On November 8, in a surprise televised address, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made public his decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes from circulation.
Since then, the Reserve Bank of India has released several circulars, each time laying out new rules of demonetisation. According to an announcement on November 28, bank customers will be able to withdraw deposits made in legal tender notes beyond the current limit. Reports say the move is aimed at increasing the currency circulating in the system.
The economy in flux has inspired several cartoons on Instagram.
While some artists have highlighted the plight of the common man, who is wandering around looking for small change, other cartoons point out that how the lack of cash has changed society’s perceptions of class.
Some illustrations are a comment on the political scenario in the country. The Opposition parties had called for a Bharat Bandh on November 28. But the bandh received a lukewarm response from the people.
The illustrations also highlight the hardships being faced by the poor and the marginalised, with 86% of the currency (by value) being wiped out in one go. There have been reports about patients dying after they were allegedly denied treatment due to lack of adequate legal tender.