The film centres around Savita, a young woman striving for an education and a career in a patriarchal society

It is often said that marriages are made in heaven.

But in India, where a majority of marriages are arranged, the process of match-making can feel like a passage through hell for a woman and her family.

That’s the premise of Sthal: A Match, the 2023 gritty Marathi-language film that has won several prestigious awards at festivals in India and abroad. It is releasing for the first time in theatres in India on Friday.

Set in rural Maharashtra state, the film centres around Savita, a young woman striving for an education and a career in a patriarchal society, and the attempts by her father Daulatrao Wandhare – a poor cotton farmer – to find a good husband for his daughter.

“He wants a good price for his crop and a good match for his daughter,” says director Jayant Digambar Somalkar.

The film is notable for the unflinching way it portrays what its lead actress calls the “very humiliating” experience of many young women, unlike other Indian movies about arranged marriage.

Sthal has also grabbed attention as its entire cast is made up of first-time actors chosen from the village where it is shot. Nandini Chikte, who plays Savita, has already won two awards for her brilliant performance.

With eyes downcast, Savita sits on a wooden stool facing a group of men who’ve come to assess her for marriage

The film opens with a sequence where Savita is interviewing a prospective groom.

Along with her female relatives and friends, she watches as the young man serves them drinks from a tray. They laugh when he, visibly nervous, fumbles during questioning.

Rudely awakened from what turned out to be a dream, Savita is told to get ready as a group of men are coming to see her.

In reality, the gender roles are completely reversed, and in a scene that’s replayed several times in the nearly two-hour film, Savita’s humiliation comes into sharp focus.

The prospective groom and other men from his family are welcomed by Savita’s father and male relatives. Guests are fed tea and snacks and once the introductions are done, Savita is called in.

Dressed in a sari, with eyes downcast, she sits down on a wooden stool facing her interrogators.

Questions come, thick and fast. What’s your name? Full name? Mother’s clan? Date of birth? Height? Education? Subject? Hobbies? Are you willing to work on the farm?

The men step out, to hold a discussion. “She’s a bit dark. She had makeup on her face, but did you not see her elbow? That is her real colour,” says one. “She’s also short,” he goes on to add. Others nod in agreement.

They leave, telling Daulatrao that they will respond in a few days to let him know their decision.

According to her parents, “this is the fourth or fifth time someone has come to see Savita” – all the earlier meetings have ended in rejection, leading to heartbreak and despair.

The scene rings true. In India, men often have a laundry list of attributes they want in their brides – a glance at the matrimonial columns in newspapers and match-making websites shows everyone wants tall, fair, beautiful brides.

In the film cotton farmer Daulatrao Wandhare (left) and his wife’s main aim in life is to find a good husband for their daughter

Savita’s protestations – “I don’t want to get married, I first want to finish college and then take civil services exams and build a career” – carry no weight in her rural community, where marriage is presented as the only goal worth having for a young woman.

“Marriage is given far too much importance in our society,” Chikte told the BBC. “Parents believe that once the daughter is married, they will become free of their responsibility. It’s time to change that narrative.”

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She says she found it “very humiliating” that Savita was made to sit on a stool to be judged by all those men who discussed her skin colour, while there was no discussion about the prospective groom.

“I was only acting, but as the film progressed, I lived Savita’s journey and I felt angry on her behalf. I felt insulted and disrespected.”

The film also tackles the social evil that is dowry – the practice of the bride’s family gifting cash, clothes and jewellery to the groom’s family.

Though it has been illegal for more than 60 years, dowries are still omnipresent in Indian weddings.

Parents of girls are known to take out huge loans or even sell their land and house to meet dowry demands. Even that doesn’t necessarily ensure a happy life for a bride as tens of thousands are killed every year by the groom or his family for bringing in insufficient dowries.

In the film too, Daulatrao puts up a “for sale” sign on his land, even though farming is his only source of livelihood.

The film’s entire cast is made up of first-time actors chosen from the village where it is shot

Director Somalkar says the idea for his debut feature film is rooted in his own experience.

Growing up with two sisters and five female cousins, he had witnessed the ritual far too many times when prospective grooms visited his home.

“As a child you don’t question tradition,” he says, adding that the turning point came in 2016 when he accompanied a male cousin to see a prospective bride.

“This was the first time I was on the other side. I felt a bit uncomfortable when the woman came out and sat on a stool and was asked questions. When we stepped out for a discussion, I felt the conversation about her height and skin colour was objectifying her.”

When he discussed the issue with his fiancée at the time – who is now his wife – she encouraged him to explore it in his work.

Writer-director Jayant Digambar Somalkar says the idea for his debut feature film is rooted in his own experience

In a country where 90% of all marriages are still arranged by families, Sthal is not the first to tackle the subject on screen. IMDB has a list of nearly 30 films about arranged marriage made by Bollywood and regional film industries just in the past two decades.

More recently, the wildly popular Netflix show Indian Matchmaking focused entirely on the process of finding the perfect partner.

But, as Somalkar points out, “weddings are hugely glamourised” on screen.

“When we think of weddings in India, we think of the big fat wedding full of fun and glamour. We think of Hum Aapke Hain Koun,” he says, referring to the 1990s Bollywood blockbuster that celebrates Indian wedding traditions.

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“And the Netflix show only dealt with a certain class of people, the ones who are wealthy and educated and the women are able to exercise their choice.

“But the reality for a majority of Indians is very different and parents often have to go through hell to get their daughters married,” he adds.

His reason for making Sthal, he says, is to “jolt society and audiences out of complacency.

“I want to start a debate and encourage people to think about a process that objectifies women who have very little freedom to choose between marriage and career,” he says.

“I know one book or one film doesn’t change society overnight, but it can be a start.”

– Geeta Pandey

(BBC News)

People evade taxes for various reasons. One common factor is the desire to avoid financial burden, especially when tax rates are perceived as high or unfair.

Some individuals may also lack trust in how tax revenues are used by the government, leading them to believe that paying taxes is not beneficial. Others may feel that tax evasion is a victimless crime or that they can get away with it due to weak enforcement with in the system.

In some cases, complexity in the tax system and lack of awareness about tax laws may also contribute to unintentional non-compliance. Additionally, economic pressures or the desire for a higher standard of living can motivate individuals to evade taxes, viewing it as a quick solution to financial difficulties.

Nevertheless, if an individual or business considers evading taxes, they may not fully understand the extensive long-term impacts of their actions. While tax evasion might appear advantageous in the short term, it can ultimately jeopardize their own interests and negatively affect the overall welfare of society. Tax evasion represents a significant challenge with wide-ranging effects on society.

When individuals or businesses intentionally evade paying taxes, they not only deny the government essential funds needed for critical services such as education, healthcare and infrastructure, but they also create an uneven playing field for those who pay taxes.

This behaviour erodes the fairness of the tax system and imposes an unfair burden on compliant taxpayers. Furthermore, tax evasion can disrupt markets and stifle economic progress, ultimately affecting the well-being of society as a whole.

This article aims to highlight the widespread consequences of tax evasion, emphasising how it undermines public services, economic growth and social fairness, ultimately impacting every member of society.

The role of taxes in society
Taxation is a fundamental aspect of any functioning government, serving as the primary means for financing public services and infrastructure. Through taxes, governments fund essential programmes such as welfare services, knowledge aquisition, law enforcement, defense and social security which the services are crucial to the public welfare.

In addition to these core services, taxes support disaster relief efforts, road maintenance, scientific research and much more, contributing to the overall development of the nation. Without a consistent flow of tax revenue, the government would be unable to fulfill its responsibilities to the public, leading to gaps in services that are essential for daily life.

Paying taxes is not only a legal obligation but also a civic duty. It ensures that government can meet the demands of their population and invest in long-term societal growth.

For individuals and businesses, contributing taxes is an integral part of maintaining a stable and prosperous economy. In return, the government reinvests this revenue into vital sectors that directly affect the people’s quality of life. By fulfilling their tax obligations, citizens play an active role in shaping the future of their country and supporting the services that benefit everyone.

Repercussions of tax evasion
Tax evasion poses a significant threat to the smooth functioning of government services by depriving public institutions of the critical funds they rely on. As tax evasion increases, governments face budget deficits, forcing them to either cut essential services or raise taxes on law-abiding citizens, which creates an unfair burden.

When tax revenues decline, governments struggle to fund initiatives that drive economic growth, such as infrastructure development, technological advancement, research and innovation and the generation of new knowledge.

The lack of investment stifles job creation, limits business opportunities, hampers improvements in standard of living and undermines the economy’s overall competitiveness.

Consequently, economic growth slows, negatively impacting everyone from workers to entrepreneursm by reducing prosperity and limiting future potential.

Additionally, the frustration felt by honest taxpayers grows, fostering a sense of mistrust. This results in an environment where those who adhere to the law are unfairly penalised, while tax evaders continue to benefit.

This situation erodes social fairness and cohesion, ultimately harming society by depriving it of vital public goods and services that benefit everyone.

Additionally, tax evasion can have severe personal consequences, such as legal penalties, financial instability and a damaged reputation. It can also lead to increased stress, negatively impacting personal relationships and long-term financial security.

What steps can we take?
As tax evasion reverberates throughout the economy and society, its consequences extend far beyond the act itself. So, what can we do collectively to reduce the risk of tax evasion? Rather than waiting for policymakers to implement stricter measures or for tax authorities to conduct rigorous investigations and prosecutions, we can take individual responsibility by ensuring we fulfill our tax obligations.

This includes accurately reporting income and expenses, avoiding the creation of false invoices, declaring all assets and liabilities, refraining from hiding offshore income, and not manipulating transaction prices.

These actions are essential to maintaining compliance with tax regulations. By doing so, we not only contribute to the economic process but also experience a sense of moral satisfaction and self-fulfillment.

Paying taxes is our duty to society and instead of pointing fingers or blaming others, it’s time for us to act. Together, we can strengthen the economy and ensure a fairer and more prosperous society for all.

(Author- Dr. Nadee Dissanayake,Deputy Commissioner General Inland Revenue Department)

(dailynews.lk)

Sri Lanka is set to relax a ban on some vehicle imports in a sign the country is returning to normal after a severe economic crisis that toppled a president.

From 1 February, imports of buses, trucks and utility vehicles will be allowed to resume, while restrictions on other vehicles are expected to be gradually lifted.

Many Sri Lankans are waiting for authorities to also drop an import ban on private cars, sport utility vehicles and three-wheeled trishaws – which are commonly used as taxis.

But with prices of vehicles forced up by a scarcity of new ones to buy, a weak currency and high taxes, some are asking who will be able to afford a new car.

In 2022, Sri Lanka faced a severe foreign currency shortage, which meant it was unable to meet its obligations to creditors for the first time in its history.

The island nation of 22 million people was thrown into turmoil as it faced crippling shortages of fuel, food and medicines.

Massive anti-government protests toppled then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa just months later.

Colombo negotiated a $2.9bn (£2.3bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund, while Rajapaksa’s successor introduced austerity measures including hiking taxes and ending energy subsidies.

The country’s finances have since improved and the economy is gradually returning from the brink.

The announcement to lift the import ban on vehicles has triggered a buzz among Sri Lankans who have been waiting for years to buy a new car or a van.

Murtaza Jafeerjee, chair of Advocata, an economic think tank based in Colombo, told the BBC he thought the move was long overdue.

“The vehicle imports will not only increase the government’s revenue but will also trigger other economic activities like car financing, dealer revenue, car servicing and other related activities, creating jobs,” he said.

But Nalinda Jayatissa, the country’s information minister told a media briefing on Tuesday that the country was “moving very cautiously because we don’t want a surge of imports that will deplete our foreign reserves”

Gayan Indika says he has lost money as he struggled to buy a new car

‘We’ve been waiting for a long time’

The country, which doesn’t have any major factories producing cars and trucks, imports almost all its vehicles, many of them from countries like Japan and India. Now there’s a also lot of interest in Chinese cars, particularly electric vehicles.

Prices of used cars in Sri Lanka have soared, with some models now costing two or three times as much as they did before the ban.

The restrictions have been particularly difficult for people like Gayan Indika, who provides vehicles for weddings and is a part-time cab driver.

“I want to buy a new car so that I can do my work and resume my private cab rental. Without a car, without mobility, I am losing a lot of my revenue,” he said.

In a country with poor public transport, a car can be vital, Sasikumar, a software professional from the central city of Kandy explained.

“As we don’t have a good public transport system, a car is essential to travel to other parts of the country. Either the government should lift the ban on cars or improve the public transport.”

Sri Lanka imported about $1.4bn worth of vehicles in the year before the ban was imposed. This year the central bank says it’s planning to allocate up to a billion dollars for vehicle imports, but said the money will be released gradually.

Arosha Rodrigo, from the Vehicle Importers Association of Sri Lanka, and his family have been running a car dealership for more than four decades.

The firm was importing about 100 vehicles a month before the ban. Since the restrictions came into force they have not been unable to import a single vehicle.

He points out that even if the ban is relaxed further, to allow passenger cars and other vehicles to be imported, many people won’t be able to afford them because of increased taxes and Sri Lanka’s weak currency.

The government has sharply raised excise duties on imported vehicles, both new and second hand, to 200% and 300% depending on engine size.

On top of excise duty, there is also 18% Value Added Tax (VAT) for any vehicle brought from abroad.

The price of imported vehicles will also be impacted by the weakness of the Sri Lankan rupee against major world currencies like the US dollar.

Those soaring costs are putting off people like school teacher R Yasodha.

“We have been waiting to purchase a vehicle for a long time. But if we calculate the tax and the price, the cost of an average sized car has doubled from 2.5 million rupees ($8,450; £6,800) to five million rupees,” she told the BBC.

“It would cost a fortune for us.”

– Anbarasan Ethirajan
South Asia Regional Editor, BBC