Civil Obedience

Posted on | December 4, 2008 | Comments

There is a civil disobedience movement on in Mumbai.
If that is the right term, then that is what is going on.

I choose to say Mumbai, because so far the response has been strongest here.

I have seen two primary opinions emerge.

1. Let’s not vote.
2. Let’s not pay taxes.

These two have been voiced on mails, blogs, smses, news channels and on the street.

Firstly, on the power of civil disobedience :
(I am assuming it is the term applicable here)

A celebrity pointed out on a channel -
“If I don’t pay my taxes, I can be arrested.
If 5 million people don’t pay taxes, what will the government do?”

I agree.
The power of plural is unquestionable in a democracy.

However, let us debate both the opinions.

Suppose I don’t vote – and by some stroke of co-operation, many more like me don’t vote.

What’s new in that? In any case a huge part of the Indian population does not vote.
That includes people in main cities. That includes the educated and the earning.
At best we will contribute to the existing problem.

Nincompoops get elected because of the absence of a cumulative opinion.
Not because of its presence.

Wouldn’t consciously voting with a point of view actually be a better way to signal a demand for change?

Suppose I don’t pay taxes.

What’s new in that?
In any case a huge part of the Indian population does not pay taxes.
That includes people in main cities. That includes the educated and the rich.
At best we will contribute to the existing problem.

What the people are demanding is that the tax they pay be put to use.
What they want to know is where is the tax money being spent.
Why is it not being spent on internal security, defence, arming our cops.

I am not a legal expert or well versed in such matters.

But what if those 5 million people put in ten rupees each, employ the best lawyer in the country and file a RTI appeal to find out the exact percentage and amount of the collected tax that is spent on defence, internal security and other such matters right down to the last detail?

Would that be better?

Would forcing the government to show us the accounts be a better way of demanding accountability?

(I really do not know if that is covered by RTI, but again I am assuming some law allows that.)

If we are really serious about this noise we are making, then may I propose something?

I propose Civil Obedience.

Allow me to elucidate.

You walk up to the airport.
The security guard does not ask you for a photo ID.
You refuse to enter, hold up the line and demand that he sees your photo ID first.

It’s tax time.
Your CA suggests a clever means of saving tax by furnishing fake receipts.
You refuse.
And demand that he pay the tax that you rightfully should.

You break the signal.
The cop offers to let you go for a measly sum of 20 rupees.
You refuse to pay up and demand he give you a ticket.

The medical store owner hands you pills without a receipt.
You refuse to accept them and demand a receipt, even if it means you pay a wee bit more.

Tough?

Well, Civil Disobedience is the easy way out.
Will it solve anything?

Try Civil Obedience.

Make the corrupt, the politicians, the shirkers, the cheaters do their job by demanding they do it the right way.
They are not doing their jobs simply because we, the people, are allowing them to get away with it.

Want to make a point?
Do your job.

Everyone seems to be jumping up saying let’s not do this, let’s not do that.
How about let’s do this and let’s do that?

If 5 million people do it, will the difference be far more powerful?

Trust me, if every passenger on the next Jet Airways flight reaches the boarding gate late because he or she demanded to be throughly checked 3 times, the flight won’t take off without him or her.
It will wait.

Do excuse my lack of knowledge of legalities.
And my liberal use of assumptions.

This is a democracy.
And opinions are eagerly awaited.