Like many of my brethren, I share a grudge against prevalent ethics practiced in government and semi government institutions. But for the first time I have come across a proper and appropriate term to associate them with their current mode of functioning and to make light of it, I narrate an incident which needed me to avail banking services for a job recruitment.
I had not only skipped my morning tea but also my breakfast so as to withdraw the prescribed amount from the ATM of the Bank of which I was a ‘valued’ customer and which also was the Bank to which the challan had to be deposited and also to be ahead on the long queue which usually forms at the only cash counter. Now, this ATM is adjacent to the Branch and a bit far from the place I reside. Being the end of the month, I had expected a hassle free transaction and had hoped to finish the job before 12 pm, but thanks to an excellent ATM service I had to walk back again to my neighbourhood, to get the cash from the ATM of a private bank and had to walk back again to the Branch.
I was already late and as I walked in, I found a queue of 5-6 persons in front of the counter and joined it. The counter was manned or should I say wo-manned by a pretty young girl in her mid twenties whose speed and dexterity was impressible. As the queue moved forward she engaged in a conversation with another girl who was in the queue and who also had a challan to deposit. She was bluntly refused. I left the queue in doubt over the issue and went to talk with the SHO. She informed me, that since it was a salary week of the Institution in whose campus the Branch was located, the employees usually protest against normal banking services to customers other than disbursing salaries or pensions, so they don’t deposit challans or issue drafts etc till the 7th of next month. Now this was Catch-22 situation. I still went on and proceeded with the queue as this self made law of theirs was clearly against banking rules and I thought I would be able to somehow convince the ‘lady of the counter’ to deposit my challan.
When my turn came, I politely told her that since she was very busy, would it be possible for her to accept my challan at a later time as I could clearly understand the growing impatience of my fellow queue mates behind me, who were eager to have their hard earned money as soon as possible. I was answered with a firm negative. I then made a proposition of giving her the challan and the amount and collecting the candidate slip at a later time so that she could deposit it at an interval favourable to her and my purpose would also be served at the same time.
“Yeh koi Dukaan hai kya?”
Then and there, I attained my nirvana of Truth and Righteousness. The world was really an illusion and looks can be dangerously deceptive. Humiliated and infuriated I had to take a decision, whether to lodge a complaint against the bank for violating Clause 8 Section 1(g) of the Banking Ombudsmen Scheme 2006 by the Reserve Bank of India ( http://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Content/PDFs/67933.pdf ) leave the Branch, never having to do anything with it in future। I did none, I just stood there and requested her once again।
“Nahi, maine us ladki ko bhi mana kar diya tha, aur wo tamiz ke saath chali gayi”.
I received my second lesson of the day - politeness and gratitude is a sign of weakness in this ruthless system. I was branded a badtameez for requesting a service which I am entitled to as a ‘valued’ customer. I still stood there. I was enduring all such humiliations and repeated insults with a karmic patience. She then ignored my presence and went on paying salaries to a couple of people who were waiting. I made up my mind to stand there till 12 pm and if she still pays no attention to my final request, I would definitely do the needful. But by then the counter had emptied and there was no one left whose needs she could cater to, so I asked her once again.
There was a hint of indecisiveness as she took the challan from me, and glanced sideways to check if any other prospective challan candidate had seen her doing so. Girlishly, she made faces while depositing the amount, frequently glancing hither skither like a first timer on a cheating spree in an examination hall. After depositing the amount, she handed me the candidate’s copy and said in a low voice.
“Kisi ko mat batana”.
I came out, bewildered. My temper had turned into amusement. Maybe just a bad day at work. Perhaps an argument with her boyfriend. [I had noticed a cellphone with a heart shaped sticker on it on her table]. Maybe just a normal person with an attitude like most of the girls in Delhi.
Or victim of circumstances….Not pertaining to rules and regulations, preferring some, abstaining others, complete lack of professionalism, behavioral problems, avoiding eye contact…symptoms of corruption creeping at such an early stage of career. I was not amused anymore…… Am I being judgmental? Should I be judgmental?.....
This was part of work culture which is very familiar and we get quite used to it from the very beginning to the end i.e. from obtaining birth certificate to the death certificate. I didn’t have to bribe anyone, but lost my self-esteem in return. Anyway, I had my journal number, so no question of complaints. And regarding behavior, I guess the RBI has left the issue to be self addressed. After all, we are Indians and they are our Bankers, they not only do pure banking and nothing else but they are with us all the way and this is the reason the Nation banks on them.
Thus ended my tryst with such an inevitable destiny in the middle of Delhi summer inside an air conditioned Branch to which I had a challan to deposit for an ongoing recruitment drive for Probationary Officers, ironically to their own Bank.
By the way, no point for guessing the name of the Bank, but a little hint for those who want to know where the aforesaid Branch is situated. [Its there in every school textbook].
I also learned the third lesson of the day – ‘a man’s ignorance can greatly irritate a woman, but nothing takes her beyond the point of irritation than a man’s patience’.
I had not only skipped my morning tea but also my breakfast so as to withdraw the prescribed amount from the ATM of the Bank of which I was a ‘valued’ customer and which also was the Bank to which the challan had to be deposited and also to be ahead on the long queue which usually forms at the only cash counter. Now, this ATM is adjacent to the Branch and a bit far from the place I reside. Being the end of the month, I had expected a hassle free transaction and had hoped to finish the job before 12 pm, but thanks to an excellent ATM service I had to walk back again to my neighbourhood, to get the cash from the ATM of a private bank and had to walk back again to the Branch.
I was already late and as I walked in, I found a queue of 5-6 persons in front of the counter and joined it. The counter was manned or should I say wo-manned by a pretty young girl in her mid twenties whose speed and dexterity was impressible. As the queue moved forward she engaged in a conversation with another girl who was in the queue and who also had a challan to deposit. She was bluntly refused. I left the queue in doubt over the issue and went to talk with the SHO. She informed me, that since it was a salary week of the Institution in whose campus the Branch was located, the employees usually protest against normal banking services to customers other than disbursing salaries or pensions, so they don’t deposit challans or issue drafts etc till the 7th of next month. Now this was Catch-22 situation. I still went on and proceeded with the queue as this self made law of theirs was clearly against banking rules and I thought I would be able to somehow convince the ‘lady of the counter’ to deposit my challan.
When my turn came, I politely told her that since she was very busy, would it be possible for her to accept my challan at a later time as I could clearly understand the growing impatience of my fellow queue mates behind me, who were eager to have their hard earned money as soon as possible. I was answered with a firm negative. I then made a proposition of giving her the challan and the amount and collecting the candidate slip at a later time so that she could deposit it at an interval favourable to her and my purpose would also be served at the same time.
“Yeh koi Dukaan hai kya?”
Then and there, I attained my nirvana of Truth and Righteousness. The world was really an illusion and looks can be dangerously deceptive. Humiliated and infuriated I had to take a decision, whether to lodge a complaint against the bank for violating Clause 8 Section 1(g) of the Banking Ombudsmen Scheme 2006 by the Reserve Bank of India ( http://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Content/PDFs/67933.pdf ) leave the Branch, never having to do anything with it in future। I did none, I just stood there and requested her once again।
“Nahi, maine us ladki ko bhi mana kar diya tha, aur wo tamiz ke saath chali gayi”.
I received my second lesson of the day - politeness and gratitude is a sign of weakness in this ruthless system. I was branded a badtameez for requesting a service which I am entitled to as a ‘valued’ customer. I still stood there. I was enduring all such humiliations and repeated insults with a karmic patience. She then ignored my presence and went on paying salaries to a couple of people who were waiting. I made up my mind to stand there till 12 pm and if she still pays no attention to my final request, I would definitely do the needful. But by then the counter had emptied and there was no one left whose needs she could cater to, so I asked her once again.
There was a hint of indecisiveness as she took the challan from me, and glanced sideways to check if any other prospective challan candidate had seen her doing so. Girlishly, she made faces while depositing the amount, frequently glancing hither skither like a first timer on a cheating spree in an examination hall. After depositing the amount, she handed me the candidate’s copy and said in a low voice.
“Kisi ko mat batana”.
I came out, bewildered. My temper had turned into amusement. Maybe just a bad day at work. Perhaps an argument with her boyfriend. [I had noticed a cellphone with a heart shaped sticker on it on her table]. Maybe just a normal person with an attitude like most of the girls in Delhi.
Or victim of circumstances….Not pertaining to rules and regulations, preferring some, abstaining others, complete lack of professionalism, behavioral problems, avoiding eye contact…symptoms of corruption creeping at such an early stage of career. I was not amused anymore…… Am I being judgmental? Should I be judgmental?.....
This was part of work culture which is very familiar and we get quite used to it from the very beginning to the end i.e. from obtaining birth certificate to the death certificate. I didn’t have to bribe anyone, but lost my self-esteem in return. Anyway, I had my journal number, so no question of complaints. And regarding behavior, I guess the RBI has left the issue to be self addressed. After all, we are Indians and they are our Bankers, they not only do pure banking and nothing else but they are with us all the way and this is the reason the Nation banks on them.
Thus ended my tryst with such an inevitable destiny in the middle of Delhi summer inside an air conditioned Branch to which I had a challan to deposit for an ongoing recruitment drive for Probationary Officers, ironically to their own Bank.
By the way, no point for guessing the name of the Bank, but a little hint for those who want to know where the aforesaid Branch is situated. [Its there in every school textbook].
I also learned the third lesson of the day – ‘a man’s ignorance can greatly irritate a woman, but nothing takes her beyond the point of irritation than a man’s patience’.
