Imagine an India without farmers. Now, imagine an India without taxpayers. One scenario leaves us hungry, the other leaves us virtually in the Stone Age. Yet, in the narrative spun by movies, TV ads, and viral social media campaigns, it’s always “no farmer, no food” that captures the imagination and tugs at the heartstrings. Farmers are depicted almost saint-like, doling out grains as if by divine intervention, while the everyday taxpayer—yes, that includes everyone from the salaried employee to the entrepreneur—gets barely a nod in the grand storyline.
But let’s inject a bit more reality here, with a touch of well-deserved sarcasm, shall we? Farmers feed the nation, but taxpayers—well, they just make sure the nation exists to be fed in the first place. Roads, schools, hospitals, and yes, even those subsidies that keep our farms running, are funded by the unglamorous act of tax-paying. There’s no catchy tagline or soul-stirring background score for paying taxes, yet without it, the concept of modern civilization falls apart faster than you can say “tax rebate.”
So, where’s the blockbuster celebration for the taxpayer? Where’s the dramatic monologue for that silent payer, whose only role in this epic saga seems to be handing out the cash that fuels everything from the electricity that powers our homes to the subsidies that make farming viable? We don’t get songs; we get tax receipts. We don’t get thanks; we get tax returns. Perhaps the tagline should be, “no taxpayer, no country” because, let’s be honest, without our contributions, the very fabric of what keeps society running would unravel like a poorly knit sweater.
Yet, the irony doesn’t stop at mere invisibility. Oh no, it delves into the realm of the absurd. Every fiscal year, as the government lauds the agrarian sector for its undoubted hard work and grit (deservedly so), the taxpayer is often left pondering over a cup of heavily taxed tea, “What about me?” You see, in the dazzling shadow of the harvest, the silent contributions of millions get overshadowed by the rightfully celebrated handful.
This absurdity was perfectly encapsulated in a recent podcast, where a famous host questioned a BJP leader about the tangible returns taxpayers receive from their contributions. The response was almost theatrical in its dismissiveness: “You taxpayer is supposed to help, how else will we give subsidies, benefit to the poor?” It was a facepalm moment—why, indeed, must the taxpayer’s role be just to give without a nod to their significant burden?
This isn’t to spark a revolt of the taxpayers against the farmers, or to fan the flames of an urban-rural divide. Rather, it’s a call for a little balance in the narrative. Let’s give credit where it’s due, but let’s also not forget to hand out applause to those who fund the very applause machine. After all, in the grand economic machine of India, every cog, be it tilled or taxed, turns the wheel forward.
So, to all the taxpayers out there, take a bow (or at least, file one). You might not be the hero in every story told on the silver screen, but in the ledger books that keep India running, you’re every bit the protagonist. Maybe it’s time we start celebrating “Taxpayer Day” with as much gusto as we do for every other role that keeps India ticking.
