Dear The Hon. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India,
I am writing this open letter to express my appreciation for the bold moves taken by you and the government.
There is only one India - Mother India. Hardly anyone would say they hate their mother. It is therefore impossible to hate Mother India. While we may not say it in words, our actions speak louder. From black money to corrupt officials, polluted environment to deforestation, we reveal the true story of our love for our country. Many people have written about the cons of our actions, or have tried to hide the pros, and I do not want to add another blog post to the list. Instead, I will keep it short and simple.
First of all, I want to offer my congratulations on the bold move to make INR 500 and INR 1000 notes invalid. This will seriously impact those who hold black money, no matter the amount. The black money they own - the result of years of careful planning - is now worth nothing. It will be impossible for them to account for or exchange it. This welcome move is highly commendable. The addition of the INR 2000 note - while not a welcome move - still adds to the glory. The NGC chip and its features are truly remarkable. Good job once again!
What else can we do to make India better? There are many things. Here is my list, worth a penny or two:
- Exchanging old 500 and 1000 INR notes for new 500 or 2000 INR notes should be prohibited. Instead, the money should be credited to the owner's account. If they do not have an account, it should be linked to their Aadhar card. If they do not have an account or an Aadhar card, they should be created immediately. This will prevent people who hold black money from using their sources to swap small amounts (thousands or multiples of the same) for new notes.
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Any online or offline transaction above 10,000 INR should be authenticated with an Aadhar card.
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Any payment above 1,00,000 INR should be digital. Cash should not be accepted at any cost.
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It is not possible to get rid of gold ornaments or bring them to the market. Instead, make gold bars, gold coins, and other forms of gold invalid. Replace them with digital gold coins and bars. This move will bring out all illegal gold accumulations.
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Stamp papers and documents are another major source of black money. Make them invalid and require a digital stamp for anything and everything. The outcome of this change should be self-evident.
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Air pollution and traffic jams are major issues in India. Improving infrastructure and public transportation can help solve these problems, but it cannot be done overnight. Instead, we can collect fees from single driver cars. If a person drives a car alone for more than 5 KM at a stretch, they should pay a fee to the government. This will discourage idiotic car owners who occupy the road just because they can afford a car through EMIs, or those who use their car for short trips within a 2 KM radius.
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Create a government portal for car or bike sharing. People who use it more than 10 times a month should receive tax benefits.
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Encourage tax payers by giving more exemptions to those who file taxes every year. Tax slabs should be based on the amount and number of years. Award those who continuously pay taxes for 10, 20 years, etc. Update the Indian honors system with more categories.
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In addition to old age benefits, introduce child benefits. Pay them until they turn 13 and restrict it to only two children, with higher amounts for lower ratios and numbers.
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Create citizen forums for the concerns and highlights of their city. Designate a special team to address reported issues. A happy home is a happy country!
Media control, removal of TRP ratings, standardization of advertisement, or a cap on money spent on advertisements and much more should be implemented. There are many more pain points in our society, and many people are highlighting them, but what happens is that the time it takes for any resolution to be implemented is what puts us behind. Rapid action, like what we are experiencing today, is the only solution. Keep it coming!
Once again, hats off to The Hon. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, for being the first person to act boldly! You are the change, the sun, and the leader that we Indians badly need. Let's make Mother India proud!"
Jai Hind!
Yours sincerely,
Proud Indian Citizen!
