This is Rammohan from Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He sells boiled sweet corn cobs at street corners in Khairatabad, Hyderabad. I met him last week. What can the clues be?
His world topsy-turvyed on that fateful November 8th night*. From a princely Rs. 1200 to a meager Rs. 200 a day, his earnings plummeted to abysmal lows never seen or heard before, even on the days of Bandhs.
“How can five of us get rice, vegetables, milk and medicines and all other stuff like rent and school fees in Rs. 200?” He asks me meekly. I have no answer.
Rammohan has no other income or deposits and lives and spends by day. No chance of any black money what so ever. Now his landlord demands the house rent in cash. He could not save any cash over the last month. His concerns are less than ordinary. Everyday issues. Issues of mere existence.
“I used to borrow a thousand or two from friends and neighbors in emergencies earlier. Now, no chance for that… because no one has any…Everyone spends only on urgent necessities these days,” he says dolefully.
Rammohan is not smart, not that he doesn’t want to be. Just that he can not afford to. A smart phone is oversized for his small purse. And his push-cart doesn’t have electricity. Where is the question of a swipe machine? He doesn’t have a bank account in the city. It’s not his choice, but there was never enough money to have one. He will not have in the near future either…
He is not alone in this downward spiral. But is joined by the cane juice vendor just across the street, and hoards of others along the length and breadth of the country. The woes of the Ola auto drivers who took me around the town aren't any different either. "I used to have 10-12 calls a day earlier, now if I get two in the morning and two more in the evening, it's a big deal!" laments Nagaraju.
“If this situation continues like this, it’ll take a year or more to restore normalcy… but some ill-effects will be permanent…” rues Rammohan with his gaze lost in the oblivion.
I remembered people at the street corners making accurate election predictions than poll pundits, and animals close to the terrain warning of the quakes way ahead of the seismologists…
I’m sure Rammohan knows the ground vibes better than the Arth Shastris (economists) in Lutyens’ Delhi.
Brace yourself!!!
[* On 8th November 2016, the Rs.500 and Rs. 1000 bills were demonetized in India. These notes consistite about 86% of cash in circulation in the country. This single action crippled the economic activity of the nation with disastrous effects.]
His world topsy-turvyed on that fateful November 8th night*. From a princely Rs. 1200 to a meager Rs. 200 a day, his earnings plummeted to abysmal lows never seen or heard before, even on the days of Bandhs.
“How can five of us get rice, vegetables, milk and medicines and all other stuff like rent and school fees in Rs. 200?” He asks me meekly. I have no answer.
Rammohan has no other income or deposits and lives and spends by day. No chance of any black money what so ever. Now his landlord demands the house rent in cash. He could not save any cash over the last month. His concerns are less than ordinary. Everyday issues. Issues of mere existence.
“I used to borrow a thousand or two from friends and neighbors in emergencies earlier. Now, no chance for that… because no one has any…Everyone spends only on urgent necessities these days,” he says dolefully.
Rammohan is not smart, not that he doesn’t want to be. Just that he can not afford to. A smart phone is oversized for his small purse. And his push-cart doesn’t have electricity. Where is the question of a swipe machine? He doesn’t have a bank account in the city. It’s not his choice, but there was never enough money to have one. He will not have in the near future either…
He is not alone in this downward spiral. But is joined by the cane juice vendor just across the street, and hoards of others along the length and breadth of the country. The woes of the Ola auto drivers who took me around the town aren't any different either. "I used to have 10-12 calls a day earlier, now if I get two in the morning and two more in the evening, it's a big deal!" laments Nagaraju.
“If this situation continues like this, it’ll take a year or more to restore normalcy… but some ill-effects will be permanent…” rues Rammohan with his gaze lost in the oblivion.
I remembered people at the street corners making accurate election predictions than poll pundits, and animals close to the terrain warning of the quakes way ahead of the seismologists…
I’m sure Rammohan knows the ground vibes better than the Arth Shastris (economists) in Lutyens’ Delhi.
Brace yourself!!!
[* On 8th November 2016, the Rs.500 and Rs. 1000 bills were demonetized in India. These notes consistite about 86% of cash in circulation in the country. This single action crippled the economic activity of the nation with disastrous effects.]