RK Laxman’s 1978 Cartoon Perfectly Sums Up Demonetisation

Two years after his death in 2015, RK Laxman’s cartoons live on. This one captures the essence of the note ban.

Laxman’s message is quite clear: That Morarji Desai’s demonetisation would have been ineffective in terms of curbing the black money menace. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@redditindia)

Amid the cacophony of voices debating the pros and cons of the demonetisation policy announced by the Modi government, a cartoon from 1978 by the renowned cartoonist RK Laxman seems to perfectly sum up the current scenario.

The cartoon came out when the Janata Party government announced its own policy of demonetisation in 1978, scrapping the Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 notes in order to crack down on black money.

Sounds familiar, right?

Also Read: Demonetisation: The 99% is Suffering a Policy Targeted at the 1%

Twitter Reacts To Laxman’s Cartoon

Social media has been abuzz with how Laxman’s 39-year-old cartoon unwittingly retains relevance even in today’s context.

Laxman’s message in the cartoon seems to be quite clear: That then-PM Morarji Desai’s demonetisation would have been largely ineffective in terms of curbing the majority of the black money in circulation.

The cartoon perhaps also foretells what could be the likely impact of Modi’s demonetisation.

Also Read: A Look Back to 1978 When Currency Notes Were Last Scrapped

(This piece has been reposted from The Quint's archives for RK Laxman’s death anniversary. This article was originally published on 16 November 2016)