Readers' comments: 'Let's try to win this fight against corruption'

The good fight

Ever since Narendra Modi announced the devaluation of high-currency notes on Tuesday, more than Rs 3 lakh crores have been deposited in the banking system. This cannot possibly be just from those who do not normally use their bank accounts or are from the lower economic strata. So Modi’s moves might be reaping some results.

I have neither analysed nor experienced the deeper implications of this move but I think opinion leaders and social scientists should give the event some time to pan out before forming conclusions on its merit. – Chetan Vaidya

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The writer of this article is prejudiced and is claiming to speak on behalf of the helpless poor.

He talks about how everyone in a slum cluster had Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. How would they have so much money? He says that a poor resident of the slum does not go to the bank because she is treated “like a dog.” Has anyone seen an educated banker treat a woman like a dog?

And yes, citizens are dealing with long queues and inconvenience, but isn’t this a common feature for common citizens in India? What happens when trade unions, who are supposed to look after the poor, organise bandhs, or when hospitals, cab services etc are closed because of a strike call? At least in this situation, the cause and the intentions behind the move are good.

Finally, what’s wrong with taking a moral stand? This is the biggest step in the fight against corruption, so let’s try and win it. And please leave your hatred and prejudice for Modi aside. – Sunil Sheth

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The benefits of demonetisation far outweigh the difficulties faced by common citizens, myself included. The crackdown on black money will fill government coffers, which the government can spend on developing infrastructure, which will in turn create more employment. With the need to use cash judiciously for the next few days, consumption patterns will see a shift away from luxury items and towards essentials even among the well-off, bringing parity in society.

Meanwhile, black-money hoarders will have an even tougher time. They will have to find people willing to deposit money for them in their accounts, which will be difficult, given the mistrust. If the hoarder does manage to convince a poor person to help out, he will have to pay a commission to him, which is a direct benefit of the crackdown on black money for low-income groups. Arrangements with proxies to convert black money into white is illegal and unenforceable in court, thereby increasing substantial risks for them. – Hitesh Shah

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It is wrong to say that the “Great Event” has no economic value, that too based on what the writer observed in one lane of Valmiki Nagar in Delhi. He should not talk about people’s sentiments and morality till the end of the year, when she will see the results of demonetisation.

If people have large number of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes but don’t have bank accounts, they are bound to endure some hardship. At least this way, they will realise that this is not the right way. – Murali

Firm ground

Since Independence, we have been talking about corruption and black money without doing anything worthwhile about it (“Five reasons why demonetisation has turned into a policy quicksand”). Much water has flowed under the bridge and the black-money economy has grown by several times. After the surgical strikes, Narendra Modi launched another attack on black money, possibly the most significant one till date, but with large collateral damage on the public.

Modi’s scheme, though well-thought out from its effect on black money, could have been executed better to cause minimum inconvenience to the public who have little or no role to play either in the generation or use of black money in the country. No good scheme can justify its bad implementation, for which Modi’s cabinet colleagues, bureaucrats, the RBI and banks are to be held responsible and answerable. Even now, if the situation mended, the scheme can be salvaged from undue criticism of the opposition and public anger. – Chandra Shekhar AK

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I used to be a big fan of Scroll.in’s articles and found them thoughtful and insightful, presenting multiple perspectives on one topic.

But the current outburst against demonetisation seems to echo a common misconception that today’s media and journalism seems to harbour – that the website exists only to question and criticise the government and authoritative policies.

While this is a very important role of the media in a society, it also plays another equally important role – as a people’s guide to information. And this second role seems to be missing in all of Scroll.in’s reportage on the demonetisation issue so far!

If I could probably give you writing prompts, they would include an exploration into the possible assumptions made by the government on how this move might work and an in-depth study on the effects of the demonetisation exercise that was conducted in 1978.

I’m beginning to doubt if any serious research is going into the articles being published since none of them have any facts to go by, they just rant and link to other articles by other authors who also just rant.

I hope to continue reading articles of substance on Scroll.in – Vikrant Chandragiri

Pain or gain?

Why did the government not increase the circulation of Rs 100 and Rs 50 notes before making this announcement (Modi’s demonetisation plan has brought massive amounts of pain – will it be worth it?”)? If Modi has so much concern for the welfare of the common man, the move should have been better planned and executed. – Sadhna Rana

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Indians are said to be good at planning, but bad at implementation. However, the Centre’s demonetisation move has shown that we are good implementers too. A day will come entire world will following in our footsteps. As Indians, we support this brave move. The resultant pain is not massive and is worth. It will soon change to pleasure, when corruption is eradicated. – Vishwanatha

Endless wait

People are writing about the inconveniences faced by the demonetisation move without verifying the ground realities (“As queues lengthen and banks run out of cash, the danger is of India losing patience”). A majority of those who are standing in queues are exchanging money on behalf of others, taking about Rs 400 or Rs 500 for every Rs 4,000 exchanged.

Most common citizens withdraw cash either either early morning or late in the evening. If your writers visit at least four to five ATMs between 10 pm and 5 am, they’ll find that at least one is dispensing cash. – Diwakar Srivastava

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I support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move. No pain, no gain. We Indians want everything to come easy to us. The demonetisation exercise is proving troublesome for crooks, but not those who do not have black money.

Anyone who is objecting to the move definitely has vested interests. – Solai

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The Modi government devalued high-currency notes without taking into consideration the fact that not only the villages but even the large towns do not have avenues to go cashless, such as shops with point-of-sale devices or good internet connections enabling the use of e-wallets.

In most towns, even big restaurant chains and hotels do not accept cards, so how does the government expect citizens and visitors to survive? – Lina Mukerjee

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People are facing many difficulties and the government and even citizens should work together to find a solution. Free food distribution to the needy is a must. Nobody should go hungry. May be some form of credit or debit cards can be daily wage earners, vendors etc to help them tide over the crises.

Hospitals, private or public, should not deny service to those with the old currency notes. Instead of pointing fingers, we need to work together to save the nation. – Geeta Varma

Reaching out

Why did Narendra Modi break down in front of the media
(“The forces I have taken on will not let me live: Narendra Modi on demonetisation”)? It’s because he realised that the demonetisation move had come at a very heavy cost and caused unforeseen misery to everyone, especially the lower classes. So, he is now seeking the sympathy of the masses. Fifty days is a long time to wait for things to normalise. People will break, and possibly, revolt. Remedial measures need to be taken to disburse money rapidly. – Ali Shahanshah

Well-played

I want to congratulate Scroll.in for publishing such an excellent piece on football
(“Paradise lost and found: How Arsenal FC nudged Pele towards the 1958 World Cup”). From drama to history, this piece had it all. I was especially pleased by the connections drawn between Brazilian and British football in the context of the global phenomenon of contemporary football. – Ranjodh Singh Dhaliwal

Eternal tune

I felt a deep sense of loss on hearing of Leonard Cohen’s death, even though I had started listening to his music just seven-odd years ago (“Bird on a Wire: How Bombay helped Leonard Cohen find his voice again”). I was struck by his deeply meaningful songs delivered effortlessly, almost casually. Leonard Cohen ranks with Paul Simon and Billy Joel as my personal Top 3 musicians from the West. – Binoy Thomas

Music and lyrics 

This is an excellent piece by Rineeta Naik and brought back many memories and created a renewed appreciation of Gulzar’s emotive poetry and the Mangeshkars’ ability to create divine music (“Audio master: Gulzar’s ‘Lekin’ is a mystery in an enigma wrapped in raag Maand”). – Pankaj Ritu