Delhi hasn’t been alright. Just when Dilliwalahs were snorting in a few deep drags of smog-free air that the PM came on TV to announce his grand strategy of demonetization. And that really left Dilliwalahs gasping for breath all over again. While folks debate on whether the move is good or terrible – the queues in front of Banks and ATMs continue to be of crazy proportions. Since not many have it in them to criticize the PM, the butt of all rancor is none else but our Dilliwalah – Arun Jaitley. The common crib of people in those serpentine queues is about the poor execution and lousy planning on Jaitley’s ministry’s part. He is getting all the flak with Dilliwalahs taking 2000 Rupees bets (new notes, please!) on how long it will be before Mr Jaitley gets the boot. Remember, our PM can do no wrong.
All said and done this move has some unforeseen fringe benefits. Numerous valid excuses have spurted out for not showing up at office (‘The ATM next to my house ran out of cash just when my turn came so I had to drag myself to the next one to stand in another long queue there’ or ‘I saw the Cash Van and took a major detour chasing it for 20 kms to an ATM only to realize they were only re-calibrating the damned machine’). The envelopes that Dilliwalahs hand out to newly wed couples at those fancy wedding receptions have gone thicker (better to gift the now defunct currency than burn it – Delhi, as it is, has smog issues!).
All said and done this move has some unforeseen fringe benefits. Numerous valid excuses have spurted out for not showing up at office (‘The ATM next to my house ran out of cash just when my turn came so I had to drag myself to the next one to stand in another long queue there’ or ‘I saw the Cash Van and took a major detour chasing it for 20 kms to an ATM only to realize they were only re-calibrating the damned machine’). The envelopes that Dilliwalahs hand out to newly wed couples at those fancy wedding receptions have gone thicker (better to gift the now defunct currency than burn it – Delhi, as it is, has smog issues!).
I, like a lot of my Dilliwalah brethren, am confused on how will history view this later. Will it think favourably of an economist who tried to be PM or of a PM who tried to be an economist? By the way, one person who already has the answer to this, like to all other pressing questions, is none other than Delhi CM – Mr Kejriwal. He has already gone to town with his postulates but is anyone listening?
Now, you please don’t waste anymore time reading this blog. You rather rush to the bank to try and squeeze out your own hard-earned money in bits and pieces. Or deposit whatever money you have in to these NPA-accumulating-banks for safe-keep. Amen!
