The reality is that no government gives anything to any citizen for free. The citizens of the country pay a price in the form of tax for every service or commodity. The same money is used to provide certain services or goods to citizens.
It is amazing that the Supreme Court asked the central government to find a way to stop the announcements of parties for free distribution in elections. It is amazing because a few days ago a petition was filed in the Supreme Court demanding it, then the court rejected the petition saying that it cannot do anything in this matter. But as soon as the Prime Minister started targeting it by raising the issue of ‘Rewari culture’, the Supreme Court felt that the central government can find ways to stop it. The question is, what is wrong in providing any goods or services to citizens in a public welfare state and why should it be stopped?
Therefore, first of all it has to be decided that what is the point of giving free distribution or announcing to give something for free? Providing basic facilities to citizens in a public welfare state cannot be said to be free of cost. By saying this the citizens of the country are being insulted. His dignity is being lowered. They are being branded as freebies, for which the parties have coined rhetoric like beneficiary or namahalal voters.
The reality is that no government gives anything to any citizen for free. The citizens of the country pay a price in the form of tax for every service or commodity. The same money is used to provide certain services or goods to citizens.
So, first of all it has to be stopped saying that any party or government is giving something free to the citizens. Does the Supreme Court of the country not know that there is no such thing as Social Security in India. Large population of the country is dependent on agriculture or works in the unorganized sector, where there is no facility like salary or pension. If the governments earning money by collecting taxes from their citizens or by using the resources of the country will not spend or take care of them, then who will? If governments provide good and cheap education or health facilities to citizens or provide electricity and water at cheap or no cost, make better transport service, then it cannot be called freebies.
It is astonishing that the governments give subsidy of lakhs of crores of rupees to the industry every year and banks write off lakhs of crores of rupees every year from the loans given to the corporates. But that is not called freebies. Then how can it be called freebies to provide electricity, water, food grains to citizens, honor fund to farmers or get vaccines to citizens?
