Reaching the core of the ties

Will the “Lottery King,” Santiago Martin, be the one to ruin the drama surrounding electoral ties as it develops? Is the State Bank of India (SBI) complying with the authorities on the disclosure of the bonds’ distinct alphanumeric code numbers, which would serve as a means of identifying the beneficiaries?

As per the available information, Martin’s Future Gaming and Hotel Services was the subject of an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2019. That October, he invested in electoral bonds valued at

190 crore rupees. His acquisitions came to a total of Rs 1,368 crore. Why was it necessary for the “Lottery King” to keep political parties in his debt?

The company that buys the most electoral bonds is Martin’s. Largest portion of these bonds went to the DMK, led by MK Stalin. Why did he want to obtain this?

Home Minister Amit Shah claims that the Supreme Court’s ruling stating that voters have a right to know the names of contributors and the political party each one supported has put a stop to his party’s efforts to eradicate black money from the economy. I don’t understand! In what ways can electoral relationships contribute to this goal?

In my opinion as a voter, a political party is untrustworthy if it claims loudly that it wants to outlaw black money while in reality adopting a strategy that conceals the source of the gift from voters.

The name Santiago is intriguing. There are a lot of males in Portugal and Spain with this name, and maybe even in Italy. Some boys were born with the name Santiago in Goa, the land of my forefathers. These names were brought by the Portuguese colonists and thereafter adopted by the indigenous people.

An Anglicized form of Martinho is the surname Martin. It may also refer to a full name. A few families in Bengal and Tamil Nadu on India’s east coast were converted by the Portuguese. family in Tamil Nadu and Bengal have the surname Diaz, and I am aware of such family. In the 1970s, SM Diaz, a senior IPS officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre, was named Director of the National Police Academy. The Portuguese converted a considerably higher number of households in Kerala. Since the Mass was spoken in Latin until the introduction of the vernacular, they are referred to as “Latin Christians” among the community. Among the early Christians in Kerala, known as Syrian Christians, the services are conducted in Syriac.

Whatever the meaning behind his moniker, the Coimbatore-born “Lottery King,” who began his career as a laborer in Myanmar, is now awash in wealth. The lottery industry is undoubtedly a money-maker. The BJP levies a sin tax on wagers and declares any winnings from gambling to be immoral. The club’s Tote is steadily killing horse racing, which employs thousands of residents, with a 28% GST imposed on every wager.

In if that wasn’t enough, when the winning tickets are cashed, an additional 30% income tax is deducted from all earnings. The sole source of excitement in their otherwise boring lives has to be given up by poor gamblers who spend as little as 10 pounds or up to fifty rupees. They are unable to resort to unlicensed bookmakers since they do not trade in tiny quantities. The wealthier patrons of the racetrack, who formerly placed hundreds of wagers on the benevolent Tote, have also left because to the pitiful returns on their winning wagers.

The “in thing” these days for the compulsive gambler is to wager on cricket matches’ results. Despite being prohibited in India, it is booming. All sports wagering is legal and permitted in the UK, however subject to some restrictions. For example, you cannot take a wager from a youngster. It is hard to completely eradicate the need to gamble, particularly via the legal system. Bet-related restrictions just make corruption more apparent. Like the UK, there will be more benefits from regulating betting. Then the taxes will come in, the bettors’ enthusiasm, the profits made by the licensed bookies, and the government will get all of it.

Regarding the electoral bond program, I applaud the Supreme Court for denying the government-run SBI any leeway when it asked for until June to reveal the identities of the bond buyers and beneficiaries.

Corporate donations to political parties are essential. In actuality, every firm must make a donation. In the event that it doesn’t, a large number of inspectors who earn a livelihood via inspections will come more often and at a much more “expensive” cost. Companies are prepared to deal with these inspections. A few specifically employ personnel to “look after” the inspectors. However, the gambling establishments that have proliferated recently are a different story.

The people would benefit more if their leaders ceased preaching about the evils of gambling and let it flourish in the open. The public will ultimately gain from this, but police officers who consistently turn a blind eye to this “social evil” and politicians who take their pound of flesh from the unlawful operators will suffer in the short term. The taxes will be collected by the government. The government would be able to feed the millions of people who now get 5 kg of rice or wheat each month only from cricket betting. According to official figures, almost 60% of the population of the nation survives on such doles. Interestingly, the government’s claims that poverty in India is declining are refuted by these figures. However, we are used to phony and inconsistent news reports these days.

It makes sense that Shah and his top BJP colleagues are upset over the new information surfacing on the electoral bonds’ trip. They don’t have to worry. Most intelligent individuals were aware of the reality already. Less wealthy and educated people just don’t give a damn. The potency of our PM’s words and the cult-like figure his media machine has produced have turned them into Modi bhakts. He may get the third term at his request. It’s time for him to pivot and focus on gaining “credibility” as a more palatable heir to his legacy.