1/8/2011
Chavanni ( 25 paise coin) passed away last month. With it died many a memory attached . Announcing the death sentence ,the RBI , India’s central bank said “Coins of denomination of 25 paise will cease to be legal tender from June 30, 2011’
What it leaves behind is a legacy. It also leaves only one coin which denotes paisa ,the fractional denomination of the rupee – 50 paisa. Once this dies it will bring the end of an era
The word “Chavanni” was often used in jest or ridicule. Chaar anna was preferred, but then nobody it today’s India understands the word “anna” unless it is suffixed by the word “hazare”.
Those on the wrong side of sixty will remember the rights which the chavanni had – It could get you a mini meal , a coke or even a movie ticket. Whats more it was the contribution one had to make to become a member of the Congress Party at the time of independence. Finally add to it a rupee and you had the most auspicious offering ( sawa rupaiye ka prasad) to the Hindu Gods. The wealthy were called “paisawala” .Now they are called rupee millionaires and billionaires. Soon they will be weighed in dollars or great britain pounds. With the british back in our lives –life , like the shape of the coin would truly have come a full circle
Paisa has its relevance not only in its usage as money but also in language . All idioms ,colloquial terms and songs use it . This cannot be replaced by the word rupaiya for lack of effect and rhyme. Connaught place will , despite all sakari efforts, always remain Connaught place and not Rajiv Chowk. Google for Hindi songs with the word paisa and several will spring up. None , I suspect ,with “rupaiya” .The most often reference would be a scoff at its preference over love. Even a recent Bollywood item song –‘ paisa paisa karti hai , tu paise pe kyun marti hai,….” tells you that in the era of crores paisa retains its value . Besides when you ask for the price the question is “kitne paise loge” never kitne rupaiye loge .
Paisa , in India always represented the coin. (It is only of late that the rupees have begun to go metallic.) and the coin always had its value . Reason ? Simply because as a piece of metal it had a value . A printed piece of paper does’nt. In fact, in Britain a set of copper coins once had to be recalled as the value of copper by weight in the coin exceeded the value of the coin and people had begun to melt the coins and sell the copper.
However , in today’s age money has lost its value even as values themselves have been lost . In a scam tainted and corrupt society like ours , as you start printing higher value notes the amount and convenience of the bribe goes up proportionately . After all carrying a suitcase of 100 rupees is effort enough , imagine if one had to carry paisa of the same value . The relevance is only pronounced by the ridiculous rate of inflation we have today .
On the other hand we need to progress and cut unnecessary use of material in exchange . Thus plastic money and electronic transfers as a mode of transactions need to be encouraged . Save metal, save paper, save ink
But then how do you decide who bats first in a cricket match. You cant flip a note or a credit card ,can you ?
Finally, there is now a coin of 150 rupees to come. It shall mark the 150th birth anniversary of India’s legendary poet Rabindra Nath Tagore. That sure is heavy metal.
As Independent India grows an year older – all set to enter its 65 th year – it also grows younger with the youth comprising two thirds of its population. Yes ,the tail is wagging. But the energy of the tail needs the experience of the heads to move in the right direction. They must move in tandom . They must recognise each other’s importance . After all they are inseperable , like two sides of a coin.