Imagine working hard, earning Rs. 100, and then being forced to give away Rs. 97.50 to the government. You’re left with just Rs. 2.50 to feed your family, pay your bills, or save for your dreams. This isn’t a made-up story—it’s the harsh reality Indians faced under Indira Gandhi’s Congress government in the 1970s. The Congress party, often hailed as the champion of the poor, has a dark history of policies that crippled India’s growth, crushed entrepreneurship, and turned dreams into nightmares. Let’s uncover how Congress and Indira Gandhi became the biggest enemies of India, Indians, and the nation’s progress.
The 97.5% Tax Nightmare: Robbing Indians of Their Hard Work
In the 1970s, Indira Gandhi’s Congress government introduced one of the most brutal tax policies in India’s history. If you earned more than Rs. 2 lakh a year, the government took 85% of your income as tax. Then, they slapped a 10% surcharge on top, making it 93.5%. For some wealthy individuals, additional rules like capital gains and wealth taxes pushed the effective tax rate to a shocking 97.5%. This meant that out of every Rs. 100 you earned, you could keep only Rs. 2.50. The rest? It went straight into the government’s pocket, all in the name of “socialism” and “equality.”
But did this so-called equality help the poor? Not at all. Instead, it punished anyone who dared to dream big, work hard, or take risks. Small and big business owners alike were crushed under this tax burden. Many stopped innovating or growing their businesses because they knew the government would take almost everything. Some started hiding their money, leading to a rise in black money and corruption. Others simply left India, taking their talent and ideas to countries where they could thrive. Indira Gandhi didn’t just tax money—she taxed dreams, ambition, and India’s future.
The License Raj: A System Designed to Strangle Growth
The Congress party under Indira Gandhi didn’t stop at taxing people to death. They also created the infamous License Raj—a system where businesses needed government permission for everything, from starting a factory to producing goods. This wasn’t about regulation; it was about control. The government decided who could succeed and who couldn’t, often favoring those who paid bribes or were loyal to the Congress party. Honest entrepreneurs were buried under endless paperwork and delays, while corruption skyrocketed.
The License Raj killed competition and innovation. Indian businesses couldn’t grow, and foreign companies stayed away because of the red tape. While countries like Japan and South Korea were building modern economies, India was stuck in poverty, producing low-quality goods that no one wanted. The Congress party’s obsession with control meant that India missed out on the global economic boom of the 20th century. The common man suffered the most—jobs were scarce, goods were expensive, and dreams of a better life remained just that: dreams.
Garibi Hatao: A Slogan That Kept India Poor
Indira Gandhi’s favorite slogan was “Garibi Hatao” (Remove Poverty). It sounded noble, but it was a cruel lie. Her policies didn’t remove poverty—they made it worse. By taxing success and strangling businesses, she ensured that there were fewer jobs and opportunities for the poor. The money collected from the 97.5% tax didn’t go to building schools, hospitals, or roads for the common man. Instead, it was used to fund Congress’s political machinery, keep their loyalists happy, and strengthen the Gandhi family’s grip on power.
While Indira Gandhi preached socialism in public, her family and allies lived in luxury. The Congress party turned poverty into a weapon, using it to win votes while doing nothing to fix the root causes. The middle class was crushed, standing in long lines for rationed food, while the poor were left with empty promises. India became a land of missed opportunities, where talent and hard work were punished, and loyalty to Congress was rewarded.
The Emergency: When Congress Took Away India’s Freedom
Indira Gandhi’s rule wasn’t just an economic disaster—it was a direct attack on India’s democracy. In 1975, when she feared losing power, she declared the Emergency, suspending the Constitution and jailing anyone who dared to oppose her. Thousands of innocent people, including activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens, were thrown into prison without reason. The press was censored, and fear ruled the country. For 21 months, India lived under a dictatorship, all because Indira Gandhi and the Congress party cared more about power than the people.
During the Emergency, forced sterilizations were carried out on a massive scale, targeting the poor (and only Hindus) in the name of population control. There was no forced sterilizations on Muslims and Christians. Families were torn apart, and countless lives were ruined. This wasn’t just bad governance—it was a crime against humanity. Yet, the Congress party has never apologized for these atrocities. They continue to glorify Indira Gandhi as the “Iron Lady,” conveniently ignoring the rust of her legacy that still haunts India.
A Lost Generation: The Cost of Congress’s Policies
The 97.5% tax, License Raj, and Emergency weren’t just policies—they were a declaration of war on India’s future. An entire generation of Indians was robbed of opportunities to grow, innovate, and prosper. While the world moved forward, India was stuck in a cycle of poverty, corruption, and inefficiency. The Congress party’s obsession with power and control left the country in shambles, with a broken economy and a shattered spirit.
It was only after the 1991 economic reforms—forced by a crisis and led by a non-Congress government—that India began to recover. The reforms opened up the economy, reduced taxes, and dismantled much of the License Raj. Suddenly, India started to grow, businesses flourished, and the middle class began to thrive. But this progress came despite Congress, not because of it. Even today, the party talks about bringing back failed ideas like wealth tax and inheritance tax, showing they’ve learned nothing from the past.
Congress: The Real Enemy of India’s Growth
For decades, the Congress party has pretended to be the savior of India’s poor while systematically destroying the country’s potential. Their policies under Indira Gandhi didn’t bring equality—they created a system where only the Gandhi family and their cronies could succeed. They taxed success, crushed freedom, and turned India into a land of despair. The 97.5% tax rate wasn’t just a number—it was a symbol of how Congress valued power over people.
Even today, the Congress party refuses to change. They cling to the same old ideas of socialism and control, ignoring the lessons of history. They talk about “Nyay” (justice) and economic fairness, but their track record shows they care only about votes, not progress. India cannot afford to let Congress drag it back into the dark days of the 1970s. The party’s legacy is one of poverty, corruption, and lost opportunities—a legacy that every Indian should reject.
Wake Up, India!
It’s time for every Indian to see the Congress party for what it truly is: the biggest enemy of India’s growth, freedom, and dreams. Indira Gandhi and her party didn’t build a nation—they built a dynasty that thrived on the suffering of millions. The 97.5% tax, the License Raj, and the Emergency were not mistakes—they were deliberate choices to keep India weak and dependent on Congress.
We must never forget this dark chapter of our history. India deserves leaders who empower its people, not those who crush their dreams. Let’s reject the Congress party’s empty promises and build a future where hard work is rewarded, not punished. The rust of Indira Gandhi’s legacy must never haunt us again. India’s dreams are too big to be taxed at 97.5%—and its people are too strong to be held back by a party that cares only for itself.
Your Vote for Congress Party is a vote for your own destruction. Your Vote for Congress Party is feeding their future generations while your future generations will starve.
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