THE OTHER SIDE: Delhi Metro

Keep The Change

The decision to demonetize Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes came as a surprise to the nation on the night of 8th November 2016. PM Narender Modi who was addressing the nation for the same also appeared surprised during announcement. Although he was not in his usual energy while delivering this speech his announcement energized the nation. I applauded it as a great decision which in a single stroke get rid the nation from counterfeit notes, black money and terrorist funding until the other side of it came in front of me.

Grocery stores, departmental stores, dairies, chemists and other such stores started shutting doors for people with Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. Chaos was also created in the ATM's where large number of people gathered to withdraw Rs 100 notes. The machines were empty with Rs 100 notes quickly. Delhi Metro is also accepting lower denomination notes troubling the travelers even those with cards are having problem since recharges for them is not available in Rs 500 or Rs 1000. Banks are closed on 9th which troubled many people who thought to withdraw some money for daily uses. Daily wage laborers, rickshaw pullers, small businesses like mine, vegetable vendors and even wholesale dealers who mainly have cash transactions, salaried people and housewives started feeling pain of this decision in the morning when everyone discontinued to accept them. Those holding debit cards,credit cards or electronic wallets are able to transact up to a limit.

The new currency notes were also displayed by RBI governor. They are much beautiful than the one discontinued but now we have Rs 2000 note instead of Rs 1000. Will it not in the future become the reason of hoarding black money? Why like USA and Europe we can use only note up to Rs 100? Moreover for the common people who find it difficult to get change for Rs 500, Rs 100 or Rs 1000 getting change for Rs 2000 would be a daunting task.

Government should have introduced the new notes before discontinuing the old ones or prior information should be given to the common people or Rs 100 notes should be in plenty in the market. According to RBI from total cash circulated in the country 85% notes are in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 so the chaos created from their absence can be easily judged. I am sure long queues are waiting when the bank opens and new notes started coming out from them. News coming from all over the country is showing only confused people. The one without bank accounts are tenser to think how will they exchange few notes with them. It is still to see how much black money this move will unearth because I am sure those with millions and billions of such unaccounted notes must have the ways to regulate them also. Till anything new happens in this matter keep the change.

By The Order of The Odour

Metro man S. Sreedharan would have highlighted many problems during conceptualization of Metro Rail in Delhi but I bet he haven't thought of the odour problem in the overcrowded coaches of the metro. There is no doubt about the efficiency of Delhi Metro in tackling with so many passengers daily but I doubt their ability to deal with odour of different varieties. Women are lucky to have their coach reserved for them which gave them space to breath and at least not poke nose in some body's armpit when the train jerk to stop.

They say that love begins in the heart and smell begins in the nose. Nose knows best about the good or bad smell and directs brain to take decision accordingly. Once while travelling in the overcrowded Delhi Metro I encountered an incident for which my nose still curses me. After boarding the metro from a deserted station of my area for Shahdara almost the last station of the Red Line of Metro, heap of people entered from all doors at Kashmere Gate metro station the most crowded station due to the part of underground Yellow Line. Anyways details of the station and metro was not important but what happened after that was more interesting.

A man dressed nicely came and stood near me, his looks and appearance was not lesser than a gentleman but his body odour , OMG! He must be on bath diet for days. It was unbearable to stand by his side. The deodorant or powder he used to hide that smell of his body betrayed him badly when he raised his arms to grip handle bar on metro coach's roof. The body odour + deodorant or powder smell + his current sweat = Gave way to a bomb of foul smell which exploded in my nose convincing me to stop at whichever station came next. I deboarded that coach by the order of the odour at the next station and entered in another coach, going to another coach without exiting that one was impossible due to the crowd.

I breathed a sigh of relief because I would have fainted at that moment due to suffocation if I would have remained near him. That was a strange bad body odour which I haven't experienced before or after that incident. Overcrowded metro do put you in pool of bad odours but you can manage with them but that odour was out of order to tolerate. My Nose Knows best which smell is good for me and I thanked her for acting promptly in that tough situation.

I am sharing my odour story for the ‘My Nose Knows’ contest as a part of the #SniffSniff activity at BlogAdda.”