Anupama identifies herself as a young, energetic, thoughtful and sensitive human being before anything else. An author, a content strategist, a communications expert, a ghost writer, a blogger, a devil’s advocate and a woman are some other hats she wears. She writes books on controversial subjects, expresses her opinions and thoughts vocally and believes in empowerment and responsibility of expression. She can be reached on her LinkedIn profile at : https://in.linkedin.com/in/anupama-garg-1b059b31 or on Facebook at : https://web.facebook.com/anu.25.25

So the Indian currency controversy – err… No, the Indian currency crisis – erm…Well, the Indian currency reality? Scenario? Situation? Whatever you want to call it please! This reality has made me lose my faith in literally everything ! Everything that I stood for! In fact I didn’t even feel like writing about it and yet, I could not really calm myself down.

I stood for structures, governance, low maintenance, paying taxes, being a law-abiding citizen. But more than anything, I believed in a family. I still do, but no longer do I believe in a family that I would have in future. I now, believe only in a family that I have by birth and by extension of emotions so far.

Allow me to remind you, I’m an educated, free-spirited young woman raised in a traditional, low-middle income-group family. Through my hard work, I educated myself through university degrees and more. But that’s not all. I make it a point to stay updated about what happens in the world around me. I also ensure that my opinions are not biased as far as possible and that I try to probe beyond the obvious.

Hence, I do understand the implications of a massive reform in order to remove black-money as they say. I understand the logic and the plea they give. I understand. I really do! However, I cannot ignore the other facts either. I cannot ignore that the state elections are approaching. I cannot ignore the population size of my country. I cannot ignore the number of ID-less, unidentified people in my land, people who are at the bottom of even the lowest socio-economic strata, people who feed hand-to-mouth. Those who have JDY accounts, but do not know how to use them are in trouble. Those who do not even have the accounts, are in an even pathetic state.

Do not get me wrong. I elected this government and as a law – abiding citizen, I WILL obey the new regulation, maybe even see the glam points to the strategy despite the obvious loopholes. In fact I didn’t even want to write this. But my head just, wouldn’t stop hurting and my heart bleeds. I will always remember that the unstable world we live in, is not fit to marry and raise children.

I am not a beaurocrat, an academician or a political or economic theory expert. I am a human being and I no longer want to marry. I no longer want to marry, have family and kids because I do not think this world is a safe or a sane place to live for us anymore; worse for the future generations, should we continue to choose silence, violence and ignorance.

Call me despondent if you wish but all I am is merely disillusioned. I no longer want to have my savings (hard earned, devotedly saved, kept for critical emergencies at home), to be declared to the world, or trashed. I no longer want to bank on kids’ piggy banks for change.

I don’t want to marry, have children and then have to let governments decide how my children and I will spend my, hard – earned, legal money. I don’t want my housewife mum to feel helpless in gifting some treats to her grand children when they visit her, because she didn’t have the little sum stowed in her box and she didn’t find time to go to the ATM. I don’t want her to feel at a loss of something deeper – her sense of strength and freedom.

I do not wish to raise my children in fear; in insensitivity to the lowest socio-economic strata of the society being considered dispensable. I don’t want my next generation to witness what happens in public health system when hospital bills and medicines can’t be bought only because a certain denomination of currency is not available.I do not want them to witness this loss of human dignity. I do not want my children to have a big fat wedding, but that’s because I don’t want them to grow entitled. Not because their savings were trashed overnight.

I do not want them to escort senior citizens in Kms long queues – not because they will be ill-bred, but because the senior citizens shouldn’t have to stand in queues to convert their long saved money, in the first place.

I do not want to be standing in queues to get my own money as if it was alms and not be able to work for two days. At least, I do not want my children to have to witness the shame. I do not want them to watch the racism, the class-conflict, the feeling of being underprivileged. I do not want them to witness humanity and support systems at the cost of this massive dehumanization.

I do not want to raise my children in a world full of greed, chaos and hatred.
Look at Greece, look at Brexit, look at US, look at India, Middle East, Somalia, Cuba, South Asia. Look everywhere carefully. Look at what we humans HAVE done and CONTINUE doing to ourselves. It’s sad. It’s sad to see what we’ve done to this beautiful world we were gifted with. I don’t want to add to it. I’m sure there are many others who already feel like this, or will slowly and gradually start feeling like this.

Does this mean I will stop making an effort to make this world a better place? Does this mean I will stop voicing the concerns of those around me? Does it mean, common, simple, loving and good people will stop helping each other, doing real, solid, constructive effort? Well, the answer is no as most of you would agree.

So, let’s be broken hearted, let our hearts bleed, let us weep together and wipe each other’s tears. But more importantly, let’s remember that we will not fall in stupor again, we’ll not close our eyes any more, and we will be vigilant, hard working, aware and mature citizens of our democracy and that of the world at large. Let our blood, tears and sweat motivate us more to make this world livable again!
After all, there’s always hope!