How The Indian Middle Class Can Save Itself From Poverty In the Age of Vote Bank Politics Of Fake Jobless Economic Growth
Rajiv Upadhyay
Middle Class , particularly the salaried middle class, has no hope of ‘ achche ( good days) din ‘ of Manmohan era coming back . It was bad enough that the government could not keep Arun Jaitley’s promise of reducing tax slabs after the first budget , in the next ten years .In fact it has increased tax on all middle class consumption items by GST , given virtually no tax relief to salaried class and landed the country in totally jobless economic 
growth by huge subsidies and big public borrowings for infrastructure .
To worsen the situation much of the borrowing has gone in subsidies to poor . While Manmohan Singh endlessly debated Fertiliser and diesel subsidies , Pranab Mukherji pulled the carpet under his feet by persuading Sonia to announce MNREGA , land bill etc and destroyed the real economic growth for ever . The wonder growth of 2008-12 was by increased bad loans that all banks gave to big corporates like Mallya , Naresh Goyal, Nirav Modi etc .who created capacities without matching increase in demand / incomes . So the sale stagnated and we landed with huge NPAs. Increasing food grain prices , manipulating Dal and wheat imports increased the inflation to double digit . We also saw the ‘age of ten prime ministers’ , in coalition days where Raja , Maran , Balu openly defied Prime Minister with Rahul tearing the UPA government ordinance in a public meeting .
Yet all this destruction of our economy did not save Congress from total electoral defeat in 2014.
BJP started well by controlling inflation in the first year although the Toor dal import scandal took place in this period. Its early drubbing in Delhi and Bihar elections changed the government policies forever.
Kejriwal’s success with free water and electricity in Delhi , became the methodology of all governments in centre and states. Continuing free ration even after Covid is long over or DTC free bus ride for women are the examples of mindless subsidies being given by increasing tax burden on middle class . It all began well by asking people to give up subsidised gas cylinder but now freebies are a political addiction .
With no real increase in new manufacturing, we entered a decade of jobless growth with virtually no big private investment . Government has prevented collapse of economy by investing in infrastructure by heavy domestic borrowings but its claims of wonderful growth are bogus for middle class when even IIT / IIM graduates are unemployed . The education loans for MBA cannot be paid back.
If even one big political party had a tangible economic growth plan , middle class could have had a hope of ‘ Achchhe din aane wale hain !’ ( good days are about to return ) . But just a few days back Sam Pitroda , a well educated person stated that the middle class should be large hearted to pay more tax !
Large hearted middle class ! reeling under children’s unemployment after exorbitant education , have a heart Mr Pitroda ‘ . You do not belong to middle class just as PM or FM do not belong to this class .
It is not that the government cannot give some major income tax relief by long overdue slab revision , it does not consider it important enough as it is for a note less and vote less class !
The middle class has to make itself relevant in national politics to save itself from its inevitable march to poverty in this note ridden electoral system.
