Does our country recognise success

Lets see what this country does if you become successful. When you earn less you pay no tax. You earn more, you start to pay income tax. You earn still more, you not only pay more, you also pay at higher rates as Income tax rates go up the more you earn. The logic - you can afford it, so it is your responsibility. Socialism is a good word - but for how long will we continue living on the tag? Can we, as a country afford not to encourage success?

Let’s look at another way we discourage people from growing.

Tax rebates go down the more houses you are able to buy. And of course the bigger the house the more each organisation feels they can take off you – whether it is the property tax, RWA,  each help you try to keep at home.  Is anybody concerned with what they give in return for the higher amount they feel it is their right to take from you? Will the country NOT encourage me to do better and better, and contribute more and more? 

Why do we give value for non-performance? Why do we not mind having a mass of non-contributors, of free-loaders? Where is the score card for success? Does it matter to anybody in this country that I have not paid any income tax, or paid Rs 10,000 as tax or even Rs 1,00,000? Where is my contribution to the exchequer recorded? I have always learnt – with rights come responsibilities.  But is the reverse not true – with responsibilities, do not any rights come? Why not the right to be recognised as a contributory member of society?  Perhaps we could also have a graded recognition, a points earned record, a percentile ranking, a scorecard, redeemable against recognitions, say invites to local or larger gatherings, a voice in decision making.

Or would the contributors continue to remain only value-less contributors? Is it not time that we made efforts to make free loaders feel ashamed and contributors feel a sense of pride? Is it not time to encourage freeloaders to become contributors?