Hard Cash Day 36: Senior citizens cool with Modi move
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Hard Cash Day 36: Senior citizens cool with Modi move

While the country continues to debate the good and bad of the currency ban, City Spidey catches up with a group of silvers for a different perspective.

Hard Cash Day 36: Senior citizens cool with Modi move

Demonetisation may have alienated a large section of the country's population, but it has found its takers too. To them, standing in queues for hours is only a temporary inconvenience for a much greater cause. City Spidey spoke to one such group of senior citizens at a park in Mayur Vihar Phase 1 Extension.

The time, too, was ripe for such a decision, they feel.

Surprisingly, for many of them, demonetisation has not spelt huge changes in lifestyles, except for standing in queues of course.

Virendra Mohan Gupta, a retired textile engineer, and a resident of Vigyapan Lok Apartments, said, “At this stage of our lives, our basic needs are very limited as compared to those of the people of the younger generation. The amount that we can manage from banks or ATMs is enough for our daily expanses. In case we need more, we can always use debit or credit cards, or make online payments. For senior citizens like us, things have not spiralled out of control.”

RC Bhalla of Rosewood Apartments agreed. “Yes, these are no doubt difficulties times for most people, but this is just a phase. It will normalise soon. But for me, demonetisation has not had a great impact. My children look after me. I wasn't required to go to the bank or the ATM even once since demonetisation came into  force.”

He also supported the government's decision to encourage cash-less transactions.  He explained, "Today’s generation is tech savvy, so it's not a problem for them at all. Though it's unfamiliar to us, we can always learn. My children have taught me to use smartphones. If required, we can also learn to use e-wallets."

However, for some, things have been a tad difficult.

BS Dhillol, a resident of Kala Vihar Apartment, who retired from the ministry of HRD, has had to stand in queues for hours on end to withdraw Rs 10,000 from a bank branch at Shashtri Bhavan. “If you are 70-plus, standing for hours can be a great challenge. But the situation is normalising gradually.”