Interesting observation from Sen : Not a political statement
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 28 2016 -

It was not a political statement.

This is what makes the observation of Professor Amartya Sen on the decision of the Narendra Modi Government to demonetise the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes all that more interesting.

And this is what sets apart his criticism of the demonetisation decision from the acerbic attacks launched by some political leaders.

Not at all a political statement, for Amartya Sen has no political axe to grind, but in one statement, he has managed to deliver a point which has somehow missed the observation of others, clouded as they are by their political compulsion.

The Sangai Express is not questioning the motive behind the demonetisation move, but just acknowledging a profound point delivered by a Nobel Laureate and this is perhaps aptly summed up in his observation, ‘Demonetisation move declares all Indians as possible crooks, unless they can establish otherwise.’

In other words it may well be a case of ‘guilty until proven innocent.’

The stamp of authoritarianism is another point which cannot be wished away that easily, for remember in demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, the Government is in fact illegalising 86 percent of the notes in circulation.

How far this will impact on those holding black money may be known after sometime, but already the adverse impact it has had on the common people is starkly visible.

As observed earlier in this column, not enough homework seems to have been done, or else why are banks being forced to announce that they have run out of cash ?

Moreover why is it that the ATMs are woefully short of cash to meet the needs of the people ?

Also remember ATMs had to be recalibrated to distribute the new Rs 500 notes as well as the Rs 2000 notes.

Why weren’t these measures taken up earlier ?

There will always be explanations, no doubt, but no one can refute the immense inconvenience that people are today being forced to face.

Standing for hours on end in queues just to withdraw some money from the bank or the ATM cannot be comfortable for anyone.

Difficult to say how far the demonetisation move will impact on the upcoming Assembly election in the early part of next year, but to be sure the Congress here will go all the way to discredit the BJP.

The BJP will obviously have its own plans to counter the anti-demonetisation campaign of the Congress and other political parties, but the question is how far will it impact on the voting pattern of the common people. Only time will tell.