#NLDhulai: Ranga uncle, take a course on unconscious bias

Hi NL Team,

A few compliments to begin with, for Abhinandan. I am making an assumption that you are driving the ethics and compliance agenda in NL.

1) “NL Facebook Messenger replied to me during the Rumble.” This was great. But I did make an observation on Meghnad’s brilliant video on NL FB Messenger, no reply yet, but that’s ok. (Observation – In the video he says that seat allocation per state in Rajya Sabha depends on the size of the state. I am presuming he meant size = area. I think it is the population. If he did mean population, it would help if it was specific.).

2) I had made few comments on Media Rumble and one of the Haftas. The email reached Chitranshu Tewari. Who responded back to me. We had a nice discussion. The fact that I was individually responded to was great.

3) Gorakhpur tragedy – Me being Modi-biased, I did happen to think that things were grey. But the Hafta in which you had a local reporter and the point of post-mortems not being conducted, I changed my mind 180 degrees. The UP government should have taken responsibility. Kudos to your coverage.

4) The fact that NL put up an article, which showed what Republic TV did with the poor child’s father, is now a normal course of action with the media is, disheartening, but that you showed this was widespread gave a more comprehensive outlook.

Other people may feel there is nothing much to report this way … But I was extremely impressed by the nature of your coverage and responses to messages and emails. Thanks for caring to hear. Amazing how you have been able to do that.

I have written to you guys before. But this time I felt a need to say this because of HAFTA 137. I am a Kannadiga from Mangalore, Karnataka. A district with some of the best English schools in the country and literacy rate of 94% and (+90 for male and female). I am not from Tamil Nadu. All puns intended. Ranga Uncle, I think you need to take a course on unconscious bias.

Anyways, Ranga Uncle is going to call the rest of my email Social Darwinism. I just want to convey a few views that I hold and would like to know what you guys think. By the way, Abhinandan even Forbes says that the most powerful man in the world is Putin and not Trump!

Before I make my arguments, first the data from the Union Budget report. Could not find the similar report which comes from RBI? You can go ahead and read pre-2014 reports which will put up a similar story.

Another request, if this email is read out, please feel free to pound me, BUT WITH LOGIC and FACTS and not ONE UPMANSHIP or RHETORIC.

Receipts from
1) Corporations (which includes NL) – Rs 4.5 lakh crore
2) Income Tax – Rs 2.9 lakh crore (Collections – 2.7 from 3% of population)
3) Custom duties – Rs 2.1 lakh crore
4) Excise Duty – Rs 2.9 lakh crore ( 2.5 on Oil & Gas )
5) Service Tax – Rs 2.1 lakh crore
6) Others – Rs 1 lakh crore
Total Tax Revenue – Rs 14.5 lakh crore

8) Banks and PSU Revenue – 0.9 lakh crore (0.6 – Banks, 0.3 – PSUs)
9) Railway Revenue – 0.7 lakh crore
Rest – 0.2 lakh crore
Total Non-Tax Revenue – Rs 1.9 lakh crore

I intended to show how it’s not all your (the silent Indian populace) money being spent by the government. But I guess the numbers are self-explanatory. No matter how much you slice it, the normal people contribute for up to 40-50 rupees for every 100 Rupee spent by the government. Hence don’t you think the corporates feeling their money should be spent on them is justified? Keep your liberal hats aside for a moment and think. And besides if you consider only 3% pay income tax that contribution goes even lower.

Bullet Train

Taking the numbers above in context, once the trains start functioning, they will take a while to recover the cost but then you all accept that the Indian taxpayer is not really paying for what. Then what’s all the noise about?

But wait, you do realise that India will possess the technology. This can be used to make trains elsewhere in India and the world with Japanese collaboration and Indian manufacturing. As the scale increases costs will come down to have more of these trains. India will be generating money for itself? Again what’s all the noise for?

Some food for thought. Imagine having a house in Jaipur to come to work to Gurugram.
Imagine a house in Agra or Chandigarh to work in Rohilla, New Delhi. Imagine my dear friends, Imagine.

Demonetisation

Mr Raman Kirpal said he knew people who converted the black money during demonetisation at a price. I am not singling you out, sir, you are not the only one with the story. My dear sirs/madams – what stopped you from filing an FIR against them? Wasn’t the integrity of the nation at stake, protecting which is your fundamental duty? Better still why did you not name and shame them on a media outlet. To be honest the failure of demonetisation squarely lies on all of us. If we let it happen, we have no right to point fingers on others. Period. Of course, you can take the Sekhri route to the National Anthem (respect to which is a duty) and rub yourself off the responsibility of fulfilling your duties. High-level corruption exists everywhere – US, UK etc ….., Didn’t the Panama papers and HSBC leaks show you that. Being in the UK for the last 4 years, I can say with reasonable confidence, in this country the phone lines would be buzzing and these miscreants would be named and shamed.

Poor people – rural people – where will they go, what will they do. Absolute BS.

Basis of thoughts:
1) Mein Narak se Bol raha hoon/Kutte ki Maut – Harishankar Parsai – A dog and its owner end up going to heaven and hell respectively. The dog steals in a wedding and is killed for it, the man commits suicide. God tells the human – the dog used its intelligence, you gave up. I am an atheist by the way. I guess Mr Vardhan will be able to give you more on this Vyang. This email is long enough already.

2) Dum dum deega deega short film
Boy wants to get out of begging and steals an umbrella. Next, he starts transporting people from point A to B and starts earning money. A great story of the human spirit.

I honestly don’t care for the poor anymore. It’s only when they can think beyond their means will they be able to get out more of their means.

I honestly don’t care about the rural farmer anymore. Why should I, when he is not able to use his head and think that the daughter he wants to marry away can be the breadwinner he needs? If she is educated, she could pay up for her own wedding.

And both the rural and the poor I can’t care for when they refuse to take the benefits of a bank account. Which in reality are easier to use than the smartphones or phones they carry.

Sorry Abhinandan, I am not done yet.

Banks

Inflation rate – 4 %
Deposit interest rates – 5.5-7.0 %
Loan interest rates – 8.5-14%

With NPAs of about 2.6 lakh crore, banks like SBI posted profits this year. The numbers above show you how. All this by sapping the shit out of the normal janata.

They have managed to negate the NPAs. Is this not a scam?

Why is there no story on this? Considering the Murthal rapes story has not come out, can we expect one on this?

Sorry for the long e-mail but if I had to put things in perspective, it needed all the words possible.

Keep up the good work guys. Apologies to Ranga uncle, if i went too far in singling him out.

Best Regards,
Dhiraj