Of Taxes and Toothaches

Nothing like a good toothache to teach a true sense of perspective. And I have been in enough pain the last few days to understand that tax cuts should not be given to the ICC for the Champions Trophy thing that they hold every now and then for fat bonuses. The GoI of course refused to give 100% tax cuts twice earlier and the venues were changed but this time they have relented and the tournament is all set to start October 7 later this year in India. I dont mind having to watch 22 matches in 21 days but it sure irks me that a monstrosity like the ICC should deem itself worthy of being awarded tax-free revenues of something like a few hundred crores or whatever the final figure is bound to be.

And it brings up related incidents where sportsmen and celebrities walk away with their millions in their pockets because they have "brought fame to the country": Sachin's Ferrari and Bandra flat and a host of other such things. I accept that these people bring pride to the country and make their countrymen believe in whatever needs to believed in according to their party line. They also offer free propaganda and advertising services for the government by doing what they do in the eyes of the world audience. But the pay and the patronage should have bounds surely and we have to consider that atleast some of them do not need either at an advanced stage in their careers where they can easily maintain themselves in luxury. I am not suggesting that we tax them inordinately but atleast get what is due by law or a percentage of it to show people like me that fame does not mean never having to pay for lunch. The other side of the question is all visible to me and I know poor Sachin can't expect to earn his millions the 50 years of his life after he retires nor did he have to spend little to get to where he is but there is the rub, I say. Prasanna languishes somewhere forgotten, Sania struggles and finally finds sponsors; and how much of all the money that flows goes to help needy sportspeople if not the general needy?

To return to the point of the post, lateral and direct employment benefits, the government hopes, will far outweigh the cost of letting the ICC and the BCCI do their thing but it sure can get some more from the taxes and avoid being held up to ransom by an inconsequential world(busy)body. And anyways I think it a travesty to let people get away with such an awful lot of money under the excuse, "This is a very important tournament, generating a lot of revenue which is being used for the development of the game in associate member countries and elsewhere. We have distributed over 100 million dollars from this tournament's revenues from 2002 onwards". Ouch!