Kings: Then and Now

Changing Costumes of a King

We overcame kings and established our own government in the name of democracy. Has anything changed substantially, however? It seems we just replaced the crown with a bandi coat.

I pay all sorts of taxes every day, like all other normal citizens. On top of that, my government extracts large sums from me occasionally in the name of fines for offences that no one is aware of. Yesterday I paid INR 500 as fine + 4.05 as credit card charge. The offence hasn’t been made clear to me in spite of my complaint and enquiries.

This is the second time the MoRTH [Ministry of Road Transport and Highways] extracts the same sum as fine for an offence which no one knows anything about. The first time it happened I went personally to my Regional Transport Office [RTO] and demanded evidence for my offence. They said they never provide any evidence. “The computerised system consisting of a network of surveillance cameras detects offences,” I was told. “What about the video captured by the camera?” I ask. I am told to approach the grievances section on the Parivahan eChallan website. I do. Nothing happens. No response whatever. Not even a computerised response to say that my complaint is registered.

More ludicrous, I decided to pay the fine and be done with it. So I flip a five-hundred-rupee note to the lady at the RTO counter. “Another fifty rupees,” she says as rudely as bureaucrats in India generally do. “Service charge,” she answers when I ask why. India may be the only country that extracts a service charge on a fine for an offence that no one knows anything about.

The second time, I paid the fine online after waiting in vain for a response to my “grievance”. And then there is a credit card charge!

The only purpose of a government seems to be extorting money from citizens - I post on social media out of frustration. No one disagrees. Everyone knows it and no one cares. Because it’s no use questioning the system.

India spends nearly two crore rupees every day on its Prime Minister’s security alone. Add to that his other regular expenses like frequent international trips. As of June 2025, Modi has made 157 international trips, visiting 75 countries.

Modi lives in a palace that is far more luxurious than the palaces of most erstwhile Indian kings. Similar is the case with most rulers of other democracies too. And all the money required for such royal lifestyle is extracted from the citizens. That is what the old kings did too. So, what has changed really? Nothing.

The kings had divine right and zero accountability. The democratic rulers of today have popular mandate and zero accountability.

As a friend says, “We no longer have kings. But the treasury still flows one way.” The nature of political power is the same whether it is a monarchy or a democracy. The costumes are slightly different, that’s all.