‘Now the Rich and Poor Are Equal’: Rural India Embraces Note Ban

The villagers are hopeful that they’ll reap the benefits of this crackdown on black money.

“The rich sleep on wads of cash,” said a local. (Photo: Aman Sethi/The Quint)

In the days following demonetisation, the selling price for cauliflower crop has dropped drastically, from Rs 120/kg to Rs 20/kg for Devi Lal Nishad, a farmer from a village on the outskirts of Gorakhpur in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. His customers don't have loose change and he has no use for their Rs 500 notes.

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His loss aside, he's hopeful of acchhe din as the government's coffers fill up with black money. “If all this black money is revealed, I'm sure even we’ll reap the benefits.”

Devi Lal, a farmer, looks forward to acchhe din. (Photo: Aman Sethi/The Quint)

In a local haat in the village of Badheya Bujurg, in the district adjacent to Gorakhpur, farmer Chhaya Devi giddily proclaims that now, everyone is equal. “Neither they have money, nor we have money. The rich can’t be arrogant any longer,” she says before bursting into a schadenfreuden giggle.

Nearby, Om Prakash is worried about his Rs 500 at home. He works at a small jaggery production plant, cleaning up the sugarcane roughage for a daily wage of Rs 220 for 12 hours, but his contractor is still paying him in Rs 500 notes. “Nobody is accepting this money in the market,” he adds. But his female colleague who gets paid Rs 120 for the same hours of labour is happier. “I've never seen Rs 500 in my life, so how will this affect us,” she quips.

Another worker at a jaggery production plants says she’s never seen a Rs 500 note in her life. (Photo: Aman Sethi/The Quint)

The rural economy is largely cash-less, but not the Paytm kind. For a farmer, the money comes in along with the harvest cycle, and goes out during the sowing cycle. In a time of need, a farmer may informally borrow money from one’s own family and friends or from money lenders.

But as the credit network dries up due to even money lenders not being able to cough up the money, the farmer sowing the paddy crop in Purvanchal is getting affected.

With rumours rife that the black money is somehow going to make its way into their accounts, the weary patience is strengthened. “Kuchh niklega toh humein kuchh milega,” says a local vegetable seller whose business selling ginger and coriander has taken a sharp hit since his customers can’t pay in cash.

When asked how he knows the money will come into his account. “Vishwas pe toh duniya tika hai.”

With inputs from Esha Paul.

Video Editor: Prashant Bhardwaj

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