Editor,
A gunshot that kills a frightening tiger in the forest can also kill a harmless deer or duck if the shooter is unskilled. Exactly the same thing is happening now. Just imagine the catastrophe faced by our poverty-stricken folks vis-a-vis the rich, after the sudden demonetization. While the rich are finding it tough to reconcile themselves with the bombshell announced by PM Modi, the poor have not been less persecuted. No doubt our Prime Minister’s embodiment of sacrifice and patriotism, has seen the pain of the poor first hand but this time he has failed to feel the agonies of the downtrodden. There are various kind of hardships experienced by our villagers. Many from the remote areas are having a tough time to acquaint themselves with the nitty-gritty of the bank. They never imagined that their hard-earned money would one day become redundant. It’s often reported that illiterate farmers have to walk hours to reach a bank and most of them have returned home in the evening empty handed. Some unlucky ones have witnessed the wrath of fussy bankers who dish out hard terms and conditions before handing over a Rs 2000 note.
Unlike European countries, India is underdeveloped and the majority of citizens do not know the basic utilities of bank. They feel that money kept at home is far safer than at the bank.
Again, how useful are Rs 2,000 banknotes when smaller notes like Rs 100 and Rs 500 are not available? Show me a foolish shop owner now who will return 13 nos of Rs 100 by accepting a Rs 2000 note for groceries amounting Rs 700. No one is willing to accept this big note.
While we don’t disagree that the Government’s demonetization plan is praiseworthy but the preparation to meet the anticipated challenges is dismal. Phew! The scissors of demonetization have cut the wallets of the rich but they also have pierced deeply into the hearts of the poor. Now we badly wish that demonetization does not become a bitter pill of antagonism tomorrow.
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali
Shillong-2
Between tradition and modernity
Editor,
Paramjit Bakhshi has raised a very pertinent question in his article, “Unzipping tradition” (ST, November 23, 2016), ~ “whether we want the irresistible force of youth to prosper or do we want it to be sacrificed at the altar of static tradition”. The answer to the question can be found in the chemistry of synthesis. Neither the thesis of our prejudiced past nor the hedonistic present have “dynamic quality” to speed up our evolution. But the quest for finding a synthesis should be on and there is no question of walking backwards. In this context, we can recall the words of the Mother ( Mirra Alfassa ) to get the vision of Sri Aurobindo, “There is an ascending evolution in nature which goes from the stone to the plant, from the plant to the animal, from animal to man. Because man is, for the moment, the last rung at the summit of the ascending evolution, he considers himself as the final stage in this ascension and believes there can be nothing on earth superior to him. In that he is mistaken.
In his physical nature he is yet almost wholly an animal, a thinking and speaking animal, but still an animal in his material habits and instincts. Undoubtedly, nature cannot be satisfied with such an imperfect result; she endeavours to bring out a being who will be to man what man is to the animal, a being who will remain a man in its external form, and yet whose consciousness will rise far above the mind and its slavery to ignorance.” Indeed, we can easily see that the evolution is dynamic and ascending. Unfortunately, many people of our country believe that India was a land of justice and fair play in the epic age and was a far better place to live in than the present Republic India. They strongly recommend Mahabharata as a better guide than the Constitution of India.
We cannot progress so long as we have such a backward pull in our mindset. Our Consti0tution is a result of thousands of years of evolutionary progress of humankind since the days of Mahabharata. So, it is quite natural that the spirit of Mahabharata will come into conflict with the Constitution of India which is based on the ideals of equality, liberty, fraternity and justice. For example, Dronacharya, a great figure of Mahabharata, should have been arrested in Republic India for cutting the right thumb of Eklavya as tuition fees. Will the code of Mahabharata promote women to the status of Devis? When women of elite families could have been pawned in a game of chance in those days, it can, easily, be understood what was the status of common women especially the Dalit ones. We still nurture prejudices against Dalits and women because of our soft corner for barbaric ancient days. The brightest and the humblest student, Eklavya, was, devilishly, crippled so that he could never use his education in archery. Our pining for such an unequal society made a bright student of modern India, Vemula, write in his suicide note, “My birth is my fatal accident”.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata