BREAKING THE BACK OF THE COMMON MAN
Demonitization did not achieve its stated aims, maybe helped a bit in other
areas that are now being tom tommed, but it surely broke the back of the common
man, not the least the Dalits, MSMEs and daily wage workers , farmers and also
killed the leather industry associated with unproductive cows and cattle!
Further the state of cows (now more important than humans) outside few in
gaushalas also deteriorated. I see increased cattle on the roads and let loose
eating from garbage dumps and suffering! The post offices and banks I deal with
are handicapped due slow internet/ defective equipment. Everywhere the
infrastructure and connectivity for digitization is unreliable causing immense
sufferings to the elderly, physically challenged, those not computer savvy, or
whose fingerprints do not show for one reason or another. And now it is
reported that 50% of ATMs maybe shut down due "unviability of operations".
Already in parts of India people have reportedly to trudge 40Km or more to
access an ATM! Globally India has the lowest ATM penetration averaging 8.9 ATMs
per 100,000 compared to Brazil's 119.6 and even Thailand 's 78! China boasts a
staggering one million, so what is our government boasting about?Talking of
breaking the back , I have to replace damaged two wheeler shock absorbers or
the fork may crack due to our pot holed roads.. Unfortunately cannot do the
same for my tortured spine!
John Eric Gomes
Porvorim
(Tel 2417837)
