Prof. Jagadish Bhagawati thinks that dula citizenship comes with tax obligations. Wonder how this pans out? _______________________
'Dual citizenship? NRIs should pay tax too' PERCY FERNANDEZ NEW DELHI: If India gives us citizenship, it should also give NRIs voting rights. And NRIs should accept the tax obligations too, says noted economist Jagdish Bhagwati. In an exclusive interview to Timesofindia.com , Prof Bhgawati, a member of the Democratic Party and University Professor at Columbia University, says, "Citizenship rights come along with tax obligations." Prof Bhagwati is keen to take up his Indian 'nationality'. He says, "As soon as the dual citizenship comes up, I will regain my old one which I had to renounce in 1992. I feel loyal to both the countries. One is the country of my origin and the other my destination. That is true of most people today. I think people are quite happy to be hyphenated Americans." Dual citizenship has become the buzzword in this era of globalization and porous borders. Prof. Bhagwati says, "If you feel dual loyalty is the in thing now, no body minds it but NRIs will have to accept their citizenship rights with all other obligations. I have been arguing that if dual citizenship rights are granted you should also get voting rights. Also with it accept the tax obligations. NRIs at one level think they are doing wonderful things for you guys here and they should be given all the rights." There has always been a debate about the sense of commitment by the NRIs and Prof Bhagwati seems to have put an end to that debate when he says, "You guys have not gone abroad, struggled here tried to build the country from here. It is much more difficult here given the flies, mosquitoes and heat, the dust and the politicians etc. Keeping all that in mind, I admire people who really work here instead of working in Silicon Valley." He adds, "Then they want equal rights along with people who have been struggling here and they don't want to accept any tax obligations and so on. NRIs and diaspora are all fine. Citizenship is a matter of right but then along with citizenship rights NRIs will have to accept other obligations as well. I can't go and tell my Finance Minister here, if I am living here, that you did nothing for me, you are simply taking money from me and giving it to people in rural areas." "This is part of my societal obligation as a wealthier person. That fact that I am wealthy and sitting in Silicon Valley or New York or London, that doesn't mean I shouldn't have any obligation to my country". I will be happy to pay a tax that goes with my citizenship right. If I don't want to do that I don't have to enjoy the citizenship right either. I can have all the other rights. They want to be citizens, they want to part of communities in the strongly bonded citizenships and through nationalities and yet they don't want to undertake any obligations. So what is the big song and dance all about?" Always controversial, unpopular and compelling, Prof Jagdish Bhagwati in fact came up with a socialist suggestion when he said, "Once you are a citizen it is your obligation to file your tax return and pay something. The NRIs want all the rights, in fact more right than the natives and want no obligations. I really feel that that the diaspora and the identity will be intensified and cemented when I think it has to be not based just on differential rights for people who happen to be abroad but some sharing of obligations. If you are citizen and belong to the community in the deeply bonded sense, you will have to share some obligations. When (American) people are working abroad they still have to pay the US Income Tax on April 15th or go to jail. They get some exemptions like double taxation and so on. . I think I am more egalitarian. That's what the Americans are also." _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam Mailing list FAQ: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html To unsubscribe or change options: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam
