Bengaluru, Sept. 4 -- The Indian taxpayer has grown up believing two universal truths: one, death is inevitable; and two, the government will tax people for everything needed to survive until that death. Eating, sleeping, travelling, even breathing - there will always be a babu somewhere ready to slap a cess on it.
That is why the GST Council's recent decision to cut rates feels almost revolutionary. For once, instead of taking away, the government is giving back. The average household in this country, which spends more time counting pennies than counting blessings, can finally see a tax system that doesn't treat citizens like milch cows.
Take something as mundane as soap and shampoo. For years, keeping clean was treated like a luxury. It...