true and strong and silent is weak or false.

There is a growing tendency of chest thumping for nationalism. This is an attitude of Holier than thou. Shouting about national symbols, National Anthem, National Song, National Flag and so on. Even news channels are trying to prove to be patriotic by having loud debates about these sacred national symbols. What kind of nationalism they debate about?

True respect and love does not need loud vocalization. Most of the times such loud vocalization is used to cover up lack of true emotions. True emotions are seen in deeds, not in words. In our culture we respect elders and love children. Unlike many cultures we do not always keep saying 'I Love You'. But over ages we have proved true emotions. On the other hand other cultures with too loud 'I Love You' have proved disaster in emotions and relations.

Respect for nation and national symbols run from top to bottom. People see corrupt politicians, corrupt officials and lack of sincerity towards poverty & crime elimination and development. At the time of independence leaders were honest so nationalism was spontaneous. Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose and such great leaders never had to force anyone to sing National Anthem or salute National Flag. That came from heart and soul.

With due respect to decision by Hon. Supreme Court, we must be very careful with symbols of national pride be it National Anthem National Song or National Flag. Nothing should be done that can in anyway bring down respect and honor.

One can say that playing National Anthem in movie halls, offices is a good decision and will generate spirit of nationalism. But all aspects must be carefully looked into.

- What if people do not show respect, how will we deal with such people? Will there be some punishment?

- Will this move prove good in long run?

- Is it ok to play National Anthem before adult or some cheap explicit movies?

- All schools play National Anthem, so can we say all students post school have high spirit of nationalism?

- If National Anthem and National Song is played in various offices, can we say it will end all corruption? And those who will sing National Anthem and still do corruption, are they not insulting nation?

Question here is compliance or conformity. Compliance itself will not be easy and there is risk of disobedience. How will there be conformity? How will we ensure that there is attitudinal shift and people actually feel connected to nation and national cause.

People should feel for nation. They must feel that only together we can grow and for that we must have true spirit of nationalism which relates to everything - paying taxes, honoring laws, staying away from crimes, helping each other and so on.

Extreme caution must be used. Nothing should be done that instead of creating nationalism goes contrary.

Our National Symbols are sacred and our pride. We must be extremely judicious about them.