Today, as I opened the morning paper, my coffee nearly turned cold. There it was, staring me in the face—Bihari women had each received ten thousand rupees, not from some benevolent businessman, not from a charitable trust, but from our tax money.

Ten thousand each! And with a smile added: “Vote for us, and there’s more where that came from.”

Now, wasn’t tax money supposed to be for better schools, sturdier hospitals, smoother roads, and maybe potholes that don’t double up as ponds every monsoon?

That’s what we were told when we paid GST on groceries, income tax on our salaries, and surcharges on almost everything. But it looks like my contribution is now helping fund election campaigns, repackaged as “government schemes.”

And what a scheme indeed!

It is meant to promote women’s empowerment through self-employment. Will our dear Rahul, please do a study to find out how many women intend using is for the cause it was given.

Today a government in power dips into the taxpayer’s pocket, hands out bundles of notes, and calls it empowerment.

Do you know how much of your money went into their accounts?

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Do read the interview of the author by Christianity Today, America’s most widely read Christian mag, with a circulation of over 2.2 million:  https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/09/india-columnist-robert-clements-christian-writing/ 

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– 7,500 crores!

Tell me, isn’t it time we had iron-clad laws that decide how tax money can be spent? Because right now, the system is a comedy show. If a politician makes promises before elections, it’s called a manifesto. If he keeps them after winning, it’s called governance. But if he doles out money before the polls, ah, that’s called a masterstroke!

Meanwhile, what about us—the dutiful folk who pay for this circus? Take a walk on any road in Mumbai after a heavy shower. It doesn’t matter if it was newly laid last year; it looks like it’s been around since the Mughal era. Flyovers crack, bridges collapse, projects crawl like snails—and contractors grin as the money vanishes into that mysterious black hole called “bribes.”

Remember Maharashtra? Many say it wasn’t won with vision or leadership, but with the glitter of freebies. And with Bihar’s example, don’t be surprised if the model is rolled out across the nation. One state at a time, till the whole country is mortgaged for a few sacks of giveaways—all funded by you and me.

So the next time you pay GST on your vada pav or income tax on your hard-earned salary, don’t kid yourself that you’re contributing to nation building. No sir. You’re unknowingly contributing to the grand election fund of the ruling party—whichever one happens to be in power. You’re not just a citizen anymore; you’re an unwilling sponsor of a political campaign.

And maybe—just maybe—it’s time we demanded receipts. Not the regular government challans with stamps and seals, but something far more truthful: “Thank you for your contribution to our re-election fund.”..!

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