Barbarism – the European way

 The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

“In the story, a man has beaten and robbed by a gang of bandits while walking down a road. Several people pass him by while offering no help, including a priest and a Levite. But the next person walking down that road — a Samaritan — sees the man, bandages his wounds, takes him to the inn, gives the innkeeper money out of his own pocket, and asks the innkeeper to look after the man.”

Religious fundamentalism, fighting between ethnic groups, quest of super powers to dominate world  resources, effort to indirectly help their own arm and armament industry by super powers,   are making the world peace a distant dream. Whether it is Iran, Iraqi, Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan, Ukraine, the hands of US or Russia is there.  The game plan of these super powers added with  Muslim fundamentalism made life of their own brethren  horrible  and people are tend  to flee, with whatsoever they can carry  as refugee.  They love to take shelter in a country where democracy is prevailing.  As we know European countries are supposed  to be apostle  of democracy, champion  of human right  and philanthropist.

Almost  8% of world population are refugees.  UN and other affluent countries  should have thought of helping and funding for this problem. But as reports are pouring in, from European countries, it is very much disturbing.  It is reported that roughly about 850000 asylum seekers took shelter in European countries from Syria and Libya through Greece.  Some European countries made  hue and cry to close  the boarder of Greece. Some other countries like Denmark, Switzerland, some states of Germany etc are smart enough to confiscate valuables from refugees to fund the refugees maintenance expenses.  Danish Government even made a legislation for confiscation of valuables.  Hungary has already closed the boundaries.  Many of these refugees fleeing from war, mass crimes, rapes , and some even reaching the European countries  undertaking  risky boat journey crossing Mediterranean leaving back their valuables by way of fixed assets.

Let us think a while , who created  the chaos in Libya and Syria.  European countries like France, Britain  who used force and air attack in these countries.  Even otherwise how cruel it is, to confiscate  the valuables  from people who flee their motherland and took shelter.  We may lament, ho Jesus! these people don’t know that they re doing.  They are not civilised despite years after his interference( I mean Jesus Christ).

Rejoinder:  When country like Switzerland, Denmark, France, Germany is struggling and loot refugee for expenses of maintenance, in the  year 1972, a small state in India called West Bengal received 20 lacs refugees fled from Bangladesh with red carpet welcome and without checking the refugees caste, creed, sex or colour.   Many of them settled here and not gone back.  If reports are to be believed, the flow continues.  Still we are at the receiving end of intolerance towards minorities.  Never mind!  Really proud of my country!!!!

Some confused thoughts

If a teenager get confused or get upset with the challenges he faces in the fast changing world, it is understandable.  He has got the option of taking guidance from his teachers, parents, elders and so on.  If an above middle-aged person gets into the same problem, he has got little option.  Had it been in my case, option left out is to seek guidance from my peers, who seem more confused than me.  I am not talking about generation gap, lack of adaptability or any such sort.  Many of my friends advise me to sit and relax, laugh at the incidence or on you.  Things will take care of it.  The sun will rise in the east and set as per schedule .  Still feel concerned.  Hence this write-up.

A common man is administered by the government, judiciary  and police.  No dispute, that democracy is the best governance.   Hence political parties  with various ideologies are dominating us turn by turn.  But the same political parties have no democratic back ground.  Congress need nehruvian legacy at the top to lead and at lower level group ideologies.    The leftist,   which boasts of its policies are now days talks about incorrigible plans and policies.  They claim of party with a rule book, now talks about bangal lobby, Kerala group, in Kerala, they have got Kannur lobby, Travancore lobby, then  VS faction and some other faction.  Narayana Guru and Vivekananda have replaced their banners from Lenin and Marx.  Let us not discuss about what Vivekananda has told about communists.  In pre independent era, there was only Congress.  Because of their policy, slowly communists developed their influence.  At that time, the poor people used to raise a slogan “You made me Communists” which means, it is the congress policies that made us to change our loyalty to Communists.  Now at least in Kerala, the slogan is repeated with a difference.  The communists or people having loyalty with communists for long, started telling that “you made me a BJP activist”.  Thanks, the BJP is also almost functioning like the leftist.    The Party with a difference, i.e. BJP is almost functioning like the Leftist. Today there was Ernakuam Bandh and yesterday at Kasaragod. They have also got two warring group.   The rests are single leader based party.  No ideology or programmes for which they are accountable.  None of them are having in-house democracy nor they believe in it too.  They go on making alliance with most comfortable group (congress joined with Mamtha bannerjee to topple communists, and now ready to join communists to topple Mamata.  Communists  once joined with RSS Jansangh to topple Indira Gandhi and later against congress  and make alliance with Congress  for principle at W.Bengal).  Some group win the election, ensure life long pension, declare welfare schemes lavishly, get kick back and give way for the next faction.  The drama repeat in every 5 year in the name of gandhiji, marx, hinduwta, dalit, adi vasi and farmers.  In the name of liberalisation the corporate loot the country and share with whom so ever in power  and opposition for favours received or to be received .  As comedian comes in a sentimental movie off and on and make you laugh, some characters like Saritha nair, Biju Ramesh comes to make you laugh in the process. The common man is befooled for ever.

Sometimes judiciary tend to give hope.   They give shock treatment  and excite us, though the pending court cases are another comedy.    Sometimes they tend to make some unwarranted comments in most in appropriate places to a common man’s knowledge,  and make themselves a mockery.  We are bound to keep mum as otherwise it will tantamount to court abuse.  Sometimes court passes strictures against government making us happy, but the government conveniently forget to implement it.  But still love to expect from the judiciary much more and they upset us like the justice who stayed his own transfer order.  The people who are expected to interpret the constitution fail to interpret their own powers.

I think the common Indian have lost hope in the third wing of the administration, the police rather they don’t expect anything.   To add fuel to fire, both the people in power and the opposition sandwich the vitality left out in the police.  So they get sandwiched or take partisan attitude.

The left out is in the faith in creator.  Take solace in him.  Pray, pray and pray.  The undiluted faith in him leads us.  We go to the local temple daily, once in a while to Guruvayoor or Sabarimala in solace.We had  a peaceful  atmosphere there.  I have visited more than 25 times to Sabarimala continuously.   Eventhough Politian has penetrated in the administration; the life there was smooth.  Normally we go to the nearby temple in search of solace or peace.  It was out of reach of these murky politician so far.But I am shocked that Politian  after polluting the college/school campuses has now turned to temple committees.  They fight each other in the committees to defame the other group, thankfully not the deity.   The only common factor in the fighting group is their faith in the party they belongs to and not in god.  It has gone to a dangerous level that a recent newspaper reports shocks common man.  The minority faction in the committee  disrupt the temple festival  to defame the other faction.  In the process they tried to provoke the elephants brought for the festival and kept in the temple premises by wounding it, so that it get angry and create havoc in a crowed temple premises.  Have they ever thought of the dangerous consequences it can create?  The second part of the incident is chilling rather shocking.    The trouble creator was correctly identified  and beaten to death in broad day light. 

Bhagawan!!! I adore you, love you, have faith in you and love to be with you but afraid to come to your temple.  Your premises are getting polluted by these democrats  in the name of service to the people.   Pardon me,  for not coming to you and pray yo u to allow me to have some on line darshan.

Yesterday, while travelling from Palaghat to  Trichur in the passenger train, I witnessed  some discussion in the train.  It was about faith.  It is a universal principle that we do not question others faith.  So we have lot of strange practices. Sometimes such practice disrupt civil life, still we suffer and accommodate,  Never a Christian insisted that it is his fundamental right to enter a temple nor a Muslim or vice versa.  Nobody challenged that why Pongala can not be performed by men,  or why womens are not removing their dress as men remove shirts in Kerala temple.  Nobody questioned why Krishna like kheer and  devi like jaggey mixed payasam.  Nobody complained of gender bias when Shiva is placed in the front of the Shiva temple and Parvathi’s place is in the back side.  Now the gender bias of Lord Ayyappa is questioned.  Now the issue is whether shiva or ayyappa, gender bias is against fundamental right.  Now the Travancore Devaswam board  is running pillar  to post in search of documentary evidence or rule book to establish that Lord Ayyappa really don’t like women of certain age group.  My personal opinion is that if it is not court abuse, the Travancore devaswam board should have kept quite and the court take a dec ision  of its own.  Let Lord Ayyappa take care of himself.  What is the intention of the complainant?  Faith in Ayyappa, or a real women devotee really got hurt feeling that she is not allowed to enter the temple or mere pseudo  revolutionaries who are bothered about the hurt feelings of lacs of devotees.  Are they enjoying a vicarious satisfaction.

Coming back to the discussion on the court issue in the train,  a gentleman raised another issue.  Normally Lord Guruvayoorappa likes Kheer, sugar, Lord Ayyappa  likes apppam and Aravana.  But in which rule book it is written so.  If I want to offer a thulabharam  using fish or dressed chicken ( I may be a wholesale dealer of fish or chicken  having made an offer to god such a thulabharam my business is flourished ) or I offer chicken 65 as offering to Lord guruvayooralppa, who can question it.  In Which rule book Lord Krishna has told that he don’t like  chicken.  Rather rule book is in my favour that he has categorically told that “ avilumam, malarumam, bhalavumakam”) Which means anything is acceptable to be, whether it is flat rice, flower or a fruit.  The Brahmin dominated hierechary has made it to his favour like kheer, or sugar etc.  Again mind it, Krishna is a yadav, and not a Brahmin.

Krishna krisha, I am confused.

A thought about Corruption

The corruption is a cancerous deadly decease that affected the society, since human existence.  It is a short cut to amaze money for some, and it is a short cut to get the things done for another.  Actually it is a mutually accepted arrangement where the giver and receiver is responsible.  However many times the givers role is underestimated and focus is given to the receiver and the effort to curb corruption is always focused at the receiver. It is just like to divert the flow of water from lower plain to upper.  Some people are interested in ending corruption, but involved in the business of talking and putting efforts to stop corruption as a ritual, knowingly well that it cannot be stopped.

I am prompted to pen this, when the report seen in HINDU Daily,  about an order of Tamilnadu.  The order mandates prior permission of the government  for an enquiry about corruption charges against any state government employee keeping the state vigilance machinery into a bye stander.   It is a setback for those who dream against corruption and who complaint lack of integrity  in public services.  Interestingly, even the opposition has not raised a single voice of protest.   Those who have stayed in Tamilnadu will vouchsafe the level of massive corruption at various level and most of the major political parties are at the receiving end of massive corruption when they are in power.  Hence this order gives an umbrella of protection to  lower level employees  at government level as I understand.  It does not mean that Kerala is free from corruption.  But I had a false proud that the Dravidian(I mean south Indian) level of corruption is much less in level in quantum compared to other states as I experienced.    Of course I agree that Corruption is corruption and integrity cannot be measured  in scale.  During my childhood days, I had heard that the corruption at Cochin state is much less than in Travancore Stat;  Ara kallan and Mukka Kallan (Half thief, and three fourth thief)

The only way to end corruption is to nib it in the bud. Giving corruption be made a criminal offence.  I doubt, even  Anna Hazard, or Kejriwal might not have thought on these lines.   Then who will bell the cat is the question.  Then can we define small level corruption and large scale corruption and can corruption at certain level can be permit?.  Earlier times, when the post man brings money order used to be paid bakshish/chay pani karcha.  So can we consider the money paid through the agents of RTO office, Registry Office or Village office, or the amount paid to a TTE for accommodating a birth   be treated as Chay pani karcha.

I am mused to look into the corruption at my level as giver or receiver.  The small amount  paid  to Railway employee to accommodate a birth, the small amount of Rs.10/- paid at Madras Railway Reservation Counter, just to know whether onward reservation is ok or not is not a bribe as far as I was concerned at that time.  The timely help was much bigger than the amount paid.  Then smaller or bigger paid many times at various govt offices.  I found that the level of corruption at Jharkhand is much higher than that of Kerala.  But there is a difference experienced people say.  At Jharkhand every thing is fixed and moderated and you pay it, work will be done promptly and correctly.  But in kerala, you pay it, and no guarantee work will be done and that too correctly.  We bof corruption is very low and there are large number of people  who is not associated with corruption.

Later I understood that giving and receiving bribe is also a skill.  All can not do it.  I had an occasion to get a work done at Utkal University , Bhubaneshwar.  The name in the certificate was misspelt. I wanted to correct it.  It was the time that we got married.  So we preferred our destination of honeymoon as Bhubaneswhar.  7 days we stayed at Bhubaneshwar.  The university staff was not corrupt, but no work will be done.  Very lazy people.  On the 7^th day, a message was sent through a peon that I am prepared to give some money as gift.  The officer responsible was pleasantly surprised and the work was done at great speed.  Then how to give the money.  He was afraid and me too.  Ultimately money was paid in the toilet.  Then he was particular that other staff should not know about it.  So to have a cover up operation, I am to distribute cool drinks and snacks  to all the staff and he has to convey to his staff that the work was done speedily as a gesture of cool drink business much before.  She has every reason to complaint that the honey moon was enjoyed in the dusty corridors of University.  In a cinema theatre at Jharkhand, the movie house was houseful.  Had it been in Kerala, no question of negotiation or talking to the Manager.  Upon payment of Rs.50 per ticket extra, chairs were provided in the projector room and tea/snacks at the time of interval.  By any standard, I do not agree that the Rs.50 extra is a bribe.

A driver at Ernakulam Zonal Office  Received a lump sum money for getting the registration of my car got changed to Kerala from Bhopal.  Later it is brought to my notice that the actual amount involved is much lesser than what I have paid.  I really don’t know who cheated whom.  The RTO people on the driver or the driver on me.  I suppose this will not come under corruption.

I had a scooter accident while at North Parur.  A small boy was hurt and his leg had an hairline crack.  Using my connection as the Branch Manager, I could thrash it out, but I was cautioned that the parents of the boy could create problem any time.  At that time I observed that My driving licence had expired.  Now to be on safer side, I got a licence back dated from Madras paying Rs.2000.  I am sure it is really a bribe.

A work is pending with a government office for the last one year.  An outright honest officer will not receive any bribe nor he can get the work done by his subordinate. Is it wrong that I prefer an officer who receive a paltry amount and get the work done or the inefficient outright honest officer.

For valuation of my newly constructed house and fixing the tax,  I was after the Panchayat staff with money.  Somebody made me to believe that if money is not paid,  tax will be at a very higher slab.  I was very upset that he is not ready to receive any money.  All he told was that it is not necessary.  I was little bit upset that I could not make him receive the money for a lesser amount of tax slab.  But I noticed that the tax slab was quite reasonable.

Before concluding, I feel I shall share a few occasions that I have received bribe by way of kind, money or service.

I remember Mr. Mohanan, a contractor customer of my branch helped me to come out of a traffic police case.  In another occasion he supplied a few loads of granite metal to our nearby temple from his quary with out receiving money.  I also remember the face of Mr. Esthapanose, an RTO borrower  who kept a few bags of vegetables, banana chips and ripe banana in the occasion of Onam.  He has not brought it in the previous Onam season and the next season too.   So it can be treated as a gratification of the loan sanctioned.    But I could not refuse the gratification  and ask him to take it back considering his hurt feeling, if I do so.  The quantum was big enough to consume for a small family of mine and my neighbours helped me in this regard.  I also enjoyed the fruit jucie, cake and jam bottles brought by one of the customer during the Christmas season. We were more allured over the cane made beautiful basket which contained the gift than the gift itself.  The basket is still with me.   I also know that a bookshelf I have purchased, while I was at Ernakulam branch was much under invoiced than the actual price.  What about the  customer who brings Alphonse mangoes every year?

In some part of the country, during the deevali season sweets and dry fruits are gifted in abundance.  My family  do not use sweet and how much quantity of dry fruit we can consume.  So it was liberally distributed among staff.   They were not so much enthusiastic  to receive such packets, because they were also gifted.  On one occasion, I had distributed such a packet to one of my staff.  Next day he came with a guilty conscious feeling and told me that there was one gold coin in the packet.  He just could not believe, when I told him that gold coin belongs to him, since I have gifted to him.  I wrote a DO letter to that customer thanking him and advising him not to repeat such practice as the receiver will expect better gift next time.  The letter was written without any expectation of any change in the practice, but for my satisfaction.   My refusal of some such gift have at times annoyed the giver too.  He felt, he is belittled.

I had a customer banking with our bank since 1978 and I joined the bank in 1979.  He used to comment jokingly that he is senior to me.  Once when I was out of office, he put a packet in my drawer and told my sub staff to remind me. It was a cover containing 20 thousand rupee note.  It was a bakshish or speed money lovingly given by the customer for sanctioning one of his limit with record time never happened in his experience.  Eventhough the credit goes to the then  Zonal manager for the speedy disposal of the proposal, I enjoyed the credit.  But handling the cash was difficult for me.  Crediting back the amount to his Cash credit account, or sending the money to him was options left out.  Instead,  I preferred to donate this money to an Orphanage in his name. The borrower was not aware of it till such time the same orphanage people approached him for further  donation.  The borrower though not interested in my style of philanthropy, sincerely appreciated my action.

A few more incident I may have left out as it may hurt others feelings.

If a borrower customer take money from you as a personal loan and he do not pay us back.  Such incident had happened to me too.   Shall we call it reverse corruption like reverse mortgage.

All said and done, me also received and paid bribe or part of corruption. Yet I dream of a society with less corruption.   I was talking of corruption of my reach or knowledge.  The story of corruption  of lacs and thousands of crores coming daily in the newspaper is beyond my reach.  Even these type of small type of corruption could be controlled, the life will improve vastly.  I again earnestly feel that the corruption to be discouraged at the giver level and strict legislation  and punishment to be given to the giver.  Any takers please?.  Let us join hands together and share the idea first and supplement with your innovative ideas. I am looking forward for your response.

RADHAKRISHNAN –

It was my plan to limit my series about subordinate staff with three. And my quota was nearly over.  But then suddenly Radkakrishnan’s face flashed in my mind. Let me do justice to him.

I have not associated with Radhakrishnan much. I don’t know this personality. He may not be the best staff in the branch, he may not be as knowledgeable as others.  His commitment level may vary. Many may not like him too. For about 30 years I have no connection with him of any type, till we met two months back.  But I would love to highlight some qualitites of Radhakrishhan, which I value a lot.

Radhakrishnan is a good reader. The periodicals he reads are all high quality magazines of  Malayalam    He is a voracious reader of Malayalam books. The common factor among us is that we both like the classic writings of VKN, a famous Malayalam writer known for his sarcastic and screwball comedy which an ordinary person might not understand. Radhakrishnan makes sketches of people. He used to take books of VKN from me and would return them with beautifully covering them with thick white paper with the sketches of the characters of the novel, exactly the way the writer had described.

After a long gap of about 30 years , a few months back I met Radhakrishnan. Many things had happened in his life, good and bad.  Pleasantly surprised to see me  at the branch, he pulled out a reprint of VKN stories  purchased from a book stall, hours back . He told me that the book was out of print and at the first opportunity available in the bookstall, he purchased. Next time when I met him, to return the book, he gave me another brand new book titled NAMBOODIRI JOKES (widely famous in Kerala, in the line of SARDAR JOKES). Pat came a sarcastic comment from one of the colleagues that “Radhakrishnan is cranky enough to purchase books, read it and then gift to the library after reading”.  I was spell bound, when I heard it. Radhakrishnan! By far, I have never gifted any book to anybody in my life.  A rare quality, Radhakrishnan.  Salute you!

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Mr.RAdhakrishnan is a substaff of Trichur Branch of Bank of India

K  JAYAKUMAR- FEEL PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH YOU.

I had the fortune to associate with this person for about 5 years.  At present he is working as a clerk in the same branch – Kalady.  A well built, always smiling personality, a darling of all . But at times he doesn’t mince words, may be to his boss, peers and customers. He is highly skilled in handling customers to their satisfaction, keeping records and producing it promptly and his immense knowledge in documents and documentation. I have observed from sidelines that he is proud of his qualities. I have never seen him without uniform during office hours. He is so disciplined that I have never seen him coming late.

I have seen customers returning back without getting their work done, only for the reason that he is on leave.  They were satisfied only if it is got done through him. Many times I have tested his skill in documentation. I had just handed over the borrower to him with oral instructions. With astonishing speed and accuracy, he will undertake all the formalities , right from account opening to documentation. By this time, he would have also taught the borrower, all that he/she should have known about the loan.

I have not seen much people like Jayakumar, a rare blend of lot many qualities.

NEELKANTH, THE PIED PIPER OF PIMPRI BRANCH

NEELKANTH, THE PIED PIPER OF PIMPRI BRANCH

In the series of my Sub Staff Memoirs, next comes Neelkanth fondly called by one and all as Neelu.   He retired last year from the bank’s service.  If my information about him is correct, he continued few more months post his retirement, may be because the branch just can’t move on without him.   He may not be knowing much of banking or the systems and practices.  But he would touch your heart by his behaviour.  He was always viewed as a management spokesperson.    He knew the strengths  and weaknesses of each and every customer and staff including the higher executives.  He very well knew how to handle each of them.

Normally he was the spokeperson of the Branch Head.  He knew every nook and corner of the branch. All kind of customers spoke about him highly. With a husky and commanding voice he used to bind people without rope.  He was sincere to core and loved by all.  The comfort he extended to the officers was beyond words.  He loved to be branded as HIS MASTERS VOICE.

He surprised me by making his presence felt, by attending the marriage of the son of our AGM, travelling all the way from Pune to Chennai.  Probably he would have surprised many others, by attending his AGM retirement function again travelling the same route with a bouquet of flowers.  Though I have left that branch 5 years back, i get a phone call or two from his every month.  He is a friend of mine at the same time a very close friend of my son too.  He is the friend of each and every person he come across.  A rare creation of Almighty!

Neelu, you make this world beautiful. Thank you Neelu.

Mohammed is his name

M

OHAMMED IS HIS NAME

This is about three subordinate staff who have impressed me a lot.  Subordinate staff are a category in our bank who are the permanent militant members of the union, and a resource person to the Managers when in need. But all including customers consider them some one inferior in the lot (sub staff as they are called). But they are the blood vessels of the bank and record keepers. No scientific training was given to them ever, but they are expected to maintain the records intact and produce it as and when called for. Interestingly many are nonmetric, and having higher qualification will disqualify them from their posts. Many get recruited after being working them on daily wages  for years together.  During that amorphous stage, no union would be ready to support them and no any labour rules are applicable to them. Many of them are better managers, good in customer service and a great resource of knowledge and experience.  May I start my substaff series from a daily wages substaff of our Tirupur branch.

MOHAMMED as is his name. 5.5 ht, well built. Impressive personality.   Speaks Tamil, English, and Hindi fluently (in Tamil Nadu) and a non metric. His energy level is the highest. He is always pleasant. He knows most of the syntax of Finacle (CBS software of the bank).  Little bit of hardware too. He knows most of the NPA customers and valued customers.  His knowledge in banking has amazed me many times.  A good record keeper he is and a good event manager too.  I do remember, when we conducted a customer meet at a hall above the branch premises where the landlord used it  almost as a godown; within 48 hours he converted it to a beautiful meeting hall with minimum expenses, beautifully decorated.  When a Durga Puja was conducted at the Dussehra, I found Mohammed with a ‘tika’ on his forehead with vermilion and sandal mixed, decorating the pooja room, putting ‘tikas’ all over the safe room, and every where in the branch premises as we do it in our house.  When the ‘aarti’ was going on, I found Mohammed ringing the hand bell. It was he who distributed Prasad to all and sundry. When a lady officer was reciting a ‘keerthan’ on the occasion, I found another Substaff Ms. Mary ( a Christian by faith) is joining her.  Unique blend of secularism the father of nation had dreamed of.

I tend to feel a bit uncomfortable when he would be on leave.  Once I sent an SMS to the General Secretary of the Staff Union almost as follows:- “If you are not taking care of this guy, you are losing a militant member to your trade union movement and future executive to the Bank. Anybody will be prepared to accommodate such an impressive personality and ultimately he is not the one who is at loss.”

You just cannot ignore his elegant behaviour.

I bow my head for Mohammed in Reverance!