A WhatsApp message on November 9 titled ‘Financial bigotry is also risky’, containing a Marathi article attributed as a translation of a piece on demonetisation by former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan in a leading English business daily, has gone viral across social media platforms.
However, a search on the said English business daily’s website did not turn up any such article by Mr. Rajan, who is yet to comment publicly on the government’s decision. However, his past opinions on the demonetisation move, available on various news websites, don’t seem to approve of it.
It now turns out that the article was originally published by NCP MLA Dr. Jitendra Awhad on his personal blog, and later posted to his Facebook page. Mr. Awhad said he was unaware of his article’s popularity, albeit under a different name, till The Hindu approached him for his version. “I was shocked to hear this. I had put down my thoughts about this demonetisation move, which I feel will hit the common people the hardest. I gathered material and wrote what I felt. I posted it on Facebook and my blog in the afternoon on November 9,” Dr. Awhad said.
The article had apparently been picked up by someone on the internet and attributed to Mr Rajan. “I had initially thought that I will get tremendous flak from Modi bhakts for my article. But now I learn that people appreciated what was written. It is good that my understanding of economics was pro-people,” Mr. Awhad said.
