Indian taxpayers today face a crushing burden, paying high rates on almost every essential good and service, yet receiving very little in return in terms of public welfare or protection. Insurance is a prime example — citizens pay an 18% GST on their premiums, but when a genuine claim is rejected, there is no proactive government mechanism to ensure fair resolution. In the case of fuel, taxes often exceed 100% of the base price, yet consumers are supplied with ethanol-blended petrol without explicit consent, with limited transparency on the exact quantity dispensed and little in the way of stringent quality checks or regulatory enforcement. These scenarios fuel the perception that taxation in india is more about revenue extraction than service delivery.
The problem extends to daily essentials like food, where consumers pay a 5% GST but are often at the mercy of poor hygiene standards and lax food safety enforcement. Income tax adds another layer to this frustration, with salaried individuals paying significant portions of their earnings to the government, only to find that basic rights — such as free, quality healthcare or universal access to education — remain largely unfulfilled. Public infrastructure is patchy, hospitals are overcrowded, and government schools struggle with resources and teaching quality. In essence, the social contract that taxes are supposed to uphold — where citizens contribute and the state safeguards their welfare — appears broken.
This disconnect has led to growing resentment among honest taxpayers, who feel they are funding a system that primarily benefits corrupt politicians, entrenched bureaucracies, corporate cronies, and politically influential vote banks, including undeserving beneficiaries of certain reservation policies. For them, the patriotic call for “bright minds to stay and build the nation” rings hollow when the governance model seems designed to exploit rather than empower. Instead of nurturing trust and collective progress, the current system risks alienating its most productive citizens, creating a cycle where talent and capital look for opportunities elsewhere, leaving behind an even weaker foundation for the future.
The problem extends to daily essentials like food, where consumers pay a 5% GST but are often at the mercy of poor hygiene standards and lax food safety enforcement. Income tax adds another layer to this frustration, with salaried individuals paying significant portions of their earnings to the government, only to find that basic rights — such as free, quality healthcare or universal access to education — remain largely unfulfilled. Public infrastructure is patchy, hospitals are overcrowded, and government schools struggle with resources and teaching quality. In essence, the social contract that taxes are supposed to uphold — where citizens contribute and the state safeguards their welfare — appears broken.
This disconnect has led to growing resentment among honest taxpayers, who feel they are funding a system that primarily benefits corrupt politicians, entrenched bureaucracies, corporate cronies, and politically influential vote banks, including undeserving beneficiaries of certain reservation policies. For them, the patriotic call for “bright minds to stay and build the nation” rings hollow when the governance model seems designed to exploit rather than empower. Instead of nurturing trust and collective progress, the current system risks alienating its most productive citizens, creating a cycle where talent and capital look for opportunities elsewhere, leaving behind an even weaker foundation for the future.
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