Currency ban takes toll: 11 dead in 28 days

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 6

On the first of every month, Malook Singh — an ex-serviceman — would leave his home at Cheema Kalan to get Rs 7,000 pension. Much before the dawn broke when he left home on December 5, nobody back home had a clue that it would be the last journey of the family’s breadwinner.

Malook Singh, 65, passed away while standing in the queue at the State Bank of India at Chabal in Tarn Taran. He became another victim of demonetisation in the state. But before that for several days he was sent back without money by the bank. The November 8 demonetisation, which will complete a month on Thursday, has taken life of least 10 people in the state.

“What will I do now,” asks his daily wager son Gurdial Singh. It was Malook Singh’s pension that helped them run their home, he added.

The most common victims of the demonetisation are the elderly. An 82-year-old retired Subedar from the BSF, Satpal Bali, lost his life on November 30 after he was denied pension by the bank due to non-availability of cash at the SBI branch in Maqsudan, Jalandhar.

Before collapsing on the bank stairs, Bali told his son Rohit, “They have not given me this month’s pension. The next I won’t be there to get.”

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead. Rohit’s worries are not much different than Malook Singh’s son Gurdial. He too says it will be difficult to run home with his Rs 8,000 salary.

“The reports of elderly falling sick while standing in bank queues have been coming from across the state, though a large number of cases are not being reported,” says Hardev Arshi of the CPI.

Besides pensioners and elderly, the biggest sufferers of demonetisation are those who have weddings at home.

Fiftyfive-year-old Gurnam Singh of Havelian Ratoke village has been visiting the bank in Khemkaran on all working days since November 9. His daughter’s wedding is scheduled for December 10.

“Sometimes he would come back with Rs 1,000, sometimes Rs 2,000. Once he got Rs 4,000 also. But most commonly he returned empty-handed,” tells his 17-year-old son Manjeet Singh. On early morning of December 2, he suffered a heart attack and passed away. His son is back in the bank queue. He doesn’t even have time to mourn the death of his father. “I don’t demand any compensation from the government but just want my money for sister’s marriage,” says Manjeet.

(With inputs from Gurbax Puri in Tarn Taran)

Demonetisation fallout

November 16: Sukhdev Singh, 50, a farmer died while standing in queue for money, which was needed for his daughter’s wedding on November 18

November 19: Anil Kumar Sidhana, 40, a small trader, ended his life by hanging himself. His neighbours alleged that he ended life because of cash crunch

November 21: A 52-year-old hosiery factory worker, Balbir Singh, died of heart disease as his family couldn’t withdraw money for his treatment from their bank account

November 24: Piara Singh, 84, a retired post office employee, fainted while standing in queue with his son at a post office in Jamalpur, Ludhiana. He was taken home where he died

November 28: Tehal Singh (65), a resident of Jagdev Khurd village, collapsed suddenly when he was standing in a queue for depositing cash in a bank at Ajnala

November 29: Resham Lal, an elderly trader, died after his condition deteriorated while he was standing in a queue to withdraw money for his son’s wedding from the Bank of Baroda branch at Bhagwan Mahabir Marg, Jalandhar

November 29: Joginder Singh, 47, a farmer from Ghubaya village in Fazilka district, died in a bank queue at Jalalabad while waiting for his turn to withdraw money 

December 2: Jarnail Singh (54) suffered a brain stroke outside the State Bank of India in Moga. He died on December 5. He needed money to marry his daughter.