After the sudden announcement by the central government led by Narendra Modi on 30th November which declares that use of old Rs.500 and Rs 1000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi series would be invalid, there has been a hue and cry pan India.
Scheduled Tribe were tax exempted way back since India got its Independence, in which as per Income Tax Act Section 10(26) any business or returns earned within the scheduled area are tax exempt.
After demonetization hits the state and country as a whole the Income Tax department has become a nightmare for the people who earned their living in scheduled areas. Since January’2017 – March ‘2017 Income Tax has started to inquest on the earning, returns, and savings by the each individual in different bank as regulate by the government during the period of demonetization . Permanent Account No. Card (PAN) card becomes mandatory and for those who don’t have a Pan card Form -60 is mandatory to track on their saving, where some are also been call for hazira at Shillong Income Tax office and also to Guwahati.
The move by the government have puzzled and disturbed the people who deposit their earnings in the bank, especially the illiterates both in rural and urban.
At the time when the government declares invalid on the uses of all Rs.500 and Rs 1000 banknotes, it also declares for the people, who earned and save on their daily living to deposit it all in the bank without any hesitation. With their innocent thought and politeness public follow the norm laid by the government thinking that the government is working for the betterment of the society and country as a whole. Perhaps the norms turn upside down just like a hammer hitting the edge of the head, when the hard earn money is being question by the Income Tax Department on bank deposit of Rs.50,000/-,else it would be count as black money or illegal earnings. The central government moves have put a big question mark to the people especially the tribal’s who are earning their living within their scheduled areas and government is snatching their right to lives.
It is shameful and pity for our state which we call “ri –u-hynniewtrep”.The question here arise where are all the parties who used to work and blow the trumpet for the welfare of the indigenous people? Where are leaders who fought for the public especially before election that they are going to fight for the rights of the tribal’s? What make them sit quite? A week ago one women also a Padma Shri award , who is fond of writing articles and records on the unfulfilled and unpredicted future of the five years people legislator. One of her articles state about the deprivation of the debate within the assembly in the state of Meghalaya by our legislator, in this regards the legislators had moves to Privilege Committee of the assembly against the Padma Shri award lady to examine her article as per laws whether she has to ask for apologized in the assembly. As per WEBSTAR DICTIONARY, the word ‘Privilege’ it explained “a special or peculiar benefit, advantage, right of immunity”. In the recent budget session where the 60 members of the legislator were present, Is! there any (he/she) legislator who will raised the voice for the concerned of the public on demonetization which have an effect on the entire state and has become a nightmare for the people who earned their living in scheduled areas.
No! None of the legislator observes neither hear the agony of the people on what the central government moves on demonetization. They might have opposed on demonetization moves but it ends only in debating with no actions. Why! Is the respected legislator whom we have chosen to represent in the assembly “desires only their own benefits” and “not to hold responsible on liability”? Instead they should wake up and analyze on the weakness for improvement.
Who will represent and safeguard the innocent and polite people of our state who earn their daily living with dignity and genuineness. Where are the motherland lover’s? Are they dumb, deaf and can’t witness the agony of the indigenous people? A renowned poet U Soso Tham in his poetic journey once said that ‘we are going to carry water and wood for others in our own motherland’ and finally his words have come in reality today.
The central government vision on demonetization is unforeseen by the people of the tribal areas and the country as a whole. Prime Minister Narendra Modi , a leader of our country his vision on demonetization is to curb black money or illegal earnings and fight back the economic development of our country .His vision is to compete with the other country in the world. But! During and after the demonetization period it has become a nightmare for the people who earned their living in scheduled areas on the other hand it’s a blessing for the low income people in which the central government have limited the withdrawal especially during festive season.
Another dreadful power which fall prey for the indigenous people is after the government started encroaching of land which does not fall under Municipal which fall under scheduled areas. Time is becoming worse for the indigenous people where we are bound for the permission through Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) when we build a hut or a house to stay within our own land, be it water conncetion, getting electricity to our house .The demonstration by our legislator and pressure groups with relate to indigenous right on our own land are meaningless as it end up in the discussion, especially with relate to our daily earnings in which though we earn with dignity and genuineness ,we are accountable to the government .Being an indigenous people in a scheduled area is a torture for the state as a whole as the government have take away our rights and leave us hopeless and only darkness on all the angles.
Now, time is high that as a people of the scheduled area to come out with one mind one voice, for our representative who are dumb got a long tongue to deceive with their sweet talk and brain wash with their illegal money in 2018.The money that bet during the upcoming 5year term target is not less than gambling of booking a number on archery lottery to get a forecast when they get to take a seat on a 5year term chair, by taking their offers we forget our conscience and club ourselves as one of the gambler!
Do you think that we still need to be deft and sightless? The inducement of money during the election has vended away our conscience and failed as a human being for our eyes are sightless, our ears are deaf and mouth is dumb. If we failed to wake up now to restore our conscience, to search for the law of God and work with conscience while choosing our legislator, that we should not fall prey by choosing an eye plucker who want the people to be a scapegoat for the rest of his/her life.