As a layman, who doesn’t understand anything about Politics,
business and ‘big time conspiracies’ as much as a wide-spread Indian Cinema
audience doesn’t understand cinema, I was totally blown and equally confused
when the ban on currency notes of Rs.500 & Rs.1000 was announced by Indian
Govt.
I am so layman and lazy to keep myself updated about current affairs (even the
film industry gossips) that it was a friend of mine who called me up to ask my
parents (both of them being the bank managers) if they would exchange notes the
next day. That’s when I knew that this rule has been passed w.e.f midnight.
I am not an analyst, nor am I any business guru or finance
advisor. However, just as a person who doesn’t even earn Rs.8000 a month at the
age of 24, here are the few things that crossed my mind and happened around me
which I would want to stay with me as an archived memory. Thoughts, jokes,
observations, opinions, and food for thought – the following paragraphs will
include the mixture of everything. All what I felt, thought, saw and
experienced on 8th, 9th and 10th of November 2016.
1. PANIC –
As soon as more and more people got to know about this there
was a wave of panic. Banks remained closed the next day being the prime reason
for it. I mean, even I realized that the currency notes that I had collected
only for the number on that currency Note ended with 777 or 786 were of no use
now. Suddenly I realized that even I had some money to worry about – ironically
in that wave of panic I had a moment of Euphoria with myself.
2. Viral –
When I was in primary school, there wasn’t a fancy word
Viral used that often. That time we called it ‘fever’. But then the viral is
not only a disease related term today. The speed of this news spreading was faster
than light. Calling it ‘Viral’ would be an understatement. The power of social
media was being exploited to the fullest. Within an hour almost everyone knew
about it.
3. Confusion –
Confusion was the result of eagerness to spread the news too
soon to too many people. Without knowing the whole thought behind it or without
understanding the procedures that govt. is planning to tag along the decision,
the single sentence links were forwarded to every contact and thus half the
information kept people clueless and with no answers to every question that
kept piling up in their heads. My confusion was – the 786 numbered notes that I
have, how do I set my preferences – Worth wise OR Value wise? Hmm…
4. Status updates –
Apart from the viral jokes to which I’ll come very soon, it
was observed that almost 37% of the people in my facebook friend-list have
quite a sense of humour. I mean wow…every one of them had some kind humourous,
sarcastic, satirical, brutal, racist, leftist, secular, diplomatic and
communist and other genres of things to say and put it as status update or
tweets to post. Only if our minds worked this fast during the exams.
5. Jokes –
Oh My Godddd !!! I think, a total number of Rs.100 notes
that was existing in the pockets of people on the 8t of Nov. was equivalent to
number of people who took it as their moral responsibility towards the
betterment of the nation and usage of whatapp to create and spread JOKES on
this topic.
I want to know who are those illustrators and graphics guys who edited toilet paper roll made of 500 & 1000 Notes.
Who are these people who edit all other humour images and sent it to all of us before the rule was even effective after the announcement?
Don’t they have any deadlines to chase, or work to submit or any damn work at all?
My one short –film is edited and waiting for its Motion-graphics…please help me out here. I would at least be able to bring that film out.
I want to know who are those illustrators and graphics guys who edited toilet paper roll made of 500 & 1000 Notes.
Who are these people who edit all other humour images and sent it to all of us before the rule was even effective after the announcement?
Don’t they have any deadlines to chase, or work to submit or any damn work at all?
My one short –film is edited and waiting for its Motion-graphics…please help me out here. I would at least be able to bring that film out.
6. Less Producers –
When I was convinced that this is to flush out the black
money; My prime concern was – How will I find the producers for my films now?
You see 85% of cinema is made because people don’t know what to do with the money they had fun bringing home at one time but understood that they cannot really spend it the way they imagined.
The whole film fraternity is fucked up as of now.
With the fear of being bashed right on the phone, I didn’t even dare to call the head of the company who was going to produce my next short film.
On the other side, customers are offering Bank Managers bribe to let them deposit and withdraw more cash than the govt. set limit. 25-30% bribe on the amount above that limit. Only if my parents were a little evil, we would have become the producers by New Year.
You see 85% of cinema is made because people don’t know what to do with the money they had fun bringing home at one time but understood that they cannot really spend it the way they imagined.
The whole film fraternity is fucked up as of now.
With the fear of being bashed right on the phone, I didn’t even dare to call the head of the company who was going to produce my next short film.
On the other side, customers are offering Bank Managers bribe to let them deposit and withdraw more cash than the govt. set limit. 25-30% bribe on the amount above that limit. Only if my parents were a little evil, we would have become the producers by New Year.
7. Break ups –
Girls, women who bank their day-to-day lifestyle only on
their good looks coz they know that they have guys whose dads have stashed
enough, are more than eager to spend money on them. How many relationships are still going to
work when that breed is going to understand that bon-fire at their boyfriends’
farmhouse is made up of notes that they had eyed on. Again…Hmm….
8. WhatsApp group quarrels –
A few words more and a person whom I had met just once would
have come down to my place to fight because of the intensity of the quarrels
kept rising on WhatsApp groups over the consequences and results of growing insecurity
(about financial future) with every message. Ideally that group was created for
a GOA trip.
9. Cash issues excuses –
The next day was a mirror - A Mirror that showed us how rich
we are and at the same time how Poor can govt. make us only with its one
decision. A few people could find a good escape from their commitment or work
by giving a worldclass and unquestionable brand new excuse – I only have 500/1000
rupees notes. That’s the brilliance we have. A national problem of that day is
an escape plan for millions.
10. Plastic money importance –
Suddenly the debit and credit cards seemed so damn cute and
attractive. I could see everyone becoming very protective about them. Such a
Love!
11. Trump president –
The Big Bang was when the Trumpets blew. I mean…the
Trump-pets blew their horns for the victory of Donald Trump being elected as
the President of the arguably world’s most powerful country. Everything from
point 1 to point 9 happened again. Some extremely talented persons could also
involve point 10 in this news. True Story.
12. Fake news –
True Story. The fake news of true stories started to spread
more. 50% of people believed one thing and the rest of them had already put their
faith in another.
Right from “Rs.1000 notes will be back” to “it will all stop in 2 days”. Someone also sent me the list of black-money owners from Swiss bank. Intense right!
Right from “Rs.1000 notes will be back” to “it will all stop in 2 days”. Someone also sent me the list of black-money owners from Swiss bank. Intense right!
And the bloggers like me started putting up News articles
and posts like “10 things you should know” for both the news.
13. Modi the new mafia –
The word Mafia always attracted me, but it always saddened
me that it was used for people who are harming the harmony and peace of the
world. For the first time The Hero is the new Mafia for the real Mafia. The
bold step to eradicate black money has screwed the cases of many Mafia Lords
when they have started realizing that there is only a slimmest chance of getting
a very tiny portion of their black money turned white. Either they will have to
burn the rest of it, or surrender and pay the enormous fine.
14. Small pinch on the timeline of
betterment –
Customers in banks are creating havoc and over-reacting to
this. However, many are not looking at
the bigger picture here. This bold step by Indian Govt. is going to take us
many miles way ahead than what we imagined. This one bullet is going to injure
corruption, fake currency notes, mafia, underworld, Pakistan, China and many other stuff that
analytics will explain on news channels :P. The inconvenience to the citizens is just
going to be a part of us for mere 4-5 days. If we see it from the top, on the “timeline
of betterment” these 5 days of inconvenience are just a tiny dot at the
beginning.
15. Support –
I am in complete support of this step taken for the
betterment of nation. This needed to be done. Someday I hope to see a much
Finer and developed India where in a description in my blog post - “the world’s
most powerful Nation” would be addressed to INDIA.
Jai Hind!
