Jharkhand: How demonetisation left more than 10,000 tribals, OBCs penniless, jobless

The tragic reality of impact of demonetisation on the poor is well-reflected in a cluster of five villages of Jharkhand’s Bhalki panchayat.

Ranchi, Nov 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's abrupt decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes at one go on November 8 last year was indeed "shocking" for millions of countrymen.

However, what is more shocking is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's decision to remain in denial that how the plan to fight against black money, corruption and terror funding broke the backbone of millions of poor who if they don't earn a single day can't get to eat their next meal.

The tragic reality of impact of demonetisation on the poor is well-reflected in a cluster of five villages in Jharkhand's Bhalki panchayat.

According to a report by The Telegraph, note ban led to the loss of jobs of at least 4,000-odd male migrant workers belonging to the Bhalki panchayat.

"With five revenue villages Bhalki, Sungi, Namolipu, Kanyaluka and Bagjata, and a population of over 10,000 comprising Santhals, other tribals and OBC moolvasis, Bhalki panchayat in Ghurabandha block of Ghatshila subdivision, some 85km from Jamshedpur, has had a tough year.

"After the note ban came into force last November, the panchayat's 4,000-odd male migrant workforce were among the first to be laid off over cash crunch and slowdown," stated The Telegraph report.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta, vice chancellor of Ashoka University, in a column for The Indian Express, noted that "it (demonetisation) was a populist measure, done in the name of the poor. But like many revolutions done in the name of the poor, it hurt them by extracting the highest price from them".

While former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Gujarat on Tuesday once again called demonetisation "organised loot and legalised plunder", finance minister Arun Jaitley insisted that the country had moved on to a much cleaner, transparent and honest financial system since the note ban was announced by PM Modi on November 8 last year by deciding to scrap high-value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.

On the occasion of the first anniversary of demonetisation on Wednesday, the Centre has decided to celebrate the day as "anti-black money day". The Opposition, as a mark of protest, will observe the day as "black day".

OneIndia News