It's not a sin.

"At 6 million-plus kilometers (4 million miles), India's road network is now the second largest in the world after the US, according to official data from New Delhi." However, "A still-small, car-owning middle class (fewer than one in 10 households) is feeling squeezed by the $7 billion it pays in tolls every year." In addition, "Indian motorists are paying 30% more for fuel than the average American." "The auto industry complains that hefty taxes have put cars in the same category as drugs or alcohol." "Half the cost of a new SUV is tax," wrote Andy Mukherjee. The huge taxes on motor vehicles are the result of the necessity to create employment for manual labor while trying to control the resulting pollution by blaming car owners in the socialist belief that anyone owning a car is rich and should be fleeced. "India was the fifth most polluted country in the world in terms of air quality," and hosts "six of the world's 10 most polluted cities and 13 of the 20 most polluted cities globally, with Delhi being the most polluted capital in the world in 2024." TOI. Small particles are the most hazardous. "Small particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter pose the greatest problems," and "Exposure to such particles can affect both your lungs and your heart." Causing premature death in people with lung or heart disease, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma etc. epa.gov. A study by Chandra Bhushan and colleagues found that "India emits approximately 5.2 million tonnes of PM2.5 annually," and "82% of this comes from biomass burning and industrial activities." TOI. Biomass is used for cooking by the poor and industries employ labor and they constitute the vote bank (wikipedia) so beloved by our leaders. "India has overtaken China to become the world's most populous nation" at the end of 2022, with 1.417 billion people compared to China's 1.412 billion. The Diplomat. So many people need food, and agriculture needs water, and hence, "Excessive groundwater extraction in India, over 25% of the earth's total, has thrown the planet off balance, literally shifting it from its axis, says a new study. If it goes unchecked, it could disrupt the cycle of day and night and may lead to multiple crises." News18. To reduce emissions, the government wants people to use electric vehicles instead of those with an internal combustion engine (ICE). "As of 2024, the country boasts of over 5.6 million electric vehicles (EVs)," with sales of 1.2 million two-wheelers, 6,94,466 three-wheelers and 99.848 electric cars. jmkresearch.com. Electric vehicles run on batteries which need to be charged. "In 2010-11, 65% of our power generation capacity depended on fossil fuels. In 2020-21, this was  down to 61.4%. Further, in 2010-11, the country's generation capacity that depended on coal stood at 54%. It was down to 53% in 2020-21," wrote Vivek Kaul. Charging electric vehicles with electricity from fossil fuels adds to global warming anyway. So, India is using renewable sources for electricity generation. In 2020, India's "renewable energy capacity surged past 200 gigawatts (GW). By 2030, it hopes to scale up renewables to 500 GW." However, land is expensive and, "A 300-megawatt solar project needs over 900 acres," wrote Sayantan Bera. Solar and wind power is irregular and needs backup from fossil fuel generation. "That means we pay for not one, but two power sources." Electricity costs 34 cents per kWh in Germany which is twice that in the US and four times that in China. It would be ruinous for emerging nations, wrote Bjorn Lomborg. Wrong policies require lots of money. So sin taxes on hapless car owners. But, what is their sin?