Budget 2023: Quotable Quotes from Past Budget Speeches of FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Budget 2023: In a country with a rich heritage as India’s, there is no dearth of philosophers, litterateurs, poets, economists, reformist thinkers and saints who have left us a vast treasure trove of aphorisms. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to announce the Union Budget for the upcoming year on February 1. The earlier Budget speeches of Sitharaman, and her predecessors, have often invoked a diverse range of poetry.

Union Budget 2019-20

“Yaanai pugundha nilam”- Pisiranthaiyar, on taxation advice to Pandya king Arivudai Nambi

“A few pounds of rice from paddy that is harvested from a small piece of land would suffice for an elephant. But what if the elephant itself enters the field and starts eating? What it eats would be far lesser than what it would trample over!”

The reference was to direct taxes, implying that the Centre wouldn’t be like an elephant in a paddy field — needlessly taking more than what it needs and ultimately destroying hard-earned savings of the citizens in the process.

Union Budget 2020-21

“Bhoomi thiruthi un” – Aathichoodi by Avvaiyaar

(Cultivate the land and feed)

“Piniyinmai Selvam Vilaivinpam Emam

Aniyenpa Naattiv Vaindhu”

Five ‘jewels’ for a good country are to be free from epidemic, be wealthy, agriculture, people must be happy, and security of the country must be the top priority.

Union Budget 2021-22

“Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.”- Rabindranath Tagore

Union Budget 2022-23

FM Sitharaman quoted shlokas (hymns) from the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata while announcing tax benefits in the Union Budget 2022.

She began the “Direct Tax” part of her budget speech with quotes from Shantiparva chapter (12th of 18) of the Mahabharata saying, “The king must make way for yogakshema, that is, welfare of the people.”

In what was her shortest budget speech spanning over 90 minutes, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “The king must make arrangements for the welfare of populists by abandoning laxities and governing by Dharma.”

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