In politics, if your objective is only winning elections, just Chanakya neeti might do. For governance you need both, Chanakya neeti and Ram Rajya. You can neither beat up the farmers into submission, nor dismiss them as 'Khalistanis', asserts Shekhar Gupta.
It is said in Chanakya Neeti that the grass on the ground survives the storm because it is flexible as per the direction of the wind. The large trees break down easily as they are strong and rigid. Winners are not rigid, they are flexible. At the same time, they are focused on winning. A must read excerpt from Radhakrishnan Pillai's Art Of Winning: The Chanakya Way.
While speaking of taxation, Sitharaman also quoted Sangam era Tamil classic's Yaanai Pugundha Nilam written by Pisirandhayar in Purananooru.
'Failure is success delayed. It teaches you to be patient and persevere so that you improve.'
'2,000 years later, we all want the same thing -- we want to live a healthy life, a life that has quality.' 'And Chanakya tells you exactly how to do that.'
'It is not that he has not committed any mistakes; he has.' 'But people were willing to forgive you if you were honest.'
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