Evidently, 2016 ends on a doleful note due to the distress caused by demonetisation. But the ruling BJP says 50 days of pain have brought about a sort of catharsis in the body-politic. The financial woes of the people are a sad commentary on the callousness of the government. The indignity of being seen as crooks has caused consternation among self-respecting citizens. The Government has adeptly tried to interchange coercion with co-operation. The only tangible benefit from the exercise goes to the corporate behemoths.

True, the government faces no angry backlash by voters over the demonetisation. It mistakes stoicism for support and contends that the masses are patriotic enough to grin and bear it as a sacrifice.

G David Milton

Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Chinnamma’s days

The election of VK Sasikala as the General Secretary of the AIADMK was not unexpected given her close proximity to late Jayalalithaa and the power vacuum in the party. History repeats itself when, much like her friend and the former chief minister herself in the 1980s, Sasikala is pitchforked to head the party. As mass appeal contributes to the rise of leaders, the fortunes of chinnamma , as Sasikala is affectionately referred to, hinge on her ability to carry partymen along, learning the rudiments of administration, conducting herself in public, and the people of Tamil Nadu accepting her leadership.

R Prabhu Raj

Bengaluru

Paper pangs

This refers to the editorial ‘Ends and means’ (December 30). The demonetised notes will not have any value after the specified date as it will no more be a legal tender. It will not be a promissory note and it will be a mere piece of paper. At the most, the paper may have some value and may resemble to have the features of a commodity as there may be buyers and sellers of that paper. Why and how the Government can dictate such possession as a penal offense? Is it a contraband item? The initiative of the Government seems to be unconstitutional and the Supreme Court can initiate suo moto action. Or the President can refuse to sign the ordinance.

S Kalyanasundaram

Email

It is a very objective discussion on the various aspects of the demonetisation process and the suggestion that ‘the drive against black money does not justify the proposed,punitive ordinance’ is a factual assessment. Several notifications were issued after demonetistaion orders and some of them caused deep inconvenience to the people. Nevertheless, the people did cooperate in the process. But to penalise them for keeping invalid currencies beyond the prescribed date is an unjustified and unnecessary step. Even children preserve important objects of antiquity for exhibition and the invalid currencies might be one such.

TR Anandan

Coimbatore

While one cannot doubt the intention of the government in its demonetisation drive to eradicate black money, there should not be any second opinion about the fact that the public are facing lots of inconvenience due to lack of planning. Aiming at a total cashless economy is an utopian idea since India’s cash to GDP ratio is the highest in the world. If the government is so bent on eradicating black money why does it persist with Section 13A in its original form?

Srinivasan Velamur

Chennai

A show-case economy

This refers to ‘Let’s admit it, China is not our enemy’ by Uday Balakrishnan (December 30). The writer’s attempt at perception moulding is interesting. We know China’s economic strength is a result of its manufacturing and trading with the West, when the West went on a misguided globalisation and maximum-profit path. The technology for this was supplied by the West. Unlike India, China has a determined leadership. It’s the Chinese who need to shed their fear of India and not the other way round, and come out in the open for change to happen.

Surendran Manikkoth

Bangalore

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