The Reserve Bank of India recently clarified that it is not considering changes to the existing currency and bank notes by replacing the face of Mahatma Gandhi with that of others. Earlier, the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI) were reportedly considering using the watermark figures of Rabindranath Tagore and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on new series of banknotes of some denominations. Rabindranath Tagore, greatest icon of Bengal and India’s 11th President, Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam (The Missile Man) were in the race to make it to the country’s banknote along with the M.K Gandhi but the race ended as RBI has rejected the claims of any changes.
Though Mahatma Gandhi has garnered much of the credit for the successful culmination of the Indian freedom struggle, only showing gratitude towards him by neglecting the contribution of others is injustice to them. In US different denominations of dollar carry portraits of different persons , from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln. In 2017, the Calcutta High Court had directed the Centre and the RBI to reply within eight weeks why currency notes in the country can’t have photographs of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose or any other important person. The RBI must reconsider its decision because the representation of other persons alongside Mahatma Gandhi on currency notes will depict the picture of a progressive and unbiased India.