In a shocking turn of actions post demonetization, many people compared being standing in bank line to being standing on the border. Finally, they got what they needed – participation of army in the demonetization cause with them. Around 400 army personnel have been deployed for security at the currency printing presses in Salboni in West Bengal and Dewas in Madhya Pradesh.
The sudden surge in manpower requirement in printing and allied operations has forced the government to call in the military which is the nation’s instrument of “last resort” in all emergency situations.
The military has been ordered to ferry money to every part of the country. The soldiers have also been ordered to make and count cash.
The soldiers were deployed in wake of security consideration around the press that prints the new currency notes. The soldiers are from the Eastern Command and the Central Command.
The Dewas Security Press at MP is printing new ₹500 currency notes whereas new ₹2,000 & ₹100 notes are being printed in Salboni of WB.
Apart from this, a team of 120 Air Warriors have been deployed at the currency printing press in Salboni.
The government has also deployed Air Force’s transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster and C-130 J Hercules to transport currency from the printing presses across the country.
The planes continue to make sorties carrying new currency completing 100 sorties between 19 November to 19 December. It has been termed as ‘The Great Rupee Airlift’ comparing the difficulty with the Berlin Airlift of supplies during 1948-1949.
The deployment of the military – rather than the police or paramilitary forces – is indicative of the sensitivity of the issues post demonetisation which the paramilitary cannot handle.
The negative impact of this order has been that the soldiers are being looked upon as “coolies” today, according to one officer. “We do physical labour, but to fight against enemies of the country. Now the government has ordered us to do this,” he said.
Is it good to use the military’s respected manpower to the extent that it has to perform a labour work, which incidentally, the paramilitary isn’t capable of? What are your views on this?
