ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರಿಗೆ ಕವನ ನಮನ

ಅನಿವಾಸಿಗಳೇ ವಾಸಿ!

ಪ್ರವಾಸ ಕಥನದ  

ಕಥೆಗಾರ-ಕವಿ ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರಿಗೆ 

ಕವನ ನಮನ 

(ಕನಕದಾಸರ ಕ್ಷಮೆಕೇಳಿ......... 

'ಈತನೀಗ  ವಾಸುದೇವನೋ' ಧಾಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ )  

-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-

ಈತನೀಗ  ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜನೋ 

                                       ಪದಗಳೊಡೆಯ 

ಈತನೀಗ  ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜ, 'ಅಕ್ಕ' ಕರೆದ ಅಕ್ಷರದ ದೊರೆಯು 

ಅಭಿಮಾನಕೊಲಿದು ಗಗನಕೇರಿ ಅಮೆರಿಕಾ ಬಳಸಿದಾತ 

                                                                                                                ಈತನೀಗ ......... 

ಕಪ್ಪಣ್ಣರ ಪಣಕೆ ಮಣಿದು 

                                        ತಿಣುಕಿ ತಿರುಗಿ ವೀಸ ಪಡೆದು 

ಕಂಬಾರರೊಡನೆ ಕೂಡಿ ಪಯಣ ಬೆಳೆಸುತಾ 

ಸಡಗರದಿ ಅಟ್ಲಾಂಟಾ ಸೇರಿ 

                                                   ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರ ಕೂಟವೇರಿ 

ಮಿಲನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಿಂಚಿನಿಂತ 

ಕವಿಯ  ನೋಡಿರೋ ........ 

                                                                                                                              ಈತನೀಗ......... 

ಅನಿವಾಸಿಗಳೆ ವಾಸಿಯೆನುತ 

ವಿಸ್ಮಯಗಳ ಮೆಲುಕುಹಾಕುತಾ 

'ಟಬ್ಬಿಬ್ಬು'ಗಳ ಪಾಠ ನೆನೆದು 

                                                  ಹನಿಗವಿಸುತಾ 

ರಸಿಕರ ರಸದೌತಣಕೆ ಸೋತು 

                                      ನೆನಪುಗಳ ಕಥೆಯ ಹೆಣೆದು    

'ಕಪ್ಪಾರ್ಪಣ' ಎಂದು ಬರೆದ 

ಹನಿಗವಿಯ  ನೋಡಿರೋ............    

                                                                                         ಈತನೀಗ ......... 

-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦-೦೦-

ರಚನೆ 

ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀನಾರಾಯಣ ಕೆ.
(ಮೂಲ ಕೃತಿಯ ರಾಗದಲ್ಲೇ ಈ ಕವನವನ್ನೂ ಹಾಡಬಹುದು). 

೯೮೪೫೫ ೬೨೬೦೩

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು

ಗಮನಿಸಿರಿ 

ಅಕ್ಕ = (AKKA) - Association of Kannada Kootas of America
ಕಪ್ಪಣ್ಣ - ಅಕ್ಕ ಸಮ್ಮೇಳನ (೨೦೧೨)ದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಂಡ ವಿಶೇಷ ಆಹ್ವಾನಿತರ ತಂಡದ ನಾಯಕರು
ಕಂಬಾರ - ಜ್ಞಾನಪೀಠ ವಿಜೇತ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತಿಗಳು -ಚಂದ್ರಶೇಖರ ಕಂಬಾರರು
ಟಬ್ಬಿಬ್ಬು = ಅಮೆರಿಕಾದ ಸ್ನಾನದ ಮನೆಯ ಟಬ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರಿಗಾದ ತಬ್ಬಿಬ್ಬು
ಕಪ್ಪಾರ್ಪಣಾ = ಕಪ್ಪಣ್ಣರಿಗೆ ಅರ್ಪಣ
ಅನಿವಾಸಿ = ವಿದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲಸಿರುವ ಭಾರತೀಯರು
ಹನಿಗವನ = ಚುಟುಕು ಕವನಕ್ಕೆ ಡುಂಡಿರಾಜರು ಮಾಡಿರುವ ಹೊಸ ನಾಮಕರಣ

Trade Wars

What happens when a shrewd businessman occupies the world's most powerful position?  Will he view everything from business angle?

Donald Trump, the 45th President of USA, was earlier a very successful businessman.  Even now he has personal business interests all over the world including India.  Way back in 2013,

litigant Trump never spared Kotak Mahindra Bank when it named one of its products as 'Kotak Trump Card'.  He brought them down to knees by waging a Court battle in New Delhi!

Trump Vs Xi Jinping
Once again the world has become bi-polar.  Undoubtedly US and China are the two big superpowers!  China's growth whether in trade or as a military power, during last 2 decades has been phenomenal. Since its entry into World Trade Organization (WTO),

17 years ago, its trade with US is witnessing geometrical growth.  As it enjoys surplus trade with US, its forex reserves have reached whopping $3.5 trillion.  Obviously this is causing deep concern for the US.

Trump is confronting China over its development tactics which 

includes alleged stealing or pressurizing foreign companies to hand over technology.  American officials worry Chinese plans to create tech champions in fields including robotics, biotech and artificial intelligence will erode US industrial leadership. 

 Trump has declared a trade war with China by imposing heavy 

tariff on many of the imports from China. China too is retaliating by imposing steep tariff hikes on US imports.  As a result during last six months, China has lost about one-fifth of its market capitalization.

Trump Vs European Union (EU), Canada & Mexico

Trump's bullying tactics have not even left its traditional allies undisturbed.  European Union  already reeling under the impact of impending Briton's exit (Brexit), has received shocks from Trump.  Trump is arm-twisting all NATO countries, which includes EU and other US-allies to double their military expenditure to 4% of their GDPs from the present 2%.  Otherwise he has threatened them with adverse sanctions.  Already he has imposed heavy tariffs on imports of cars, Aluminium and Steel. Obviously the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel and other NATO leaders are worried. 

Angela's blossoming relationship with Russian Premier Putin has not gone well with Trump.  Trump is extremely unhappy with Germany's $11 Billion Baltic pipe line with Russia for import of oil.

Trump Vs India 

Businessman Trump believes in a single-point agenda 'buy American and hire American'!  His restrictions on H1B visas has brought nightmares to our Non-Resident Indians.  Trump has 

 imposed steep tariff-rise on certain Indian imports too.  Moreover he is threatening India to restrict its oil imports from Iran. Our arms deal with Russia too has made Trump red faced!

Trade war impacts

In a trade war too, no body can be a winner.  It is bound to cause collateral damages to all economies of the world.  Manufacturing world depends on supply-chains and trade wars are certain to disturb this supply chain.  If China's steel can't be sold to US, China may not buy iron ore from India. Instead it may dump its steel on India and other countries!

Share markets may tank, initiating flight of capital from emerging markets to the safety of the home market, making currencies and interest rates move in wholly undesirable ways. 

Has India moved closer to China?

It seems trade war has pushed China closer to India.  Modi-Xi have met twice since April pledging to strengthen bilateral ties.  China has eased imports from India on non-basmati rice, anti-cancer drugs and agreed to share data on flow of rivers between two countries during flood season.

Even before trade war, China had become the biggest trade partner of India, although imports from China are substantially higher.

However skeptics don't believe that Indo-China relations have improved.  China's strategic relationship with Pak is always point of concern for India.

India also can't ignore US.  It is our second biggest trade partner with a total trade of $ 75 Billion, with a positive surplus favouring us. 

Has trade war made Trump more popular in US?

I have spoken to a couple of NRIs, who say Yes!  After long,  jobs have become easily available to locals.  Moreover the slogan 'buy American and hire American' is bound to enthuse natives.  A few even say that it is no wonder if Trump gets a second term!

But Trump is clever enough not to hike tariffs on consumer goods.  If done so, the import dependent American economy may witness steep price-rise  annoying the common men.  

But Trump can't ignore that America is a country built by immigrants and it depends on cheaper goods and labour imported from all over the world.  In another 2-3 decades, it is bound to receive competition from other emerging countries like India too.

China too should restrain its trade and geo-political aggression.  Unfair tactics are bound to create enemies who may team-up on a future day.

Is this trade war the biggest ever?

Historians say no. During the times of great depression of 1930s, US had imposed the infamous Smoot-Hawley tariff on over 20,000 imported goods. This action was also retaliated by the then US trading partners, deepening the depression crisis.

When will the present trade wars end?

It is a trillion dollar question! Both China and US have potential to continue it for years. In the meanwhile emerging countries like India have to tread with caution, balancing the relationship with both the sides, besides taking care of their all-round trade and development.

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One year of GST

Goods & Services Tax, the most revolutionary tax reform in India was introduced on 1st July 2017 and has now completed one year. It's time to look back and review the developments.

Twenty three centuries ago, our noted economist Chanakya in his famous book Arthashashtra had prescribed that 'the ruler should act like a bee which collects honey (TAX) from the flower, without causing pain to the plant'. Benjamin Franklin was more curt when he said that in the modern world nothing is certain but the death and taxes! 

Chanakya further wrote that the tax should be easy to calculate, convenient to pay, inexpensive to administer and equitable in its burden! Was GST like this great man's thoughts?

Over the period of last one year, GST is perhaps much discussed but less understood.  There is even a popular joke which is making rounds in which a man laments that 'woman, Offside in football and GST' are the three things which he has not yet understood!

Late entry:

We were late to join the GST bandwagon.  Already nearly 140 countries have implemented GST, and France was the first to  introduce the reform during 1954.  The idea of GST was first mooted by our former P.M. Sri.A.B.Vajpayee during 2002.

GST is an indirect tax that replaces a majority of the indirect taxes levied by both the Centre and the States. An indirect tax is a tax where the taxpayer can pass on the tax burden to the consumer.  About 17 various taxes are subsumed by GST and presently intra-State sales/services (sales within a State) are levied with CGST (central) and SGST (State).  Inter State sales/services are levied with IGST (Central).

GST is a destination based tax.  If a car is manufactured in Tamil Nadu and sold in Bihar, Bihar gets the benefit of GST and not Tamil Nadu!

Seamless flow of tax credits:

Thus Manufacturer, Dealer and the Retailer pay only GSTs of Rs.16, Rs.4 and Rs.4 respectively after availing Input Tax Credits. Thus GST also eliminates cascading effect (avoiding tax at multiple stages) of taxes, resulting in reduction of prices for the consumer.

Adjustment of Input Tax Credit (ITC) and refunds needed submission of the following basic monthly returns from the traders.

The above returns are to be filed online in the newly formed GST Network (GSTN) which is designed and monitored by Infosys.  Seamless Input Tax Credit, refunds and compliance were easier said than done!  Traders and Tax authorities have faced teething problems during last one year.  Tax authorities have now taken time of six months to simplify and limit the number of returns to just one.

GST Council

GST Council headed by the Central Finance Minister and consisting of representatives of all States/UTs of the Union is now the supreme authority to monitor/amend and administer the entire system.  During last one year it has met 27 times bringing in the much needed amendments and changes.

GST Tax structure:

GST now consists of the above major slabs.  Most of the 141 essential items like food grains  are kept at 0%. 93% of the items are between 5% to 18%, leaving only 49 luxury items at 28%.

Key items like electricity, alcohol for human consumption, petroleum goods and real estate are outside the ambit of GST. Bringing them under GST control may need more time.

GST ups & downs:

Last one year has been a period of roller-coaster ride to the ambitiously introduced GST. First let us count the gains.

1.Monthly tax revenues have stabilized and is beginning to go up. During April 2018, it even crossed 1 lakh crores of rupees. Most of the States have registered about 13% rise in tax collections when compared to the pre-GST regime.

2.Tax base has expanded with GST up to 112 lakh registered businessmen, virtually doubling the numbers when compared to last year.

3.About 62.5 lakh (56%) businessmen have filed GST returns during May 2018, indicating great improvement in compliance, although this is one area which should improve.

4.Number of Income Tax returns filed has further increased up to 6.84 crores when compared to 5.43 crores of the previous year.  GST is ensuring better collections under direct taxes too.

5.India has registered a big jump among competing countries on the ladder of easy of doing business to 100 from 130, after introduction of GST.

6.GDP growth rate of the country has also found its rhythm back to around 7%, after withstanding the twin shocks of demonetization and GST.

7.Inflation is under control, despite oil price shocks.  0% slab on essential items has helped greatly.

8.Movement of trucks inter-state has become smoother with the removal of border check-posts, as now entire country has come under a single tax rate system. This has substantially reduced inspector raj, corruption, fuel and labour cost.  With time saved trucks can now perform more trips. 

9. Corporates have added about 50 lakh more workers during last 1 year under their formal Pay-roll and EPFO.  This has lead to input tax credits and refunds to the employers under GST.  This can be viewed as creation of more jobs!

It's time to improve!

1.Reduce the number of slabs
There are as many as 7 slabs (0% to 28%) including exempted goods, which needs reduction. 12% and 18% slabs could be merged to have one slab. Items like Cement must be brought down from 28% slab! Better compliance and collection of taxes will enable authorities in reducing GST slabs and rates.

2.GST returns simplification
Small businessmen numbering about 5 crores hardly understand GST and its system.  They don't have money to employ tax consultants, buy computers and software. GST Network should be made simpler, faster and easiest to access.  Just by generation of invoice in the system at the time of sale, all needed returns should get auto-populated resulting in release of Input Tax Credits and refunds. Good to know that steps are already initiated towards this end.

Once the system and returns are simplified, all the pending returns and pending taxes from small businessmen should be waived, so that a stricter new beginning could be made.

However right now businessmen with annual turnover below Rs.20 lakhs are exempt from the ambit of GST.  Also for those whose annual turnover is below 1.50 crores can opt for a special composite scheme who can submit just one return in a quarter.

3.Multiple registration requirements should go.  In many cases still registration is required in all states.  Multiple returns, audits and assessments will ruin the time, energy and money of our businessmen.

4.Exporters are experiencing great difficulty in obtaining tax refunds.  Reportedly 25,000 crores of rupees of refund are held up causing squeeze of working capital to them.  This problem should be immediately looked into besides easing of the system for future.

5.The benefits of GST does not seem to have reached the consumers. For example although even AC restaurant GST is now reduced to just 5% from 18%, rates have not come down for the consumer.  Probably they have increased the rates neutralizing the good effect of GST reduction.  Anti-profiteering agency constituted for this purpose must monitor these aspects.


6.Tax on services has gone up from 15% to 18%.  Services like Banking and Insurance have become costlier.  There is need to look into this problem. 

Obviously achievements under GST have outnumbered certain lacunae which are being addressed by our authorities.  There is every reason to believe that our GST system will settle further bring in much more than the anticipated benefits.

In the meanwhile there is a disturbing news from Malaysia which 

has rolled back GST, which it introduced during the year 2015.  They chose to straight-away introduce the single slab GST at 6%, which lead to inflationary pressures.  A rival party promising roll back of GST has won the election and hence this change.

In India we are witnessing an era wherein our political parties go more by populist measures, ignoring what is good for the country in the long run.  Let us hope nothing happens in India which may undo all the good work so far done under GST.

Thanks:

Last but not the least, I would like to thank my learned friend and former bank colleague Mr. Chandrahas R, qualified FCS and Cost Accountant,  who is now a successful businessman in Ernakulam.  He has given me lot of practical insights into the GST issues, which I believe has added much value to my presentation.
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Know Your Football

World's biggest sport event is just 4 days away.  Like most of you, this time I wanted to be equipped with a better awareness about finer aspects of the game and hence this blog.

Football is the most popular sport on our planet, with around 3.5 billion fans.  Football mania is sure to grip even our country, which is otherwise cricket-mad!

FIFA is football's global governing body which is organizing the ensuing World Cup in Russia. Its headquarters is in Zurich, Switzerland and has 211 member countries, whereas there are only 193 member countries for the UN!  32 qualified countries are fighting for the World Cup.

1.Field of play

The field may vary in size, but must be a rectangle. Longer boundary lines are called touch-lines and the shorter ones are called the bylines.

2.The ball

Football weighs around 450 grams and is about 22 cm in diameter.

3. Formations

A formation is the way a team lines up to play on the field.  Two most preferred  formations in modern football are shown in the pic.

4.The match will be played between two teams of 11 players each, over two periods of 45 minutes each. If required, period may be extended by another 30 minutes time or may be decided by a penalty shoot-out. There is provision to extend the period to make good the loss of time due to stoppages.

5. Offside

A player is offside if he is nearer to the goal than both the ball and the second defender (1st defender is the goal keeper in this pic).  In this pic player A is offside whereas player B is not.  Mere presence in such a offside position is not an offence.  If he receives the pass and touches the ball then it is an offence and the referee awards an 'indirect free kick' to the opposing team. 

There is no offside offence, if the player receives the pass from

a goalie-kick, or a throw-in or a corner-kick.

6. Fouls and misconduct

Players must play the game fairly and safely.  Otherwise they will be penalized by awarding opponents a free kick or even a penalty if the foul is committed in the penalty box.

7. Free kick

A team wins a free kick whenever the defending team commits a foul outside their own penalty area.  The free kick is taken from the spot where the offence occurred.  Scoring chances become high if the offence is committed very close to the goal.

England's David Beckham's free kick goal  through a curving shot (remember the slogan 'Bend it like Beckham'?)scored against Greece during 2002 World Cup qualifier is considered iconic and remembered even today.  

Indirect free kicks are awarded against lesser infringements.  While free kicks can be shot straight into goal, an indirect free kick must be touched by a teammate first.

8. Penalty kick

A team wins a penalty kick for any foul or offence committed by the defending team in its own penalty area.  A goalkeeper gets only 700 milliseconds to save it!  Penalties shot to top corners are virtually unsaveable.  However kicks to the corners are risky and are most likely to miss the goal.

Penalty shootout

Similar penalty kicks are made in a 'penalty shootout', in deciding matches to decide the winner after a drawn match. The 1994 World 

Cup final was the first to be decided by a penalty shootout. Italy's star player Roberto Baggio ballooned the decisive penalty over the bar (see pic) and Brazil lifted the World Cup!

9. Throw-in

A team wins a throw-in when the ball crosses the touchline after touching an opposition player last.

10. Corners

A team wins a corner when the ball crosses the byline after touching a defender.  Chances of scoring are quite high in case of corner kicks.  A quality corner kick followed by a clever header can be a sure goal.

11. Dribbling

Skill of moving the ball past the opponents in tight spaces is known as dribbling.  Argentina's dribbling dynamo Maradona dribbling to take the ball past 5 opponents of England to score a goal during 1986 World Cup Quarter-finals is remembered even today.  (See pic).

12. The bicycle kick

Christiano Ronaldo (Portugal)'s classic bicycle kick to score a winning goal for Real Madrid Vs Juventus in the Champions League was performed on 3rd April 2018.

13. Heading

German striker Miroslav Klose (in pic) scored 5 goals in World Cup 2002 and all of them were headers!

14. Tackling

A tackle is a trick to take the ball away from an opponent.  Care should be taken to see that it doesn't result in a foul.

15. Shooting

Brazil's legend Pele was called the finest goal scorer and an all time great because of his accurate shooting skills to score a goal. In a glittering career that spanned 22 years (1955-77), he played 1,363 games and scored 1,281 goals!

16. Goalkeeping

Goalkeeper is the last line of a team's defence.  They have to be good at leaping, catching and kicking.  This key player is allowed to handle the ball only inside the team's penalty area, and nowhere else on the field.

Spain's mercurial goalkeeper Iker Casillas (see pic above) is considered one among the most successful.  

17.Referee 

An appointed referee will be in charge of the match.  He will be supported by two Assistant referees (with flags in pic). Referee too has to be very agile and fit.  It is estimated that he runs for about 19 kms in a match, much higher than any other player.  A referee has immense powers.  He controls the players by showing yellow (for offences) and red (for serious offences) cards.  A yellow card is a warning whereas a red card is an order to leave the pitch! Receiving a second yellow card amounts to a red card.

18.The Manager

A team without a Manager is like an army without a general.  They may win battles but not a war!

Vincent del Bosque crafted Spain's World Cup trimuph in 2010.

19.A team game

Football is a team game of 11 players who must work together to win.  They are guided by their Manager who strategizes the game plan. One or two players can win a cricket match, but not in football! 

20.The fans

Football fans are passionate participants who think of themselves as the team's 'twelfth player'.  Eight out of 10 fans believe that their support helps their team to win! Fan power is proved to help home sides, who generally win half of their matches.

21.India in World Cup

Indian football team did qualify for the 1950  Brazil World Cup, although by default as all other nations in their qualifying group withdrew.  However India itself withdrew from the World Cup.  Various reasons like travel cost, lack of practice time and even no permission to play barefoot are quoted to be the reasons for withdrawing from the World Cup. Since then India has never come anywhere close to winning a place to play the World Cup.

World Cup 2018 is certain to throw surprises although Brazil is said to be the most favoured team to win.  4-times champions Italy has failed to qualify for this tournament!  Next one month period of World Cup will be full of thrills and excitements.  May the best team win.  Let us get ready to enjoy!

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Modi-Arise-Awake

Modi Vs Rest contest is set for 2019.  We have seen different combinations of the 'rest' since 1977.  A 'strong Modi' is by far better to lead India post-2019.  But the contest is not going to be easy for Modi next year. Modi must arise and awake to win 2019!

Be more inclusive

Modi's slogan of 'sab ka saath' seems to be overshadowed by 'hardline Hindutva'.  Even among Hindus, Modi is yet to win the hearts and minds of our 'dalits'.  Modi must unequivocally disown all those hardliners who are perpetrating atrocities on dalits.  

Immediately he must install at least 2-3 dalit CMs, may be in major states like Gujarath and Haryana. Cow vigilantes must stop violence and guilty must be punished.  Motor-mouthed Hindutva brigade must stop causing damage.

Moderate muslims seem to have welcomed steps like 'banning of triple talaq'. Modi should not hesitate to embrace 'soft islam' for winning their goodwill. Remember Vajpayeeji displayed statesmanship in elevating Abdul Kalam as the country's President!

Constitutional reservation and other schemes for helping 'poor from all sections', irrespective of caste and religion must be introduced.

More allies

Modi alone may not win 272 seats.  He must get going with allies. He can begin by strengthening relationship with allies like Shiv Sena and Biju Janata Dal, may be even by offering them Chief Ministership.  Was such a chance to win over JD(S) missed in Karnataka recently? 

Rural India

Although the steps like 1.5 times of cost of production as the support price for farmers are revolutionary, not much is done to reach the rural masses.  'March towards villages' should become the 'mantra' at micro-level.

Job creation

This is one of the major issues where much needs to be done! While Modi claims 9 crore Mudra Loans are disbursed to create jobs, there seems to be wide-spread discontent.  Will speeding up domestic investment under sectors like 'bijli, sadak, paani' (power, roads and water) help?

Populist economics

i) Middle class, the most trusted vote base of Modi is unhappy. Deposit rates for senior citizens must go up at least up to 9%. Pensioners must be freed from the net of Income Tax!
ii) Petrol price is shooting up.  Popular schemes like 10 litres of petrol per month free for all poor families (BPL) may be introduced. 

Such populist schemes are bound to increase chances of winning.

More vote banks

More vote banks like auto-drivers, street-vendors will certainly help.  Massive schemes to help such vote banks may be introduced.

Attack on Black Money

Real estate is one sector where huge black money is involved. Although new laws like Benami Property Act are introduced, massive attack on them is not yet done.  Such operations will bring in lots of goodwill, besides adding to Govt. revenue, which may be used for populist schemes.

Relationship with Media

This is one area where Modi should improve.  Poor relationship with Media is one of the reasons for their narrow loss in recent Karnataka elections.  Some soul-searching must be done!

Let us hope Modi will rise to the occasion and emerge victorious next year!