Demonetisation and Other Stories
My idea of demonetization has always been more ideological than social. Demonetization, replacement of currency, exhaustion of financial discretions have not been new or privately exercised.. Be it the whimsical ‘diktat’ of any Mughal emperor or an analysed and righteous decision making of the present governments, they have always been an effective tool to repair social vices. As stated, demonetization happened for a cause. The effects were anticipated, expected and with a stretch of imagination, all socio-political possible measures were made maneuvering to simplify them. However, whenever any newness is introduced to any given civilization, it comes with its own set of consequences which no government, social organization or a soothsayer can figure out with a bunch of theoretical statistics, chronicled experience or with an expanded wisdom.
The demonetization drive had been told to be a thoughtful, progressive and an affirmative decision which primarily had to work upon the menace of rooted financial corruption. That’s said. The process, however, had its own implications. Apart from the banks, financial institutions, unorganized trade market and very particularly, the people around, couldn’t prepare themselves much for such a developmental yet drastic move. Essentially, because it came with a sudden thud, a fist which refused to open and the present world, though heard about but never faced such a transformation, in person. Those tremendous exhausted long queues hovering an ATM machine, fierce people hoarding notes, eulogized public using multiple ATM cards, digital transactions even on conventional fruit stores, that struggle to buy daily needs, slimmer wallets and pockets becoming redundant, that innate urge to feel and touch new currency notes, banks making poker faces when asked for solution etc have all been the direct repercussions of the demonetization drive.
My experiences with this entire demonetization drive have been really humorous. Since, I am a kind of person who wouldn’t require cash or currency much, my experiences range from connectivity to other people’s woes and worries to my own little private stories. To begin with, demonetization might have done some fancy wonders to our world but one thing which I could certainly say is it changed the entire narrative between me and my land lady. I could surprisingly see that she was very considerate, cooperating and listened to me well when I was unable to give my rent on time for about 4 months in a row. Truly, I was amazed. I actually enjoyed that period of my regular unpunctuality which had then taken the sympathy of a cumulative grief. Secondly, the ideological shift and frustration of my kirana store uncle was exactly like a classical drama on a proscenium stage. He couldn’t say no to the buyers for their daily needs still with an almost dried ‘galla’, he perhaps went into some kind of an isolated revolution against the present government. This was that time when ‘change’ of even 5 rupees was acceptable as a hard earned booty, friends bartering personal stuff for drinks and smokes, dates with girlfriends were customized to ‘Raju Chaiwala’, dreams of Goa and Manali were compromised to Kamla Nagar and Rajiv Chowk hang outs.
I could also see those preying eyes of unorganized gangs of onlookers who, like a deadly serpent, waited eagerly for that cash van to fill some ‘stuff’ in an ATM of an unpronounceable South Indian bank. To add to that, there were lovers in those ATM queues who perhaps never wished that queue to end, rogues and ruffians wearing north eastern hoodies declaring self proclaimed winters. Pierced women, agile men, restless kids, shouting mothers, frowning fathers, all in one fundamental line and infact, more than that, with that one unlimited hopefulness of ‘yes, I am the next one in the queue’.A little confession here, I too was a part of such a queue for a couple of times and once when I waited for almost 2 hours to have that big fat ATM machine, the cash awfully got over on my turn. I was metaphorically dead. I literally slapped the ATM machine and ran away.
So, to conclude, now when things are proper and fallen in line, I wonder that although this all was chaotic and unorganized however, one gleaming glare of light in everyone’s eye was perpetually surviving (irrespective of how badly he was hit by the demonetization drive) that if it happens, let it happen. We are any which ways, doing it all to make India a place to be proud of.
