Indian workers the losers in demonetisation

In early November, the Government of Narendra Modi announced that it was withdrawing from circulation the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and people had 50 days to exchange them with the banks. The stated intention by the government was to stop the informal economy and raise revenue. What is now being seen is that this edict is having a devastating effect on workers all over India. From the south in Tamil Nadu, to the textile strongholds in the Eastern region of Maharashtra, to the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand state, to the capital region of New Delhi, workers are either not being paid their salary or losing their jobs in the thousands.

In early November, the Government of Narendra Modi announced that it was withdrawing from circulation the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and people had 50 days to exchange them with the banks. The stated intention by the government was to stop the informal economy and raise revenue. What is now being seen is that this edict is having a devastating effect on workers all over India. From the south in Tamil Nadu, to the textile strongholds in the Eastern region of Maharashtra, to the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand state, to the capital region of New Delhi, workers are either not being paid their salary or losing their jobs in the thousands.