SPONGING ON THE VOICELESS MILLIONS
(Gram Udyog Patrika, May, 1946)
J.C. Kumarappa
[Post-Second World War a Labour government came into power in Great Britain and began to plan the modalities of handing over power to a popularly elected Indian government. On this basis an interim government and a Constituent Assembly were formed in 1946 that were joined by the Congress but not by the Muslim League].
Now that popular governments are again assuming responsibility, it has become necessary to formulate the policy that should govern their actions. The order of the day has been to make the comfortable people of the city still more comfortable. Government at present is city centred.
Everywhere in New Delhi you find the boards “No bullock carts allowed”. Who paid for these roads on which bullock carts are not allowed? These are built not out of moneys contributed by the motorists but out of taxes that the poor people pay, the very people who are not allowed to use these roads.
Are such expensively built roads necessary? The motorist needs them to save his tyre and petrol bill as well as to reduce the wear and tear on the car. They are essential to keep down the dust that the motorist raises. Such even-surfaced roads enable the motorists to speed along comfortably. Hence they are made necessary for the motorist. Therefore the motorists should be called upon to foot the bill for such roads.
Do animal driven carts require such roads? No. The animals slip and fall; besides, they are hard on the hoofs of unshod bullocks as most cart animals are. Therefore, no contribution from non-motorists is called for. Even should such roads be built solely out of funds contributed by the motorists the general public is entitled to the free use of them.
Hence it follows that all roads needed by motorists must be paid for by the class that needs them. They should not be allowed to use roads other than their own. Charging these special benefits to general revenue is in effect shifting the incidence of taxation from the motorists, who are of the wealthiest section of the public, to the masses, who are financially much weaker. If this policy is given effect to every motorist will be a self-respecting person. But not so now when crores are being spent on roads for the motorists benefit, neglecting the health and education of those who really bear the cost of this expensive luxury, at least in our country.
Such is the case in most activities of the government. Even the so-called scientific bodies, like the Imperial Council of Agriculture, are but adjuncts to commercial concerns. They spend bulk of their money, energy and talents in researching on cotton, sugar cane etc. for the mills and on encouraging the growth of tobacco etc. for the Imperial Tobacco company. Apart from these even the Agriculture Colleges train men for such jobs as can be given by mills etc. and not to enable young men to cultivate their own lands as independent farmers. It may even be said that these Colleges wean men away from village life. Again all this is done out of revenues collected from the masses. If the mill owners etc. were honest the expenses of the whole of this Department should be borne out of contributions made by textile mills, sugar mills, Imperial Tobacco Co. etc. They prefer to sponge on the poor instead.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is also directing its activities similarly in investigating problems the solution of which will be helpful to industrial and commercial magnates. They are now taking out patents on their finding on the reduction of nitro-compounds for cotton colours etc. which benefit the textile mills.
We may understand a small percentage of work of these bodies overflowing into such activities while the core of their programme is mainly concerned with researches that will put life into the various industries on which millions depend for their livelihood. The irony of it is that they do not even by mistake look at the problems of village industries. The scientists on the staff of these bodies have been told in season and out of season that these simple industries have been outmoded and that is enough for these men to leave them alone.
A popular ministry will have to scrap these departments or turn them over to the mills or alternately insist that they should launch on problems referred and sanctioned by Village Industries Ministry or Department.
We find rich municipalities using their great influence with the Government to obtain grants for their work. Where from does the Government get the money to make grants? Not from Great Britain but from the masses, out of funds which should have been spent on their needs.
Public expenditures will have to be conscientiously scrutinised to see that no pie coming from the poor is spent by government in such a way as to exclusively serve the interests of the rich and that every item of expenditure that benefits the rich comes out of adequate contributions made by that class. If this policy is strictly followed it will soon be apparent to what extent the better off classes have been sponging on the voiceless millions as the former will find that they can no longer live as comfortably as they have done so far. If the methods of the present Government of India are continued by the popular ministries, even if the British quit India to a man yet poverty will inevitably increase. One class cannot ride on the shoulders of another class in a free country.