WE ARE INDIANS AND WE ARE NOT CHORS!

For millennia, India has been the "Golden Bird" - सोने की चिड़ीया - much looted, ravaged, lorded over, caged, and colonized by a plethora of consecutive non-Indians, who took advantage of our own petty differences that divide us from within.

Obviously, these non-Indians were more interested in their private wealth-collection, rather than the development and wealth-creation of India and Indians. A great example of this is Robert Clive's-the person who established the military and political supremacy of the East India Company in India-infamous defense for the corruption charges brought against him in the British parliament".. an opulent city lay at my mercy; its richest bankers bid against each other for my smiles; I walked through vaults which were thrown open to me alone, piled on either hand with gold and jewels! By God, Mr.Chairman, at this moment I stand astonished at my own moderation."

Consequently, the systems and the laws that they created-which we have inherited are-

• blindingly opaque
• designed to amplify the farcical differences that we Indians believe differentiate us
• while putting unimaginably monopolistic and discriminatory powers in the hands of a few

On 15 th August, 1947 when our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents finally-finally took back control over our own destinies, the men and women who drafted the Constitution of India understood the enormous responsibility that they had undertaken, and so, rightly they called our democracy-The Great Indian Experiment.

But a lie repeated enough times begins to start sounding like the truth. For millennia, Indians have been called thieves and criminals by those actually looting us-so much so that we have sadly begun to believe it ourselves.

Say it with me-

I AM AN INDIAN, AND I AM NOT A CRIMINAL.

Today, we have the means, the will, and the technology to make our laws, and our systems TRANSPARENT.

Let us further The Great Indian Experiment. For example let's take the Income Tax Department. How can we make it more robust, and free of corruption-

• Abolish TAX TARGETS. Incomes fluctuate from year to year.

o Use data analysis, and data management to determine what the tax for a given period of time for every entity should be.

• Reform the duties of the tax officers to become tax-processors, instead of the present "tax-collectors".
• The onus needs to rest with the tax-officer to prove, and justify the need to even communicate with a taxpayer, let alone raid an Indian citizen's dignity without notice.
• Harness the technology of Blockchain

o Each taxpayer using his/her unique key will be able to see the breakdown of where our tax rupees is being utilised-police, education, infrastructure, transport, health, arts, research, etc.
o Because of the immutability of blockchain, any leakages enroute will be immediately identified, and addressed. Thus ensuring Certainty of Punishment.
o When we Indians begin to see, and experience the benefits of our hard-earned rupees actually being utilised in public facilities that make our day-to-day lives easier, safer, and more convenient-taxes will be filed honestly, and regularly.

We already have a capable, and skilled Finance Minister, who for the first time in our democratic history began her maiden budget speech by honouring honest tax-payers-you and me. Who understands, and does not shy away from addressing the lacunae in our system.

The Modi government is actively on a "Swachch Bharat Mission", taking concrete steps to deter corruption at all stages. But a nation dreaming, and endeavouring to become a $5 trillion dollar economy, cannot afford to treat and harass its citizens like common criminals.

It needs to provide the citizens a period of transition.

When the previously established system promoted corruption, and compelled citizens to navigate daily life only by paying bribes, and untoward favours to the few with monopolistic powers-the new system endeavouring to create a transparent and non-corrupt environment needs to give the citizens the time, and the confidence to live a life free of corruption.

We must understand, if there is an Indian offering and/or putting currency notes under the table, there is another Indian sitting opposite demanding and/or receiving those notes under the table too. Vilifying just one party is extremely unfair, and betrays our prejudices.

A few steps that we can take to redesign our system to be transparent and corruption-free are-

• Close all books before 8 November 2016. Reap the real benefits of Demonetisation.

o Any defaults found after this date is liable for investigation, and due process.
o Abolish reopening of files beyond 3 years. This practice of holding an Indian citizen to ransom for acts done in a past system that was designed to be corrupt and predatory - prevents the citizen to actually reap the benefits of the new system designing itself to be anti-corrupt, and we remain always stuck in the vicious circle of corruption, despite our best efforts and intentions.

• Incentivise wealth, instead of poverty. The Modi government in its first term began the process by schemes like the Jan Dhan Yojana. Expecting a few honest Indians to carry the responsibility of 1.3 billion citizens is the already proven way to promote corruption, and reverse development. The great sages of ancient India have advised us to pay taxes as per our सामर्थ्य, our capability. Let's take their advice-lets contribute to our own development according to each of our incomes. As I mentioned above, we can use data analysis to do this without
  hounding ourselves.
• Ensure Certainty of Punishment, instead of Severity of Punishment. If severity of punishment was any deterrent, murders and rapes would have been extinct. Moreover, putting a Harshad Mehta in the same place as a Charles Sobhraj is the perfect recipe for future disaster. Our jails are already overflowing, while our judiciary remains overburdened, and weighed down by unresolved cases. Use Blockchain to ensure Certainty of Punishment. Instead of incarcerating financial frauds and defaulters, fine them. The actual removal of money from their corrupt vaults will be a much stronger deterrent, than the avenue provided by bribing their way out of the punishment. Use this money to improve our prison system.

Thus if we will truly reform our systems to work for us, rather than the present form of against us, we will create for ourselves a much happier India.

Imagine, if instead of fighting against, fending off, and getting mentally tormented daily by disruptive government agencies, we surround ourselves with supportive, and enthusiastic government agencies whose aim is to understand our problems and issues and help us solve them, perhaps this time round we can become The Golden Tiger.