GST protests a sham; tax on fabrics a non issue; know the horror stories and more

Before the government made the excise duty on fabric optional in 2003-04, the textile hub of Surat — where traders temporarily called off a two-week-long strike on Tuesday against the goods and services tax (GST) regime — was a deadly place for taxmen to venture into. One horror story has it that an overzealous excise inspector once landed up at a textile unit there to enquire about the duty the p…