I was born in 1975 and now it's 2026, I have seen the world change a lot within this time. When I was a kid every payment was done through cash and sometimes coins were used for small amount. Today, many people pay through online and the methods are apps, bank transfers, QR codes. I also use all of them. Because it's easy to use and I don't have to worry about losing my money. But I do not support the idea that government should remove cash completely.
I will share a personal story of mine which I have seen in front of my eyes. So, a few months ago, I was buying Fuchka for my daughter and an old man which was selling it at the road side. The old man looked weak and tired but he had warm smile. Before he could take my order, an adult boy came he was around 19-20, I think. He had bought Fuchka and Jhal Muri from him and then scanned the QR code and showed his phone to the seller. He said, "The payment is done." He trusted the customer and thanked him. While preparing fuchka for my daughters the seller asked his grandson to check the account. Sadly, there was no payment. The old man did not know how to check his phone properly.
So, what happened was the customer had shown a fake payment screen. The old man saw the account numbers were right so he couldn't realize that it could be fake. The old man had lost both his spirit and money. I could see the sadness in his eyes. He kept saying, "Maybe the boy will come later and pay." But I knew that boy was not coming back ever.
That day broke my heart and I paid him extra because the boy had done the wrong thing. But I knew not everyone would do the same. If cash completely disappears, people like that old man may suffer even more. We should try to understand that not everyone is capable of understanding technology. Not everyone is educated and they cannot read well. Also, we need to have a concern about that not everyone has the ability to purchase a smartphone or have a stable internet connection. I don't think it's a good jong if someone gets cheated or a payment fails. Sometimes the innocent person loses money and the dishonest person walks away without punishment. That is not fair at all.
I know digital payment has many benefits and can help to reduce theft. But the same goes for digital payment, there are so many online scams and so many victims. For me, the best solution is to keep both options. Like we do now, if we can maintain it now both ways then we can also continue to do it in the future. I believe, a good society should never force everyone to depend on only one way of paying.
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