Twitter user @DharmikBuzz shared a collage of two photos claiming to be currencies from Indonesia and the Netherlands (called Holland in the tweet). The Indonesian currency had an image of the Hindu God Ganesh, while the Dutch currency had an image of Ram. Accompanying captions given below each image claimed the same. The tweet said, "Why not in India?"

The tweet has been widely retweeted.

Fact Check

By doing a reverse image search of the alleged Indonesian currency, an article by ABP was found. The article, dated September 10, 2021, said that a 20000 Rupiah note with the image of Ganesh was used sometime pre-1998 when the economy had faltered. New 20000 Rupiah notes were issued after 1998 and the Ganesh image was not present in the new notes.

By doing a reverse image search of the "currency" from the Netherlands, relevant articles about the bearer bond "Raam" were found. An article by BBC published on February 3, 2003, stated that the 'currency' was introduced in the Netherlands by The Global County of World Peace, set up by the Indian mystic Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The 'note' came in denominations of one, five and 10.

The article states that a spokesman from the Dutch Central Bank has said that the 'notes' were not a legal tender, but could be used by 'closed-off circuits'. That makes the 'currency' not a legal tender, but a 'local currency.' A local currency is a currency that is used and recognized by residents of a particular geographical locality and participating organizations. Therefore, Raam is not actually a legally recognized currency in the Netherlands.

A photo of 'Raam' was shared last year with another fake claim: it is the 'most powerful currency in the world.' Such claims were debunked by independent fact-checkers.

In conclusion, the collage of photos of two currencies claiming to be from Indonesia and the Netherlands was shared with misleading claims. The Indonesian currency was discontinued after 1998 and the Dutch currency was never a legal tender.