Demonetisation and unemployment

Two topics of discussion as we run into the heat of politics in the heat of the climate also are the demonetization and unemployment. Nobody talks of corruption like in earlier govt. that linked politicians to middlemen and money trails. Everyone in India knows that Modi does not need money even after retirement given the frugal living. Cannot be said of the opposition politicians like Akhilesh, lallu's children, mayavati etc who live in palatial building and want more. Can they also attempt to live like Modi. The only link they are trying is to bring in Anil Ambani, which has been selected by Dassault and no letter/link is there from govt. to grant it to him so far.

Coming to demonetization, when it happened it sucked out the money from the cash dealings that was the norm. It showed that 80% of our economy was run on cash and implying that 80% of the economy was run on black money. It needed great courage to attack this black money economy even at the cost of creating problems for the lowest of the earners. It is surprising that the poor took the demonetisation very well suffering but giving it a thumbs up. It was only politicians who were against it or those whose basic business was dependent on black money. With the fear of demonetisation many of the people would now think twice about doing business in cash and would prefer to file the income tax. This no doubt has generated more filing and thus bringing the filers of tax from a meagre 2-3% to a higher level. This will go up if the govt. does not change as otherwise it would be back to status quo of people doing business in black money.

The negative effect of demonetisation that caused unemployment was purely because most of our business was in black and it got stopped like the real estate business. Every Indian knows that BLACK MONEY is related to CASH as every illegal transaction takes place not through wire transfer but cash transfers. EG. How many of us would have paid cash as speed money to get things done. Did we pay by credit card or bank transfer? How many of us would have paid 60% in Cash to builders or buying from others (70%) to avoid paying tax and thus generate Black money. Was it paid as cheque/card/transfer - the answer is NO. Thus implying Cash and blackmoney are hand in hand.
I still remember coming to Middle east and wanting to buy a DDA flat in Delhi in the secondary market. I was told i would have to pay 75% in black money. I had to lose the deal as the bank would not lend me money as the deal would be registered on 25% value and payment 25% in cheque and my loan a %age of 25% value. Where would I suddenly get cash?
Today, nearly everyone be it builders, sellers are seeking 100% by draft/check. Thus black money area is reduced to a large extent in the real estate. If a a new govt comes possibly it could reverse to the earlier blackmoney percentage.

Demonetisation has been made to a Demon by politicians and certain section of media. As a principle it is a good move that should be done every 10 years. However we have to take care of the jugaadoo people who used some of the corrupt bankers and some of the CA's to bypass and convert their cash to bank account. But the one advantage is that most of the money is now routed through banks. Data Analytics can do the magic of finding whose account was used to convert blackmoney and then action taken.

Poverty vs Privacy

One of the fundamental requirement of getting benefits to the right person is to identify the right person. All over the world there are different methods of identifying be it social security number in US, civil ID number in the middle east. In many other countries, passport or ration card becomes an identifying document. Aadhar is one of the unique identity with biometrics to ensure that the right person is reached and there is no question of duplication like a passport or a ration card. In fact thanks to the biometrics in passport, many workers in middle east who were chucked out for criminal cases and came back with a fake passport were caught at the airport and deported as their original biometrics was there in the database.

While commenting adversely on SC judgement on Aadhar may cause contempt of court, my belief is that aadhar with biometrics should be a fundamental document of identity which can be accessed anywhere in the country. Thus, unlike ration card which needs to be changed if one goes to a different state, passport cannot be verified if it is a fake or real, the Aadhar and a link to one fundamental bank account for benefits and a link to all other bank acccounts is essential to ensure that the State is not fooled into giving multiple benefits to same people. Some have raised the issue of  Privacy. Question is Privacy is more important or eradication of Poverty. Aadhar with if Universal Basic Income or direct transfer benefit is provided will have a far more impact on the economy and life of people than some people's privacy data being compromised.

In today's world there is nothing called privacy. Everything is known thanks to social media and people accessing everything to social media. Also, if those intellectuals (I call them because poor does not care for privacy, but for food in his plate) who argued for privacy, travel to middle east, USA etc, the biometrics are taken and in no way can they sue those governments if the data is breached there. How many companies have said their data is breached and has anyone brought a case against them. It is only in India that we have people without a broader outlook look at personal benefits/good to stop a universal good.

Aadhar should be linked to all transactions. Those cops or investigative agencies who try to blackmail people for peccadilloes, minor transgressions of laws or use private data without any basis should be severely punished. Else for all other purposes be it tax, criminal, rape etc.  the aadhar linkages and the the necessary internal tracking could be used.

Just as an aside, if all of nirav modi's/chokshi/mallya's bank accounts were linked to aadhar, all banks would have had access to the overall liability he is having and may have restricted the loans given. It is a different matter that loan is still given by the bank, but atleast there will be a question that consolidated aadhar based loan information red flag is available and why it was still given.

Talking of privacy, those visiting China are captured on billions of cameras and it is more live tracking. The same in UK too. Those intellectuals who opposed aadhar when they travel to such places, can they say they will not give biometrics or sue those govt for taking their privacy details.
These people can put a spoke in progress in India only.

Civilisation chaos

The beginning

While we as humans and civilization grow, one tends to think that the maturity and logic would dawn on us and it becomes a key factor in resolving disputes and thus leading to a peaceful coexistence in this world. However, as can be seen throughout the histor, the opposite seems. One can find a period of peace and tranquility, but suddenly someone becomes the bad apple and creates a tension all around the world. Be it the Ottoman empire or the Chengis kan, or Alexander the great, the British, the Japs, the French and quiet recently Hitler, Saddam, and the list goes on and on. Even some current leaders behavior is such that it indicates another world war is imminent.

My theory is that maybe we are participants in a video game for some aliens and they are continuously playing counter strike or such games with us and resets it once a while, which extinguishes whole civilization and restarts the game. Thus huge civilization like mohenjadaro, harappa and many in amazons, China, India are found buried and some of the discoveries in those civilization  even points to  such directions that they seem they were advanced too.

While I want to make this blog light hearted, the above background was required to understand that we live in an uncertain world and the whole purpose of this blog is to bring a smile in this troubled world without any rancor.

Given the buzy schedule and writers block this may not be regular blog, but anyone visiting might be inspired or pick up thoughts for their standup comedy.
Once I retire, I might add some office incidents and other place of work incidents that is to be taken in a lighter mode and again without any malice to anyone.
I am for freedom of speech, unless the message is violence or instigating physical violence  which I am thoroughly opposed. At the same time it should not be just someones interpretation of this item or that item may cause violence as that can be stretched for innocuous things also. Enjoy reading as I enjoy blogging.

The beginning of blog

I always thought i had a passion for standup comedy, but people discourage me by saying my jokes are lame. Anyway, (fashionable, but grammatically wrong to use Anyways) here is my thoughts for jokes as and when they come and being a believer in FREEDOM OF SPEECH (except someone propagating violence/violent generating posts) this is an open one and everything is said in humor and people should not take it as discriminatory or other high fi words the intellectual socials use.

In Today's world it is very difficult to be a standup comedian unlike in the past (before social media) when people used to crack jokes on bengalis, sardars, tamilians, parsis etc. etc and  people used to treat it as a joke and enjoy the moment. Not so any more. Any joke on anyone brings out words out of woodwork like termites - words like racism, likely to cause turbulence, immature, take back the joke, apologize and so on. The list is endless and trolling the biggest of them. If by chance anyone cracks a joke on ethinic or regional one, you will be roasted on the national channel about India wants to know (90% would not be bothered to know as buzy with their own thing) for TRP's. You will be asked by a panel of 10 debaters and anchor occupying most of the time- why you cracked this- is this not racism, apologize. Some other bringing in a political angle of bjp, congress or aap.
My only answer is that the whole intention was to bring a smile on people's face as somehow we seem to have lost them in the quest for TRP's which only wants to raise peoples BP.

Thus the only safe joke now a days is on BIWI, who fortunately is married and would not want to insult the husband or take him to jail.

So, will try my best to be on the neutral ground as trollers could even force my blog to close for innocuous reasons.