How demonetisation ended golden days of workers in India's plywood capital

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation, withdrawing 86%, by value, of India's currency on 8th November 2016.

Ashok Kumar remembered his achhe din (golden days) clearly: As a Class-10 dropout, he had a secure job that paid him Rs 15,000 per month to haul plywood between factories in a town called India’s plywood capital. He and his wife saved Rs 4,000, and he had few complaints.

That was before November 2016, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation, withdrawing 86%, by value, of India’s currency. “I received November’s salary in January and it was only downhill from there,” said Kumar, as he waited--dressed in an old sweater and worn slippers--in this northern Haryana town at Fawara