Demonitization is anti people and pro capitalists. This conclusion was drawn in a People’s Court organized by Janatantrik Vichar Manch (JVM), Udaipur in the Community Hall of Bohra Youth at Boharwadi on Sunday.

The speakers included daily wage labourers, small peasants, agriculture labourers, mine labourers, teachers, students, college lecturers, small scale industry owners, private hospital owners, journalists and bankers besides trade union activists. The jury of the People’s Court included Prof. Zenab Bano, Emeritus Professor, MLS University, Prafull Nagar, former Joint director, Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Rajasthan and senior journalist Himmat Seth , chief editor Mahaveer Samta Sandesh.

The convenor of Janatantrik Vichar Manch Prof. Hemendra Chandalia opened the discussion by presenting the facts about government’s decision of demonetization of the currency notes of the denomination of 500 and 1000. He said that it was a decision taken professedly by the Prime Minister alone. This is not democratic in the true spirit of Parliamentary democracy. He further informed that demonetization has a history. It was exercised in Ghana in 1982, in Nigeria in 1984, in Myanmar in 1987, in USSR in 1991 and in North Korea in 2010. No where has it succeeded in curbing black money and corruption. In India too it was exercised in 1946 and then in 1978. But the black money in Indian economy which was  15% -18% in 1977-78 increased to  18% – 21% in 1983-84 and in 2016 it has risen to an estimated 23% – 36%  of the GDP though the government has no data as to what is the volume of black money in Indian economy. There are economists who claim that black money is nearly 60% of the GDP.

Owner of a small scale industry Ramkaran Chaudhary said that the production has been adversely affected by demonetization since the owners do not have enough currency to pay to the labour. The labour have also gone back to the villages as they cannot sustain themselves in the city any more. Owner of a private hospital Niranjan Vijayvargiya said that the admission of patients has fallen to ten percent of the normal. It means that people have no money to take care of their health even. He said that some serious patients were admitted even though they did not have money. Madam Lal , activist of Rajasthan Shikshak Sangh (Shekhawat) said that this move of the governments was pre meditated and has been taken to benefit the capitalists at the cost of the poor and the middle class.

Former officer of Rajasthan Accounts Service Shanker Lal Choudhary said that the failure of the state to recover NPA of banks from defaulting capitalists has been the main cause of demonetization. It has nothing to do with curbing black money or corruption. The money deposited which has reached 12.5  lakh crores will be used to give more loans to the capitalists or to waive off their existing loans. Bank officer and president of Trade Unions coordination committee P.S.Khichi said that the government has put an immense burden on banks without any preparation. The RBI has not printed enough currency while people and the BJP are blaming the bankers. He said that no currency can be taken out of branches without following the procedure. If the new currency in millions is being found it can be only at the level of RBI or some private bank. He said that the government has failed to apprehend huge defaulters but is crushing the poor by stalling their hard earned money.

Riyaz Hussain of JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth University said that the step has been taken for political gains in forthcoming elections. He questioned why the political parties have been left scot free. Gautam Lal Meena of Rajasthan Nirmaan Mazdoor Sangathan said that the labourers have not been able to get work and the construction work has stopped. There is widespread unemployment in daily wage labourers. Dr.Sarvat Khan , lecturer in M.G.College said that this step has rendered women as a culprit in their own households. The little money that could have been used in tough times has been exposed and they have suddenly been looked upon with suspicion by their own family members. Small peasants Kalu Lal and Laxman from Sarada said that the vegetables that they produce are being sold at 2-3 rupees per kilogram as there is no demand. The peasants are not able to get even the cost of production.

Gazanfar Okasa of IIT Mumbai said that the total counterfeit currency in Indian economy is less than 400 crores . To find that demonetizing currency worth seventeen lakh crores is not a wise step. He said that this has not stopped terrorism nor corruption as professed by the PM. Izhar Hussain , a student said that parents are not being able to pay the fees of their children. If they don’t pay fee children will also suffer. He said that what is required is not Demonetizatio but Demoditization. Saurabh of AICCTU talked about the hidden agenda behind the move of demonetization and stated that it will benefit the capitalists and will hit the poor. The informal sector will be worst hit and the effects will last for many more months. There will be a fall in GDP of the country by at least 2-3 percent. Ekling Nath Paliwal, Mangi Lal Vaishnav, Ajay Taya, Akhlak Hussain,  Taslim Bano and many others also made their plea before the jury.

The learned jury unanimously declared the move of demonetization as anti people and called for a united effort to save the voice of the people in Indian democracy. They were of the opinion that it will damage the very secular social fabric of the country and also jeopardize peace and harmony in the society.