Yesterday I went to a nearby ATM of a nationalized bank to get my rationed quota of Rs.4500. The queue at the ATM was the same what we generally see before a food rationing shop. Neither long, nor small; only that clumsy much which can make you feel scary, yet you can have a good outside chance of making it to the counter within a reasonable time. So I stood in the middle of a snaking line.
Modiji has shown to the world how brave a man he is. The man before me observed.
How? Another one asked from behind.
Don’t you know how? First by surgical operation beyond the border and now by Demonetisation.
Demonisation. Not Demonetisation.
Angry exchange of words started. Everybody pitched in. Everyone had a say over the issue. I was surrounded by a throng of economists. I felt. The debate deepened with the passing of time.
At one point the debate threatened to get physical. The economists preferred to use punch with their closed fists at each other over the mere words. Police intervened in due time. They lathi-charged mildly. All became quiet on the queue front.
Suddenly the shutter of the ATM downed. NO CASH board was made to hang from the ATM door. The queue broke up.
I did what I had to. I came back home. On the way, I heard from a television channel, from a road-side shop, someone arguing hard about the need of a cashless economy which the Prime minister is heading his country to.
Nearer home, my eyes took notice of a political graffiti on a wall which quoted a line from a D.L.Roy masterpiece: Sotyo Selucus ki bichitro ei desh! What a strange country it is, Selucus!