Year 2016: A Saga Of Disruptions And Transitions

By: Jan 14th, 2017 12:23 am

Prof N.K. Singh

Former Chairman International Airports Authority of India

Prof N.K. SinghThe year gone by was a year of disruptions and epoch making changes leading to transformations. Any colossal change is bound to cause disruptions as the normal speed is shaken to achieve objectives of growth and development. Mahatma Gandhi was known to be a great disruptor but his goals were clear in driving British away to achieve the independence. He wore a langoti and carried a staff like an old farmer with a goat. And this was itself a shock to many who did not imagine a barrister coming from Britain and acting like a faqir. He shocked many but he was the harbinger of change and symbol of an Indian who had been hated by foreigners.

The change finally cost a lot of sacrifice and even partition that resulted in large scale bloodshed. India did win freedom and self rule. He brought about a social change in advocating khadi and care for downtrodden that he called God’s men as Harijans. In spite of his quirks and sudden flashes, people loved him even when they had to sacrifice a lot. After Gandhi, there was a dearth of leaders who invoked social change as an instrument to bring progress in the country.

Last year saw emergence of another social reformer Narendra Modi who might not be replica of Gandhi and his values but showed equal zeal to bring about changes in the society. All along, we valued cleanliness but it was only in sermons. Modi made it a movement. Skeptics still bemoan the garbage everywhere but forget that the entire country has been surcharged with his mission and efforts are afoot everywhere to clean the environment for better living and health. Similarly his numerous mini transforming campaigns like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao has given a push to the feminine worth and equal treatment of girl child.

Note ban or demonetization is not only an economic measure that has shaken the country and caused ripples in the world but also changed the way we think. So far there was complaisance about black money and corruption. I often heard comments in public that it is impossible to root out these evils. It was taken for granted that you have to shell out cash to get things done in government and even in judiciary. There was such a mammoth hold of shadow economy that no one could stand against it. We witnessed on the close of Manmohan Singh’s government that almost every month there was a scam of massive proportions and the black money flourished in the world afflicted by deep corruption in the system. During those days it was a standing joke that if any month a scandal was not reported many political watchers started feeling bored.

Prime Minister Modi had come with the promise to end black money and corruption and for almost a year and half everybody felt he may be himself transparent along with his attainment in making top clean. Even the industrialists recognised that corruption has ended in the top level. But it continued unchecked in the politics and various state departments. This truck with degenerating attitude of helplessness was severely jolted by two major events. First was passage of GST with one country and one tax change and second was the note ban or demonetisation. When suddenly 84% of money was dead, the country felt the severest tremor putting citizens and politicians in deep doldrums. First reaction was shock and surprise the way it suddenly hit them and second was responding to the change with cooperation or agitation.

Even political parties initially welcomed it but they soon realised that Modi is soon making them irrelevant. This led to the mode of agitation at any cost. The patience with which the entire country waited for fifty days was exemplary. And great change in the social behaviour that many, including the Supreme Court, expected could lead to chaos or riots. But people stood in long queues and received the rationed currency when legislators fought in the jammed Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Success of this measure is yet to prove its worth waiting for final counting.

Mass attitudes have undergone sea change with these ‘earthquakes’. Now people believed that some good can come out of it. More than it, the elections that took place after the note ban proved their positive response to the change. Forthcoming assembly elections in five states will be firm evidence of changed attitudes if voting behaviour too reflects this transformation. Digital economy which has been given a good push by Modi has found ways to be handmaiden of village traders and paan walas. Earlier they never thought of money without cash. We are not seeing only economic transformation but also social change of attitudes and behaviour of Indians.

Bus Stand

First Passenger: What is the success of cash less?

Second Passenger: It will be success when ATMs are no longer cashless but cash full.


Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘Divya Himachal TV’. Also,  Download our Android App