Will Modi sarkar be able to normalise demonetisation chaos in next 50 days?

Also read: A foreigner's tale in Delhi: Hunting for an ATM, struggling for cash

It must have been a quarter to midnight this chilly Tuesday night. I went out with friends in the buzzing defence colony of Delhi. While we were waiting for our cab to arrive, I browsed through the WhatsApp group I have with German journalists working here in India.

All of a sudden, a message by one those colleagues popped up: “You have 15 minutes to spend your 500 rupee bills...” - adding one of those wide-eyed, scared-looking emoticons and a link to an article by Mint, explaining the decision of the Indian government to declare 500 and 1,000 rupee notes illegal, practically overnight.

I remember my friend and I standing in front of the restaurant we just had dinner in, skimming over the article, but paying not too much attention. We took if for a joke. Nothing serious. What have the crazy Indians come up with again? Being German, we felt that a decision such as demonetisation would be well thought through, announced in advance and yes, definitely not implemented overnight.

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