Is GST demolishing the aspirations of middle-class Indian? Young India speaks

Many youngsters feel that the new tax regime has deepened the rift between the rich and the not so fortunate

At the stroke of midnight, India entered a new tax regime. While the government has hailed Goods and Services tax bill, young India is divided. While many believe that the new tax regime is less complex others claim that it has demolished the aspirations of the middle and upper middle class Indian.

"I belong to the upper-middle-class category of Indians who aspire to live a good life. I can't afford everything that a rich person does but I save up and work my way through to be in a position to at least afford some of the luxuries but with GST everything has gone beyond my capability. My aspirations are being demolished simply because the government thinks I don't need to have luxury since I am a salaried person," said Natasha, a 26-year-old interior designer.

Under the GST regime, all branded items will become more expensive. Natasha is of the belief that by forcing people out of buying branded items, the government is basically reserving the same for the rich essentially deepening the rich-poor divide in the country.

Satish, a 22-year-old postgraduate student, however, believes that GST will make purchases easy for citizens. "Instead if breaking my head over multiple taxes in a bill, all I have to do now is look at one single tax, GST. Yes, I may end up paying a little more for my energy drinks and cola but had the company increased the prices, I would have still paid for it without complaining. Why complain now?" he asked. The increased price of video games is a concern for the student who conveys the same with a grin.

Movies, entertainment, fitness centres are primary concerns for people in the age group of 16 to 30. "For now the prices at theatres are the same but I don't know if they would increase and to what extent. In Hyderabad, tickets, at least in single screens have been very cheap but the government has recently increased the same. The ticket price is higher today since it's a weekend but perhaps Monday will give me a better picture," said Prashant, a student.

College-goers have a new issue. The accessories and clothes that they buy may just go a notch higher. "I make a lot of purchases from small shops and they never give me a bill. They only take cash since the purchase amount is perhaps a little over Rs 600 to 1,000. Will I now have to pay more even for those small little things? If the shopkeeper gives me a bill, I am sure he will also levy taxes on the products," said Meghana.

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