By Barnes Mawrie
It is PM Modi’s intention to create a cashless India, where citizens would do transactions only through banks, credit/debit cards, mobile phones etc. The idea is great and it sounds fantastic, but it is too idealistic when it comes to a country like India. In fact, the cashless India campaign has left the majority of Indians (the poorer section) really cash-dry. As a consequence, many are dying due to the inability to get cash to buy food or medicines. Urban citizens are perhaps in a better position because they have banks and ATMs at their doorsteps and they operate through these. What about the vast population in rural India who either have no access to banks or ATMs because they may be located hundreds of miles away from their homes or simply because they do not have a bank account or do not possess a credit/debit card. These are the people who bear the brunt of demonetization. India in no way is ready for such a drastic fiscal policy change. When the majority of our people are still poor and survive on cash transactions for their daily living, such an “out of the blue” policy is really murderous. To give a humorous parallel to this would be like an IT company going to a rural village and telling people about the need and importance of computers, only to discover later that there is no electricity in that village. Similarly, demonetization policy has been forced upon our country when its citizens are least prepared for it.
In Western developed countries where every person has a bank account or possesses a credit card, the cashless system might function well. Moreover, in such countries shopkeepers operate through swipe machines or similar methods for payments by customers. In India we have so many small business entrepreneurs who literally live from hand to mouth by procuring cash for their small items’ sales. So in India such a novelty would only spell an economic doom and cause a life-threatening situation for the people. As of now small business communities have been hit the hardest and it is going to be worse as days pass. So in my opinion, enforcing a cashless economy is not the need of the moment for our country. We have a long way to go before we can reach that point of development when we can contemplate introducing such a system. There are more urgent and vital issues at the grassroots that require the undivided attention of our political leaders.
Let me take the readers to another issue and that is “the need to create a casteless society” in India. Our honourable PM should spend more of his efforts in trying to undo the evils of caste system. As we all know, much damage has been done to our country because of the caste system. Injustice and discrimination between groups of people based on caste, is the curse of our nation. Millions of Dalits and tribal communities all over India are being dehumanized by the caste system. It is common to hear of murders being committed based on caste discrimination. The so called “honour killing” because a boy or a girl belonging to a higher caste marries a low caste, are reported from time to time. The deprivation of rightful privileges of the Dalits and the manipulation of laws related to them, are rampant in our society. Exploitation of the Dalits and tribal communities by the “high castes” is almost an accepted norm in India. When it comes to development projects anywhere in India, it is the Dalits or tribal people who have to pay the price through displacement from their legal habitats. Often the Government is in league with the corporates in the process of eviction of the poor masses. How many hydro projects, how many industrial plants, how many real estate establishments are benefitting the Dalits and the tribal communities? All these are created for empowering the rich and the high caste.
Indian politics has been always dominated by the high castes since the beginning. No wonder, a Dalit like B. R. Ambedkar in spite of his high education and qualification, had no chance of being at the head of the Congress. Caste system is not only a dividing force in India, but it has become an instrument to perpetuate injustice and inequality in our country. Given its religious sanction in Hinduism, it has created justification for fatalism and put a permanent halt to upward social mobility. If India is to become a more human, more just and more equal society, caste system must be rooted out altogether.
In conclusion I would reaffirm that what the BJP Government (any government for that matter) should do today is to make India first of all “casteless and not cashless.” The former will go a long way to promote peace, unity and solidarity, respect for persons and equal opportunities for all. The latter instead will only deteriorate further the condition of the poor and helpless people in our country. Let us not sacrifice the majority of the poor for the sake of the rich minority. I believe India is still a great country with sound ethics and values. Let me recall the words of Tagore “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; into that heaven of freedom my Father, let my country awake.”