THE NM App ‘survey’ questions were rather like an Arnab Goswami interview of Modi: cosy questions designed to elicit pre-scripted answers, no room for questions or answers that might be inconveniently critical of Modi or demonetisation! It did not even give the ‘disagree’ option on the most crucial questions, and implied that all critics are pro-corrupt and pro-terrorist. Moreover, this app-based ‘survey’ was a farce given that a mere 17% of Indians (obviously very few in rural India) use smart phones. Instead of this rigged ‘survey,’ we compiled a set of questions a responsible PM should have asked but Modi did not, followed by a set of political questions Modi should answer – in Parliament, in the media and public – but won’t.

1. How much time did you stand in queues at the bank/ATM?

2. Have you been able to withdraw the amount you need? If so, how many attempts did it take?

3. Are ATMs/Banks in your locality supplied with adequate cash?

4. Does your local grocer, tea vendor, vegetable vendor, canteen, milk vendor, school etc accept cashless payment? Do you have any means of cashless payment?

5. Has a broker/dealer ever offered to exchange your old Rs 500 or Rs 1000 notes for a lesser amount?

6. What hardships have you faced due to demonetisation?

  • i. Are your wages still being paid in the old currency?

  • ii. Has demonetisation affected food, daily commuting and other habits in your life? Have you experienced food shortages?

  • iii. Have hospitals refused to treat you/your patient, or chemists refused to dispense medicine because you lacked enough new currency?

  • iv. Have you had to take unpaid leave to stand in queues? If so, how many work days did you lose?

  • v. Has any major event in your family or work life been disrupted due to demonetisation – marriages, hospitalization, travel, buying seeds for sowing crops etc?

  • vi. Are you finding it difficult to spend the new Rs 2000 for your everyday needs?

7. What is responsible for demonetisation-related hardships?

  • i. It’s a necessary sacrifice for the battle against black money

  • ii. It’s because of the government’s lack of planning and concern for the common people

8. Which of the following in your view is true?

  • i. Scrapping old Rs 500/1000 notes and issuing Rs 2,000 notes will eliminate corruption, counterfeiting and cripple terror networks

  • ii. Rs 2000 notes are easier for the corrupt to hoard, the Rs 2000 notes possess no extra security feature and can easily be counterfeited, and these notes have allegedly been found on terrorists

9. Who do you think demonetisation has hit worst?

  • i. The corrupt and super-rich

  • ii. The poor and common people

10. What is your opinion of the the demonetisation move?

  • i. Intention good, implementation bad

  • ii. Political gimmick that backfired

  • iii. Intention to benefit corporates like PayTM/Big Bazaar, hit small business, traders and the poor by promoting cashless economy, eroding financial privacy