In my post Dhauli Kalinga Mahotsav dated 17.02.2015, i have narrated the background of this annual Dance Festival of classical and martial dance forms held on the foothills of Dhauli Peace Pagoda near Bhubaneswar. I attended this enchanting event in 2016 and again in February, 2017,
Here is a video clip of the item 'Saptavarna', a fusion of 7 dance forms presented in 2016, which i liked very much:
When i was studying in the Post Graduate course
at Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, an Essay Writing Competition in Odia was
organized. The essay was to be written on the spot. I had participated in it.
The subject of the essay was to be announced one hour before its commencement. The topic was declared on time and it was ‘Shreya Ebam Preya’ (‘Shreyas’ and
‘Preyas’). Most of us the participants did not at that time know the meaning of
the expression. So we went to the library to consult books and dictionaries.
In my attempt, i had written that ‘Shreyas’
was a matter of head (brain) whereas ‘Preyas’ was a matter concerned with the
heart.
In my essay, i had quoted Oscar Wilde, who
through the protagonist in his short story ‘The Model Millionaire’, had said, “An
artist’s heart is his head.” I had read this story during my first year in
college. I had written in my essay that Preyas
was a matter of heart (feeling) whereas Shreyas
was a matter of head (brain, a person’s thinking, discriminating capacity).
By having the heart and the head separate,
non-artists often feel torn between the two. I had got the third prize.
I have referred to such a dichotomy, towards
the end of my post ‘Death Shall Die’ dated 12.01.2011.There, i have referred to the interaction
between Nachiketa and Yama, god of death, in Kathopanishad during which Yama discloses
the dichotomy of the paths leading to shreyas
and preyas.
A search in Google resulted in the following
elaboration of the subject.
The Katopanishad speaks of
the two-fold path available to mankind, namely, the worldly, Preyas and
the spiritual, Sreyas. The path of worldly enjoyment is also known as Pravrittimarga. It is very easy to get hooked to this path for seeking
material gains that are no doubt pleasurable but our sense of discrimination will tell us that
these gains are not only fleeting and unsubstantial, but also pull one into the
cycle of birth.
So, the other choice is to choose the path of
realisation or the Nivrittimarga as opposed to pravritti marg. The focus now shifts to welfare of the Atma and not the body. Realisation is
reached through renunciation and Nachiketa symbolises discrimination that
chooses Sreyas — that which is good and the right. He rejects Preyas though this appears pleasurable
and sweet. Actually, this two-fold path becomes the means to attain the end,
salvation.
For wise and discriminating people, Preyas gradually leads to Sreyas when one learns to mentally
renounce its attractions. The result of this choice made with determination is
permanent. This inspires one to practise moral values which bring about chitta suddhi. It is shown that the
Absolute Brahman is realised only when there is purity in one’s thought, word
and deed. The success of the result depends on the extent of effort expended.
All human
endeavours fall under two categories: the preyas
and the sreyas. Among the human
acquisitions and experiences there is not a single aspect that lies outside the
pale of these two.
The
Kathopanishad reads: "The good (Sreyas)
is one thing, the pleasant (Preyas) is
another. These two having different purposes, bind a man. Of these two, it is
well for him who takes hold of the good; he who chooses the pleasant misses his
end."
"The
good and the pleasant approach a man; the wise man considers and distinguishes
the two. Wisely does he prefer the good to the pleasant, but a fool chooses the
pleasant for its worldly good."
Pleasures
that are sense-bound come under the category of preyas. The majority of mankind constitute seekers of preyas but there are a rare few who aspire for the transcendental.
Scriptures describe this transcendental experience as the sreyas.
Here are three
videos on the subject (Source: You Tube)
India’s first demonetization was in 1946 in
pre-independence era by the colonial British Government. During World War II,
businessmen had hoarded black money made out of the prevailing scarcity of
household items which were supplied to Government for its war efforts. At that time, notes of Rs. 1000 and 10,000 were demonetized.
Specimen of Note of Rs. 10,000 Issued by British Government of India, withdrawn in 1946
This very first demonetization in India in
1946 figures brilliantly in the film ‘Vijayalakshmi’
where the female protagonist’s greedy father-in-law who finds his nemesis
in demonetization of Rs.1000 notes.
The first demonetization after independence of India was in 1956, when all notes carrying the British monarch’s head, were
withdrawn.The second came in 1978, when Morarji Desai
was the P M. Notes of Rs. 1000, 5000 and 10,000 were demonetized. At that time,
these notes constituted a minuscule of total money-supply and hence common
people were not affected. At that time, i was posted at Etah in U P. Our Branch
had a single such note of Rs. 1000. However, this time, notes of Rs. 500 were
in wide circulation and so common people were seriously affected.
During 200-01, Rs. 100 notes were the most
used in value terms. Rs. 500 notes were half of Rs. 100 in use. Rs. 1000 notes
were just 4% of Rs. 100 notes in use. During 2003-04, Rs. 500 notes became the
most used; Rs. 1000 notes were still only 23% of the Rs. 100 notes in use.
During 20014-15, use of Rs. 500 notes increased substantially; Rs. 500 and 1000
notes were 8 times the value Rs. 100 notes in circulation. Apparently,
inflation is continuously depleting the value of currency notes in terms of the
price of goods and services in India.
The stated purposes of demonetization were
curbing black money and corruption, drying of funds of terrorists and
immobilization of fake currency notes in circulation. By December 30, 2016, the last permitted
date for depositing the banned currency notes in accounts with banks, it was
hard to remember what the original objective was. The black money argument was
busted. More than 90% of the banned notes came back to banks. Most of it was
likely to be recycled into new notes. Moreover, only 6% of this illicit money
was held in cash. Now, demonetization is being termed as a movement towards a
cashless – or ‘less cash’- society. It is relevant here to know that in
response to an application under Right to Information Act, R B I declined to
inform the reasons behind the decision.
Was it wise to introduce notes of Rs. 2000? The
size of the old Rs. 1000 notes were 2.2 times that of the new Rs. 2000 notes.
Will this not make the work of people with unaccounted money to stash it away
in less space? It would have been better to introduce new Rs. 200 notes, which
would have been in conformity of the R-3 Principle which says that currency
notes should be in steps 1, 2 and 5. That is to say that the next denomination
should be limited to 2 or 2.5 times of the preceding one.
It appeared that people with black money
resorted to numerous ways, - investigating officials were awestruck by the
ingenuity of these - to skirt the declared main purpose of demonetization.
Crores of banned notes were deposited in crores of no-frills-zero-balance Jan
Dhan Accounts, small accounts of subordinates, lower level employees, dormant
accounts, with a promise to give these Account-holders a ‘reward’ when the
money is later withdrawn in new notes. A few commercial establishments paid advance salary for 6 months in old currency notes. It was reported that one political party
got a deposit a total amount of Rs. 104 Crore by utilizing services of numerous
poor ‘supporters’! Out of the total amounts of Rs. 15.44 lakh crore of
demonetized notes, about Rs. 15 lakh crore is reported to have come back to the
banking system. In connivance of employees of banks and even R B I, huge
amounts in new Rs. 2000 notes were received by people with black money. Huge
amounts in higher denominations were unearthed. This, when the total permissible amount of withdrawal was Rs. 24,000
per person in week!Out of the amounts
seized by Income Tax Authorities, huge amounts were in new notes. Substantial amounts of old notes were discarded
by the hoarders. These were found in garbage-heaps, rivers and other
water-bodies. Early reports speculated that about 25% of
the cancelled notes would not come back to the system as it happened in 1978.
These reports said that these liabilities of R B I would be transferred to the
Government as a special dividend. Later, R B I clarified that itsliabilities would not be extinguished and as
such, there would be no special dividend for the Government. Ultimately, it
turned out that over 90% of the cancelled notes came back to the system;
apparently people with black money used ingenious ways to deposit these in
banks. The Income Tax Department is investigating the matter.
Normally currency notes seized by police and
Income Tax authorities are preserved by them to be produced as evidence when
trials take place. This time however, due to the long time required for
printing replacement notes, the seized notes were to be released to ease
paucity of new notes.
Demonetization involved enormous human and
economic costs. It is widely feared that GDP will go down by 2%
because of this. The poor have been hit hard. Gandhiji had exhorted to
“recall the face of the poorest, the weakest man and ask yourself, if the step
you contemplate is going to be of any use to him.” As one commentator said,
when we think of the cost –benefit of this decision in the months to come, this
sensitivity to the pain of others will be the one thing that will determine
whether the benefits exceeded the costs.
Issuing fresh currency notes - remonetization- has been a slow process. Restrictions on withdrawals are continuing even after December, 30, 2016 - the last date for depositing the withdrawn notes in banks. The limit on withdrawals from ATMs has only been increased from Rs. 2500 to Rs. 4500 but the restriction remains; the limit on withdrawals from accounts continues to be Rs. 24,000 per week. It is believed that while addressing the people on TV on the 8th November, 2016, the Prime Minister had said that those holding banned currency notes could deposit these with Reserve Bank of India till the 31st March, 2017 but now it is said that this facility is available only for NRIs. Unpleasant situations have occurred at offices of R B I over this matter. However, the average Indian
was not angry with Modi for demonetization. There was not a single case of
rioting as predicted by his opponents. Most of the poor believed that the rich
have been affected more than them. Gross mismanagement of a proposed
demonetization in Venezuela went awry and had to be postponed due to protests,
unrest and riot. Its President, Nicolas Maduro, unlike Narendra Modi, is deeply
unpopular in the country. A commentator summed it as the moral of the story –
Be popular before you let loose an unpopular move!
It is expected that the present shortage of currency notes and rationing will be over by February, 2017.
HAPPY NEW NOTES IN THE NEW YEAR!!! TAIL
PIECE:
The reference to ‘black’ reminded one
humorist who writes a regular column in a leading newspaper in India, about
the saying, ‘Once you go black, you never go back.’ In this piece, she advises
readers to refer to Google to find the meaning of this expression.
ADDENDUM
: Rs. 1 Lakh Note!
Dr. Rajiv Srivastav, Professor of Banaras
Hindu University has been doing a research on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. He
has come upon a currency note of Rs. 1 Lakh issued in 1943 by the Azad Hind
Government in exile, set up by Netaji. It was issued in the name of 'Bank of Independence' and was printed in Burma. This was recognized by Germany, Italy, Japan, Croatia, Philippines,
Ireland, China and Burma (Now Myanmar). Here it is:
POST SCRIPT:
Reports say that Sayeed Mohammad Nuroor Raheman, Sahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Mosque of Kolkata has issued a fatwa offering to pay an amount of Rs. 25 lakh to any person who shaves the beard and head of Narendra Modi, as a punishment for his decision of demonetization!!! Any takers?
