程阳：印度人视角的彩票箴言

Cheng Yang: The Lottery Mottos in the Indians Views

 

来源: Sugal & Damani Enterprises Pvt. Ltd

LOTTERY QUOTES

 

Thomas Jefferson:

 

"A lottery is a salutary instrument and a tax ... laid on the willing only, that is to say, on those who can risk the price of a ticket without sensible injury, for the possibility of a higher prize".

 

King Francis I, France:

 

"While my subjects are playing lottery, they will forget to insult and fight one another and blaspheme God".

 

Proverbs : 18-18, The Bible: 【PDF】所罗门的箴言 

 

Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.

18:18 两个权贵在法庭上争讼，只好藉抽签解除纠纷。 [G]

「抽籤可以使爭端平息，也能調解權貴的糾紛」。或譯：「兩個權貴在法庭上爭訟，只好藉抽籤解除糾紛」。 [S]

 

Dr Manoj Sharma, University School, Punjab University:

 

"Nothing is wrong in playing lotteries, provided it remains within limits since funds collected from this business are mostly spent on different government schemes. The states would have to otherwise impose taxes. It should be considered as a voluntary payment of taxes besides gaining fun".

 

Former Justice – M.C.Chagla:

 

One of the finest achievements of the government is the university. It was built by some of the most famous architects in Mexico, and it has a very large campus.

 

The funds for the university were raised by floating state lottery tickets. A love of gambling is innate among South Americans, and the government wisely channelised this instinct and put it to the best possible use in the interest of the people at large. After my first visit to Mexico, I wrote to Nehru about this University and suggested to him that we also should start lotteries. I reminded him that Ireland had built most of her hospitals out of profits made by running the famous Irish Derby Sweep stakes. The reply was prompt and unequivocal:" there are certain traditions in our country, and it is immoral to give an impetus to the gambling instinct by floating state lotteries. The state instead of encouraging this vice, should try and control it, if not put it down altogether.”

 

I am glad to find that many years after I wrote this, almost every state has started organising state lotteries. Unfortunately in India it takes such a long time to learn from the experience of other countries. We refused to learn from the American experiment in prohibition, with the result that revenues amounting to crores of rupees were lost, while corruption spread to the police and even the bar and the judiciary were affected. Here again, we are retracing our steps, but at what cost?

 

Late Shri C.N. Annadurai - Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu:

 

"Vizhunthaal veetirku; vizhavittaal naatirku".

 

(If a player wins a lottery game, he gains; if he does not win, the country gains.)

 

Extract from the Editorial of The Hindu, Chennai, dated 7.4.99:

 

Two other important areas need to be looked into. If only to moderate the extreme posturing on the conduct of lotteries. The first is the economic angle. Interestingly, most lottery schemes in India have been started to fulfill certain socio-economic objectives, a significant one being the creation of employment. More importantly, lotteries generate revenue for the states perhaps in an unorthodox manner but, as studies indicate, quite crucially in lean years.

 

Extract from The Economic Times, dated 01.04.99:

 

The union cabinet has decided to ban lotteries and gambling across the board. Apparently there is near unanimity in Parliament on banning this 'social evil'. Interesting thought:

 

The state cannot usurp the moral high ground. It has itself gambled away public money in a host of misadventures: what else are the loss making PSUs and NPAs of state owned banks? Secondly, Parliament should see that democratic policies is itself a gamble, and politicians stake small fortunes in the electoral sweepstakes. Why should we not take free risks with our money and enjoy it? Leisure gambling is civilised sport. Thirdly, the state cannot enforce a ban on gambling. And this means that the activity will remain underground and criminals, including criminalised politicians, will profit from it, in league with our corrupt police. Indeed, laws such as this merely work towards corrupting the police, who should be busy protecting life and property....... the state would be better off legalising and regulating the activity ( there is an interesting chapter in Kautilya's Arthashastra on the superintendence of gambling house) and earning revenues which could be used for various constructive social purposes.....A huge industry's prospects are being thwarted by this false morality.

 

Bal Saheb Thackeray:

 

In the last 36 years, lotteries have contributed a lot to the revenue of the state of Maharashtra and provided employment to many common people.

 

Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab (Press Release of DPR CM.99/1230):

 

".....the transparent system presently existing is likely to be replaced by 'Satta' and 'Matka'....forms of illegal gambling handled by unscrupulous elements and black marketers. The proposed ban will increase unemployment.... and causing indirect loss of hundreds of crores of rupees to the state economy...... The state-run lotteries generate revenue for Central Government in the shape of Income Tax, Service Tax, etc.

 

The National Lottery in the U.K is providing funds for many noble causes including social welfare and preservation of heritage".

 

 Chris Rawlinson, Top British Hurdler:

 

"I don't think all the public necessarily realise that when they play the lottery, they are helping athletes like myself to compete at the Olympics".

 

Michaela Breeze, British Weight Lifter:

 

"Thank you to all of those people who play the lottery week in, week out. They are helping me and many other athletes keep our dreams of Olympic success alive".

 

Ed Coode, British Rower:

 

"I think that lottery funding was responsible for 2 out of 3 medals at the Olympic Games in Sydney".

 

Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, UK:

 

"It (the lottery) creates winners. It changes lives. It transforms communities".

 

LaShand Moore, a mother:

 

" As a single parent, I probably would not have been able to send my son William to school without the Hope Scholarship of the Tennessee Lottery".