Stop complaining about budgets

An underconstruction bridge that collapsed in Bhagalpur in June. We need to train younger Indians to be more selfless, so that they won’t grow up to ask why all roads in the country have potholes, why so many bridges keep collapsing, or why illegal hoardings continue to pop up at every traffic signal. Pic/PTI

We should begin taxing everyone when they are a little over a year old: that is the simple message I would give the honourable Minister of Finance if I were ever to be ushered before that august presence. I would first bow respectfully, as I am told is the custom these days, before commending the ministry for what is now a whole decade of intelligent financial decisions.

I firmly believe it is these smart economic policies that have made one or two Indians climb higher than ever up that fabled list of the world's richest people. We aren't a superpower yet but, according to a message forwarded to me on WhatsApp just this morning, we should be one by the end of the year even if the rest of the world doesn't know it yet. Also, if we all repeat this enough, I'm told it may be true.

The reason I want to have this potentially controversial conversation about taxing children is the flurry of complaints that flooded social media platforms a couple of weeks ago, on the day this year's budget was announced. It sounded like a chorus of spoiled children, with everyone complaining about how the government was taking so much from them without giving them anything in return. Some critics accused the finance minister of playing with words, which was ridiculous given how our ministers offer little evidence of knowing too many. Others said the budget was a drama of sorts, with a lot of noise and almost no substance. I read through these complaints with horror, because of the implication that our taxes weren't being used to benefit us in any tangible way.

I have reason to believe that this is more a problem related to messaging than poor policymaking. Let's say, hypothetically, that everything this government does is to benefit the rich. It is an accusation that has cropped up multiple times, which is the only reason I mention it. Some economists have also offered proof of why this is probably true, and I have no reason to doubt them unless the government specifically asks me to.

Having accepted this, I have to ask if it really is a problem. Just because everything the ministry of finance announces ends up widening the gap between rich and poor doesn't mean we should criticise the government. When one or two Indians become richer, they pull six or seven other Indians up with them. At this rate, it is only a matter of a few centuries before that wealth trickles down to benefit those who will come after us. A win for billionaires is eventually a win for all of us, just not in our lifetimes. It's ridiculous that most of us don't want to see things this clearly.

Here's another problem with attacking the government for a perceived lack of judgement. If we only have qualified ministers in charge of decision-making, where are dim-witted elected representatives supposed to go? Governments should always be evaluated by their performance as a whole, not just by their least effective or qualified cabinet members, even if the latter are in a majority.

What we need to do is train younger Indians to be more selfless, to give everything they can with little expectation of receiving anything in return. If we start to do this when they're little, they will grow up to be adults completely incapable of criticising the government because they will have internalised the fact that low expectations are the norm. They won't ask why all roads in the country have potholes, why so many bridges keep collapsing, or why illegal hoardings continue to pop up at every traffic signal. They won't insist on more hospitals or public toilets and will applaud new coastal roads and tunnels for cars instead. I believe this will benefit everyone because a population that is taught to expect little will always be happy and satisfied.

Ultimately, it is parents who need to do their bit to get their children used to future budgets. They can start by giving them a chapati for lunch, for example, then taking away half of it without explanation, while serving them a bowl of cold dal. Over time, this will prepare them for adulthood in India. These children will grow into responsible adults capable of accepting First World taxes in exchange for Third World benefits. It is a lesson that millions of us have accepted, so why not make it easier for tomorrow's Indians while we still can?

When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira

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The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper