<b>Geetanjali Krishna</b>: Reviving the barter trade

Bad loans have tripped up economies mightier than the bazaar of Krishna's tiny Odisha village

The other day when Krishna returned after a three-week trip back home from Sambalpur in Odisha, she was full of stories of how demonetisation had affected everyday life in her village. One story, in particular, stood out. 

“My old aunt came to see me and brought some bananas as a present,” said Krishna. It turned out that she had bought the bananas on credit from another relative who grew them. “So when I met the banana-growing relative, I asked him if he had been giving bananas on deferred payment basis to a lot of people,” she recounted. He had no