It is all good to have political affiliations or religious beliefs. It is all good to take sides and stick by them. But why have we stopped being sensible about anything? The people who rule this country are NOT GODS. They are not some supreme beings. They are people like us, among us, chosen by us. And one of the first rules of a democracy is just that. The people. The whole concept of democracy is lost if these "leaders" cannot be questioned and are not expected to serve the people. How are we any different from a dictatorship then?
Then of course, who is a fanatic, you ask. For me anyone who has stopped questioning actions and decisions, based on their own blind belief is a fanatic. If your style of argument is to analyse a situation, debate the positives and negatives in a healthy way and prove your point, then all good. But if it is to simply make up arguments and try to prove your own point knowing full well that it agrees to no logic, just because you think it is somehow your "duty" to "serve and defend" your master's wishes, then you are a fanatic. And, you do not deserve a democratic government.
I'll go with an example. I prefer the policies of one party over the other. I wish that party won. But I have no qualms in admitting that I don't like their set of leaders at the top. (Thankfully I like them here.) And I shall admit that as of current status, there is a leadership issue at the top which the other guys don't have.
So, unless you really believe that your chosen party or leaders are a bunch of Gods who do no wrong, there is no harm in cutting down that defensive "I shall justify all their acts" attitude and behave like reasonable human beings who have the power of being democratic and of questioning and selecting their leaders.
Now let's go with the current hot topic: Demonetization. Do I think it is a good and necessary step? Yes. I do. "For the benefit and betterment of the nation" I think it is a great move. No. Not because I think it will have a very considerable dent on the actual amounts of black money (that I am sure are not hidden in India), but because I think it is great at curbing counterfeit, as of now.
So yes, I accept and have no qualms in saying so. Cos no matter political affiliations, I, as a reasonable human being can acknowledge as much.
Now regarding the execution and implementation of this action. Like REALLY??? Are you seriously going to deny that there was any better way to implementing this than this crazy mess we are in. Okay. Pull back all old money from tomorrow. But hey! we do not have any new money to replace them with.
There is no new Rs 500 notes.
Rs 100 notes are soooooper limited and most banks are keeping them for their ATMs.
50s??? what 50s?
And then all we get are 20s and 10s.
Like basic question - would it have been such a huge difficulty to first get the replacement currency ready and available before pulling back the old ones?
No, just a common sense question.
How difficult would that implementation be?
So you announce that all old 500s and 1000s are to be returned and instead the new ones are available from your banks and ATMs.
There would still be queues as there is a time limit to exchange, but THEN, India would definitely "take a little bit of queue inconvenience for the benefit of the country". Not because there was a limitation of money. Because at least at the end of it, they would get their money.
Like, can you at least have the decency to acknowledge that this implementation, not the entire policy, was messed up and stupid.
That not everyone has the benefit of electronic transactions or card transactions and they need money in hand to buy FOOD. You can't turn their money in hand to raddi paper and not have anything to give them instead.
That they would be ready to stand in a queue alright, but that their money should be there at the end of the queue for sure?
That it was common sense to have new notes first before the announcement?
That if someone wants to buy something worth 600, they don't have 500s to pay it with and since all other notes are limited, would pay with 2000? And that then, the shopkeeper wouldn't have 500s to pay back balances with and have to try and arrange for 1500 notes of Rs 100 denominations? (That, only if they are lucky to get 100s and not 20s!!!)
I am not asking you too much. I am not saying go change your political affiliation. I am not trying to prove anyone wrong.
All I am saying is, for once, as one nation and one people with one government sitting at the head, can we please acknowledge that that one government screwed up in implementation of an otherwise good initiative.
And if you can't acknowledge or agree because ego >>> sensible, at least can you have the sense to NOT justify major livelihood issues with this shit:
Because believe me, there are demonetization stories and suffering we may have not even started imagining and the least we can do is to not preach about standing in queues.
Thank you my sensible friends.
