In this episode of Editorial, Mr. Sujit Nair discusses Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s controversial ‘popcorn tax’ remark. He examines the fairness of the current taxation system, questioning whether it impacts the poor and middle-class Indians while favoring the rich. Mr. Nair also highlights the struggles faced by middle-class taxpayers caught in an inequitable tax bracket.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
[00:00:00] Namaskar! Welcome to another episode of Editorial. Our government, especially our good finance minister, feels that we Indians, middle class Indians, poor Indians, lower middle class Indians, we kind of don't deserve good things in life. Paisa niya na? No money no? Don't aspire for good things in life.
[00:00:31] Let's get right into the show and find out why.
[00:00:38] Yeah, that's what she expects. She says that, you know, ready to eat popcorn which is mixed with salt and spice, mixed with salt and spice is classified as Namkeens. Attacks only 5% GST. Why?
[00:01:03] Garib only pays 5%. Now, if supplied as other than prepacked and labelled, then 12% GST. You know, if your child is attracted to a beautiful pack in the shelf and he says, Father, buy that for me, then it is not meant for that poor child. It is meant for rich children.
[00:01:27] Because 12% GST, Baba, I am going to charge you. Because it's packed, no? There's good things in life. Why should that poor child afford it? Why should that poor child have it? So that is what she says.
[00:01:41] However, when the popcorn is mixed with sugar, thereby changing the character to sugar confessionaries, your entire focus changed. So it is 18% GST.
[00:01:57] The father has to pay 18% GST if the child demands for a popcorn with sugar, caramel. So the point is, as a country, we believe that good things are for rich people.
[00:02:21] Good deals are for rich people. Good contracts are for rich people. Airports, ports, everything for super rich people. Poor people survive.
[00:02:37] Roshan deyatayana, ration deyatayana, ration deyatayana, 80 crore people, ration deyatayana free. Dal chaval khavo, free deyatayana. Enjoy, live.
[00:02:48] 1,500 rupees I am paying, no? To my dear sisters, I am paying, no? You take that and survive. 1,500 rupees, 1,500 rupees survive.
[00:02:58] Take what you get with that 1,500 rupees or 2,100 rupees or whatever. I am not talking about one government. A lot of states are doing it and a lot of states are going to do it in the future also.
[00:03:08] But the point that I am trying to make is, finally, the government believes that an average Indian, a poor Indian, a lower middle class Indian and a middle class Indian,
[00:03:18] you survive with whatever you can afford to. Don't aspire for big things in life. Because you aspire for big things in life, I am going to tax you.
[00:03:26] And the tax will ensure that you can never buy it.
[00:03:30] How fair is this?
[00:03:33] How fair is this?
[00:03:34] Is this is what I am asking tonight.
[00:03:38] You see, look at an average Indian's burden.
[00:03:43] Rich people, they earn a lot of money.
[00:03:46] An average Indian,
[00:03:48] who earns some money for which he is taxed.
[00:03:52] That is called direct taxes.
[00:03:54] Income tax.
[00:03:55] An Indian pays taxes for his income.
[00:03:59] So, an average middle class,
[00:04:01] who earns
[00:04:03] some money,
[00:04:04] he earns, he pays taxes for that money.
[00:04:07] Now, that middle class,
[00:04:08] he also pays taxes
[00:04:10] for his expenses.
[00:04:12] So, the fact remains that,
[00:04:15] if a middle class hires a taxi,
[00:04:17] he pays GST.
[00:04:19] He buys a chocolate,
[00:04:20] he pays GST.
[00:04:21] He buys a
[00:04:23] biscuit,
[00:04:24] he pays GST.
[00:04:25] He buys a bottle of water,
[00:04:26] he pays GST.
[00:04:27] Now, the irony is,
[00:04:29] he has already paid taxes for his income
[00:04:31] and he is also paying taxes for his expenses.
[00:04:34] Achha, income,
[00:04:35] at least you can say,
[00:04:36] Baba, rich people pay more income,
[00:04:38] income tax,
[00:04:39] poor people do not pay that much income tax.
[00:04:41] Chalo, uttna toh thik hai.
[00:04:43] Chalo, that's fine.
[00:04:43] Okay, accepted.
[00:04:45] But the fact remains that,
[00:04:47] the taxes that he pays for his expenses,
[00:04:50] which is GST,
[00:04:52] if a richest person of India,
[00:04:55] goes and buys a packet of biscuit,
[00:04:58] he or she pays the same GST
[00:05:00] as a poor beggar,
[00:05:02] if he or she goes and buys that packet of biscuit.
[00:05:06] Pays the same GST.
[00:05:08] This man who bought that packet of biscuit
[00:05:10] would be earning 5 crores a month
[00:05:12] and this person who bought that packet of biscuits
[00:05:15] would be earning 5,000 per month.
[00:05:19] The person who earns that 5 crores
[00:05:21] pays the same GST
[00:05:23] as the person who's earning 5,000 rupees.
[00:05:26] How fair is that?
[00:05:28] How fair is that?
[00:05:30] And the better the product is,
[00:05:34] caramel,
[00:05:36] popcorn,
[00:05:37] 18%.
[00:05:38] Why?
[00:05:38] That is only rich people's children should eat.
[00:05:41] Poor person's children cannot touch it.
[00:05:43] You don't deserve it.
[00:05:45] You don't deserve it.
[00:05:47] Your child doesn't deserve it.
[00:05:49] Only rich person's child deserves it.
[00:05:51] Poor person's child can have
[00:05:54] salt and spice.
[00:05:55] It is not that we don't charge GST.
[00:05:58] We charge,
[00:05:58] but we only charge 5%.
[00:06:00] How?
[00:06:01] Gift.
[00:06:02] Eat.
[00:06:03] Or,
[00:06:04] go for that Pradhan Mantri,
[00:06:06] whatever,
[00:06:07] that ration you get free.
[00:06:09] Go and go stand in the land,
[00:06:10] take it and eat.
[00:06:12] Survive.
[00:06:13] Okay.
[00:06:14] See,
[00:06:15] the point is,
[00:06:18] I have been constantly saying,
[00:06:20] our government
[00:06:21] is Richmond's government.
[00:06:23] It is a Richmond's government.
[00:06:25] It is promoting the rich.
[00:06:27] It is helping the rich.
[00:06:29] And,
[00:06:30] therefore,
[00:06:30] we see very evidently
[00:06:32] that the rich is getting richer
[00:06:33] and the poor is getting poorer.
[00:06:35] The divide between the rich
[00:06:36] and the poor
[00:06:37] is very clear.
[00:06:38] I am not against
[00:06:41] promoting
[00:06:42] entrepreneurs.
[00:06:43] I am not against
[00:06:44] promoting wealth creators.
[00:06:46] What I am against
[00:06:47] is promoting wealth creators
[00:06:49] at the cost
[00:06:50] of the middle class.
[00:06:52] What I am against
[00:06:54] is,
[00:06:55] when the
[00:06:55] finance minister
[00:06:57] says that
[00:06:58] caramel
[00:06:58] is something
[00:06:59] that I am going to
[00:07:00] charge you 18%.
[00:07:01] You can't
[00:07:03] take a branded
[00:07:03] labeled food
[00:07:05] because I am going to
[00:07:06] charge you 12%.
[00:07:09] Your child can't.
[00:07:10] go to the
[00:07:11] restaurant.
[00:07:12] Don't
[00:07:12] buy it.
[00:07:13] My third point.
[00:07:16] You see,
[00:07:18] a lot of people
[00:07:21] wouldn't mind
[00:07:22] paying taxes
[00:07:23] if
[00:07:24] the tax
[00:07:25] that he or she
[00:07:26] pays
[00:07:27] offers him
[00:07:28] a lifestyle
[00:07:30] which the state
[00:07:31] gives him back,
[00:07:31] him or her back.
[00:07:32] which means
[00:07:33] that if
[00:07:34] I have
[00:07:35] fantastic
[00:07:35] healthcare
[00:07:37] like
[00:07:38] what they have
[00:07:39] in most
[00:07:39] developed countries,
[00:07:41] if I have
[00:07:41] a fantastic
[00:07:42] transportation,
[00:07:43] clean water,
[00:07:45] beautiful
[00:07:45] roads,
[00:07:47] lovely
[00:07:47] garden,
[00:07:48] a good
[00:07:49] lifestyle,
[00:07:51] I am okay
[00:07:52] if you
[00:07:53] give,
[00:07:53] take taxes
[00:07:54] from me.
[00:07:55] I pay
[00:07:56] taxes
[00:07:56] gladly.
[00:07:57] You know
[00:07:58] why?
[00:07:58] Because
[00:07:59] somewhere down
[00:08:00] the line,
[00:08:00] I don't
[00:08:01] want them
[00:08:01] to
[00:08:01] discontinue
[00:08:02] because
[00:08:02] part of
[00:08:03] me being
[00:08:04] me is
[00:08:04] also the
[00:08:05] lifestyle
[00:08:06] that I
[00:08:06] enjoy
[00:08:07] in the
[00:08:08] place
[00:08:08] that I
[00:08:08] stay.
[00:08:09] Are you
[00:08:10] getting it?
[00:08:11] So if
[00:08:12] I have a
[00:08:12] lovely
[00:08:13] lifestyle,
[00:08:14] if I get
[00:08:14] a beautiful
[00:08:15] lifestyle
[00:08:16] which is
[00:08:17] given to
[00:08:17] me by
[00:08:17] the
[00:08:18] government,
[00:08:18] I don't
[00:08:27] every time
[00:08:27] notices
[00:08:29] after
[00:08:29] notices,
[00:08:30] threats
[00:08:30] after
[00:08:30] threats,
[00:08:31] you don't
[00:08:31] have to
[00:08:31] do all
[00:08:32] that.
[00:08:32] People
[00:08:33] will gladly
[00:08:33] pay you
[00:08:34] taxes.
[00:08:35] But are
[00:08:36] we getting
[00:08:37] that?
[00:08:38] Are we
[00:08:39] getting that
[00:08:39] kind of
[00:08:40] services?
[00:08:41] Are we
[00:08:42] getting those
[00:08:43] roads?
[00:08:44] Are we
[00:08:45] getting that
[00:08:45] healthcare?
[00:08:47] Look at
[00:08:48] our hunger
[00:08:49] index.
[00:08:51] Are our
[00:08:52] lowest common
[00:08:53] denominator
[00:08:53] getting food?
[00:08:55] Are we
[00:08:56] getting a
[00:08:56] great
[00:08:57] environment?
[00:08:58] A clean
[00:08:58] environment?
[00:09:00] Is our
[00:09:01] rural
[00:09:02] labor
[00:09:03] getting jobs?
[00:09:04] Is rural
[00:09:07] migration to
[00:09:07] urban India,
[00:09:08] urban slums,
[00:09:09] are they
[00:09:09] reducing?
[00:09:11] So if
[00:09:12] nothing of
[00:09:13] this sort
[00:09:13] is happening,
[00:09:14] then where
[00:09:15] is my
[00:09:15] tax money
[00:09:15] going?
[00:09:17] Will the
[00:09:18] government
[00:09:18] ever answer
[00:09:19] you that?
[00:09:20] Has the
[00:09:21] finance minister
[00:09:22] taken a
[00:09:22] press conference
[00:09:23] and saying
[00:09:23] that,
[00:09:23] listen,
[00:09:24] you know
[00:09:24] what,
[00:09:24] this is
[00:09:24] the money,
[00:09:25] this is
[00:09:25] what I
[00:09:25] did,
[00:09:26] this is
[00:09:26] what our
[00:09:26] development
[00:09:26] was,
[00:09:27] is there
[00:09:28] an audit
[00:09:28] which actually
[00:09:29] the prime
[00:09:29] minister of
[00:09:30] India should
[00:09:30] be giving
[00:09:31] you every
[00:09:32] year?
[00:09:33] Doesn't it
[00:09:33] happen in
[00:09:34] your corporates?
[00:09:36] Where the
[00:09:36] managing director
[00:09:37] or the
[00:09:37] CEO stands
[00:09:38] in front of
[00:09:39] the board
[00:09:39] and says,
[00:09:39] listen,
[00:09:40] you are a
[00:09:40] company,
[00:09:41] this has
[00:09:41] been your
[00:09:42] investment
[00:09:42] and this
[00:09:43] has been
[00:09:43] what we
[00:09:43] have done
[00:09:44] and these
[00:09:44] are your
[00:09:45] returns.
[00:09:47] Isn't
[00:09:47] the head
[00:09:48] of India
[00:09:48] responsible to
[00:09:50] give us
[00:09:50] that detail?
[00:09:52] Is that
[00:09:53] too much
[00:09:53] to ask?
[00:09:55] Point
[00:09:56] number
[00:09:56] three,
[00:09:56] my last
[00:09:57] point
[00:09:57] before I
[00:09:58] end my
[00:10:00] show,
[00:10:00] my last
[00:10:01] point,
[00:10:02] why
[00:10:03] is
[00:10:04] our
[00:10:05] middle
[00:10:05] class
[00:10:06] one
[00:10:07] section
[00:10:08] that
[00:10:09] is
[00:10:11] absolutely
[00:10:12] ignored
[00:10:13] by the
[00:10:13] government?
[00:10:15] The
[00:10:16] maximum
[00:10:16] pressure
[00:10:17] of
[00:10:17] anything
[00:10:18] that
[00:10:18] happens
[00:10:19] to
[00:10:19] this
[00:10:19] country
[00:10:19] is
[00:10:20] taken
[00:10:20] by
[00:10:20] the
[00:10:21] middle
[00:10:21] class.
[00:10:22] If
[00:10:22] there
[00:10:22] is
[00:10:22] more
[00:10:23] NPAs,
[00:10:25] maximum
[00:10:26] number
[00:10:26] of
[00:10:27] scooters
[00:10:28] and houses
[00:10:28] and
[00:10:30] gundas
[00:10:30] go to
[00:10:31] middle
[00:10:31] class
[00:10:31] houses,
[00:10:32] the rich
[00:10:32] men
[00:10:32] gets
[00:10:33] haircuts.
[00:10:34] Haircuts
[00:10:34] means
[00:10:34] they have
[00:10:35] to pay,
[00:10:35] they
[00:10:36] negotiate
[00:10:36] with
[00:10:37] the
[00:10:37] bank,
[00:10:37] they
[00:10:38] get
[00:10:38] discounts
[00:10:38] from
[00:10:38] the
[00:10:39] bank,
[00:10:39] nobody
[00:10:39] goes
[00:10:40] to
[00:10:40] a
[00:10:40] big
[00:10:41] person's
[00:10:41] house
[00:10:42] to
[00:10:42] threaten
[00:10:42] them
[00:10:43] saying
[00:10:43] they
[00:10:44] sit
[00:10:45] in
[00:10:45] London
[00:10:46] having
[00:10:46] a
[00:10:46] party,
[00:10:47] they
[00:10:49] send
[00:10:50] gundas
[00:10:50] to
[00:10:51] middle
[00:10:51] class
[00:10:51] house,
[00:10:52] anything
[00:10:52] goes
[00:10:53] wrong,
[00:10:53] any
[00:10:53] government
[00:10:54] decision
[00:10:54] directly
[00:10:55] affects
[00:10:55] the
[00:10:55] middle
[00:10:55] class.
[00:10:57] Income
[00:10:58] tax
[00:10:58] goes
[00:10:58] up,
[00:10:59] middle
[00:10:59] class
[00:10:59] suffers,
[00:11:00] GST
[00:11:00] goes
[00:11:00] up,
[00:11:01] middle
[00:11:01] class
[00:11:01] suffers,
[00:11:03] infrastructure
[00:11:04] least
[00:11:05] is in
[00:11:05] middle
[00:11:05] class
[00:11:06] colony,
[00:11:08] focus
[00:11:09] least
[00:11:09] in
[00:11:10] middle
[00:11:10] class
[00:11:10] colony,
[00:11:13] impetus
[00:11:14] for
[00:11:15] everything
[00:11:15] more
[00:11:15] or less
[00:11:16] is
[00:11:16] middle
[00:11:16] class,
[00:11:17] the
[00:11:17] least
[00:11:18] impetus
[00:11:18] that
[00:11:19] the
[00:11:19] government
[00:11:19] schemes,
[00:11:20] tell
[00:11:21] me how
[00:11:21] many
[00:11:21] schemes
[00:11:22] are
[00:11:22] designed,
[00:11:22] tell
[00:11:23] me how
[00:11:23] many
[00:11:23] government
[00:11:24] schemes
[00:11:24] are
[00:11:24] designed
[00:11:25] for
[00:11:25] middle
[00:11:25] class,
[00:11:26] tell
[00:11:26] me five
[00:11:26] of
[00:11:26] them,
[00:11:27] middle
[00:11:27] class,
[00:11:29] why are
[00:11:30] we
[00:11:30] ignoring
[00:11:31] our
[00:11:31] middle
[00:11:31] class,
[00:11:33] why don't
[00:11:34] we give
[00:11:35] any
[00:11:35] kind
[00:11:35] of
[00:11:37] respect,
[00:11:38] kind
[00:11:39] of
[00:11:39] support
[00:11:40] to our
[00:11:40] middle
[00:11:41] class,
[00:11:42] the
[00:11:43] maximum
[00:11:43] people
[00:11:44] who
[00:11:44] suffer
[00:11:44] today
[00:11:45] in
[00:11:45] India
[00:11:45] in
[00:11:45] corporate
[00:11:46] is
[00:11:46] MSMEs,
[00:11:47] who
[00:11:47] runs
[00:11:47] MSMEs,
[00:11:48] most
[00:11:48] of
[00:11:48] them
[00:11:48] middle
[00:11:48] class,
[00:11:49] so
[00:11:52] pressure
[00:11:53] on
[00:11:53] middle
[00:11:53] class
[00:11:54] and
[00:11:55] the
[00:11:56] biggest
[00:11:56] sufferer
[00:11:57] also
[00:11:58] middle
[00:11:58] class
[00:12:00] and
[00:12:01] the
[00:12:01] government
[00:12:02] says
[00:12:02] that
[00:12:03] you know
[00:12:03] what
[00:12:03] caramel
[00:12:05] popcorn
[00:12:07] 18%
[00:12:08] is
[00:12:09] the
[00:12:11] point
[00:12:11] I
[00:12:11] wanted
[00:12:12] to
[00:12:12] make
[00:12:12] today
[00:12:13] write
[00:12:13] down
[00:12:14] your
[00:12:14] comments
[00:12:14] below
[00:12:14] and
[00:12:15] if
[00:12:15] possible
[00:12:16] share
[00:12:16] this
[00:12:17] content
[00:12:17] to
[00:12:18] as
[00:12:18] many
[00:12:19] people
[00:12:19] as
[00:12:19] possible
[00:12:19] thank
[00:12:20] you
[00:12:20] so
[00:12:20] much
[00:12:20] for
[00:12:20] watching
[00:12:21] stay
[00:12:23] ahead
[00:12:24] with
[00:12:24] our
[00:12:24] cutting
[00:12:24] edge
[00:12:25] news
[00:12:25] app
[00:12:26] instantly
[00:12:27] access
[00:12:27] the
[00:12:27] latest
[00:12:27] shots
[00:12:28] in
[00:12:28] just
[00:12:28] one
[00:12:28] minute
[00:12:29] and
[00:12:29] breaking
[00:12:29] news
[00:12:30] in
[00:12:30] just
[00:12:30] 50
[00:12:30] words
[00:12:31] download
[00:12:32] now
[00:12:32] for
[00:12:33] smarter
[00:12:33] faster
[00:12:34] news
[00:12:34] experience
[00:12:34] you
[00:12:35] you