THE CHURNING OF THE OCEAN OF MY LIFE – CHAPTER 15 

 

THE FIRST FIGHT WITH AN EXECUTIVE- LIFE WAS DERAILED-REVENGE OVERTOOK JUSTICE.

 

The day the Regional Manager and I had an argument, a duel between David and Goliath, I fell from grace and that was the Ides of March for me.

 

 

But I was so self-confident and a believer of Karma theory, I never had the habit of consulting anyone about my personal or professional issues. As I mentioned in my earlier chapters, I did not heed the advice of a gentleman astrologer, who said I would be doomed, as I fixed in my brain, I was invincible and no one else but me can fight my Karma. Many people used to consult me with their intimate personal issues, but it never struck me I should have an advisor. Even today, I face my issues myself and do not consult my wife and my grown-up children. One reason might be that since childhood, I never felt some extraneous persons or factors were responsible for my troubles and tribulations and that I was responsible for my actions and I should search for solutions within myself. In a world, driven by superstition and people thronging all kinds of fair and fake Gurus, till today I never accepted the teachings of any one Guru, except myself. I have a voracious habit of reading all kinds of books, I swallow the essence and use the necessary part of the advice given by the author-philosopher. Shakespeare, Dickens, Wodehouse, Dale Carnegie , among others were my philosophical guides.  At the lowest level of calculation, I must have read at least 20000 books, out of which I would have read some two, three or even ten times to assimilate the essence. So, I had a tiff with the then Regional Manager, it was not a tiff, but a word-wrestling between two people a David and a Goliath. I was already on the edge, what with the Management considering to ease me out. This is an added issue.

 

 

I knew the Regional Manager had not only a hungry look but he had an angry look. I wonder, even today, after suffering the worst humiliation in the Bank service, I still do not regret the way I confronted him that day. I feel justified in confronting him with truth that I was and am not timid person.

I never winked about my courageous confrontation. I thought it was below my dignity not to fight injustice, an injustice perpetrated simply because I was from some other region and a Director from my me. place interviewed.

 

 

Yes. All the people who developed antagonism against me from the beginning and all those who backstabbed me in the later part of my service due to envy of my bravery, unhired growth , my popularity with all sections of staff and officers irrespective of their cadre and union affiliation were all honorable men. Yes! Those whose very birth was a dishonor to their parenthood are honourable in their actions, as nature made them like that.

 

 

Manager’s advice

 

After the RM left the Branch in the evening, the manager and I were left alone in the branch. He called me inside. He was practically shivering . He was too old and fragile and neglected in his career despite his immense knowledge and hard working nature.

 

He talked in Kannada. Esssence of what he said was

 

“Dear Chandramohan, why did you pick a quarrel with him? He is considered a demon among the executives. He has caste and regional feelings ingrained in his brain. Because of him, many outsiders were dismissed, because he is cunning like a fox and attacks like a wolf. You forgot you are not alone and you have a family. He told me that he will see that I would be out of the Bank before the next date of interview. I will keep an eye on his every action and word and I will see his end. Who does he think himself to be to talk to me like that?”

 

I was unmoved. I told him about the story of my recruitment and thee insults I faced from executives earlier. I told him that the day I entered the Bank I only had my right leg inside and my left leg was hesitating whether to come in or not.  As for my life and family I told him that I faced many challenges from 1974 after my father’s death. I am still facing the challenges. But till now no problem could diminish my courage. I told him I relied on my brain and brawn and until one of them leaves me I will not be cowed. Let him do whatever he wanted to do, I am not going to him and apologize.

 

The manager was stunned beyond belief. He told mee to be cautious in my work and what I talk about the episode with others. It was never in my habit to discuss my issues with others including family members. So, the issue getting into the know of others were nil. After few days I forgot the episode totally as the work load and the recurring issues in the branch and on the family front kept me too busy to think about any other issue.

 

With all the three trouble makers in my control and officers resigning to their fate to take orders from me and customers getting closer to me life was going on smoothly during initial two months of the new year. With calendars and diaries , not my property I won over one, with my soft dealing, giving respect to his age and experience and with a loan to his friend , Shivayogappa became a  thich friend to me and my word became Gita to him. Once, Shivayogappa and Maheswarappa and Joshi being cool with me, my work in the Branch became easier. But I was working at least twelve hours a day, some days eighteen and even twenty-four hours a day.  My wife gave me enormous support unlike the -wives of other officers.

 

Around March 1980, if I remember well, one Mr. T.R.Bhat, who was our faculty member during our oral training in 1977, took over as a General Secretary of the Corporation Bank Officers’ Union. This was a watershed moment in the Bank for officers like me. Mr. Bhat was a Soutth Canara Brahmin, an intellectual, a laurate and whenever he issued a circular, it was sending cockroaches in the stomachs of the pusillanimous and obliging executives. They used to be sharp, laced with the most piercing words exposing the Bank functioning and encouraging the hitherto submissive officers to think loud. But majority of the officers were subservient to the executives. So, it was a rough road.

 

I do not what grasped my mind. After the second circular, I drafted a very convincing letter with language that competed with Mr. Bhat, got it typed and sent five copies each to each Branch in Hubli Region. As my name was well known in many branches, I received tremendous positive response from many officers. I received calls, people came to me personally and sent letters of support.  RM got wind and commented about my daredevilry despite his warnings and sent an indirect message to me through one of his pets that my days were numbered and I need not take strain too revive the defunct union. One copy of the letter went to Bhat also. He gave a pleasantly surprising reply. He thanked me, advised me to be on guard as the RM was known for his antipathy for the union and the most pleasant surprise was he advised me to list out the expenses like typing, postage and any other expenses and advised me to continuously bombard officers in the Region with letters. And by the end of March about ninety percent of officers in Hubli Region gave admission forms to the union. It goes to the magnanimity Of Mr. Bhat to acknowledge that without my active work to revive the union, it would have been well neigh impossible to enroll so many officers, especially with Mallya being the RM. He encouraged me to visit branches on Sundays giving advance information to the officers. However, most of the bank officers were working on Sundays in those days. I took a month to visit all branches for which expenses were paid by the union and in the entire bank Hubli Region topped in union activity.  Mr. Bhat maintained constant contact with me. Though it was an eyesore to seniors, I became the face of the union in the Region.

 

 

Then the ladder came by a miracle. In April 1980, two months before the day the RM said he would dismiss me, six banks were nationalized and ours was one among them. After Nationalization Mr. Bhat took the initiative to conduct region-wise meetings. He wanted to make me the Regional Committee Secretary, called Regional Secretary, an ex-officio Executive Committee member. But my position as a trainee came in the way. The RM cleverly pitched one Mr. Sudhakar Bhat ,  his confident and spy in the competition and as there was no other contender, he was made Regional Secretary for two years. Mr. T.R.  Bhat cautioned me to be careful not only with Mallya but with Sudhakar Bat too. 

 

In June 1980, I was again called for interview. The RM was depressed because the rules of the game changed after nationalization. If he dismissed me and I went to court, he would have faced awkward questions. In nationalized banks the confirmation of trainees and probationary officers was automatic without any interview. He asked few irrelevant questions and I received confirmation orders on 20^th January 1980. Without losing time I applied for a personal loan of Rs.3000/- and wrote a personal letter to Mallya explaining my personal financial troubles due to extension of training and passionately requesting him to recommend sanction of the loan. Within fifteen my loan was sanctioned and I wrote again thanking the RM.

 

After that, during his visits to our branch he was acting very cordially with me. But one officer in Hubballi cautioned me about his hidden anger on me and advised to be circumspect. 

 

Many events in Danvangere were memorable. My first daughter was born on 16^th June 1978.  On 16^th June 1979, when I was still a trainee , the entire staff proposed to celebrate her birthday in thee branch as my rented portion was in the same building. They  decorated the branch, bought aa costly frock to her, arranged snacks and each member of staff took a photo carrying her on their shoulders. Gifts were given jointly and Shivayogappa, Maheswarappa, the two attendants and pigmy collectors brought special gifts. Manager gave permission to celebrate the event during office hours. A trainee officer sent to the branch as a goat to bee slaughtered turned into a lion using his brain. I became a topic of conversation in the household of managers that they were congratulating my wife and wanted to know the tricks oof the trade. My wife was knowing nothing and she was surprised at such an honor bestowed on her. She felt very proud of herself for choosing a genius.

 

Days went by pleasantly as the customers of the branch were all middle-class employees, small businessmen and one big Mall owner, group. Our land owner was a customer too but only his accountant was dealing with the branch and I never met my landlord.

 

During 1981, as the branch was growing, our management requested the land owner to construct a hall in the first floor with provision for cup boards to keep old records. This was adjoining my quarters.  After construction, the issue of shifting the records from the branch to the first floor came. The manager asked to arrange for coolies. Even now, I can’t believe this happened. Shivayogappa, Maheswarappa accompanied by few other clerks approached me with a proposal. They would come on Sunday by 10 am, shift all records and arrange them in order on first floor and leave home only after the entire work was finished. What they wanted was lunch, snacks and dinner. I said we could not pay over time. I remembered the day in LIC of India when I did similar work on a Sunday. They said they did not over time and they are repaying me the debt they took from me. The debt was peace in the branch; the respect I gave them and the respect they received from other managers and officers. On Sunday, they came wearing Lungies, carried the old records to the first floor, sat on the floor and arranged the records neatly in order. Pigmy collectors and attendants were part of the crowd and officers had no choice. Our frail manager was visiting now and then to see what was happening and he patted me on my back and tears flew from his eyes. The work went on and on and we closed the branch at 3.00 am next day. And all  those present on Sunday were present at the right time next morning. This was one of the greatest feats in my life in the Bank. What senior officers and managerss could not achieve I could achieve within two years of my service with a hostile RM thirsting for my blood.

 

My family life too passed off peacefully , with another girl child , the prettiest, most humble and most intelligent girl born in Davangere in March 1981.  We had only one problem with her health. On a Sunday she was infected with Diarrhea and as I never went to a local doctor, no staff member within reach, me working in the branch my wife thought it was a common ailment. When I came back at 9 pm thsat night she was totally weak. There was a Muslim doctor within reach. We took her to him. It seemed he gave a sedative and our daughter fainted with motions increasing in numbers.  There was one Marwari businessman who was our customer in the next portion. I woke him up and sought his help. Without uttering a word he arranged an auto, took us to Chigetary Hospitaal far from our house , paid money himself as advance, stayed the night there and left in the morning.  Daivam Manush Rupena. Sometimes, God comes in the form a human being. Or else, how could I explain his charity that night?   In two days my daughter recovered and we brought her home. She was so pretty looking that I used to forget all my anxieties looking into her face. My elder daughter was commanding in nature. My son was and is still humble and very intelligent. Thus life was going on.

 

My mother -in -law was at home when my wife was in nursing home for delivery of the third child. My elder daughter, who was always active one day looking for her mother. My mother-in-law never cared about her children or my children. My daughter was walking on the road shouting “Mom, Mom”. My mother-in-law did not even bother to see if her granddaughter was home or not. Luckily, one boy working in the shop of our customer saw and recognized her as my daughter. He brought her back to my Branch and explained what happened. That was a life for my daughter and me. Daivam Manusha Rupena.

 

As my wife felt it difficult to look after the three children, we decided to send my elder daughter to my mother-in-law’s place. She went there and in the bus she told me as I was crying “Do not cry nanna. I will be nice to grandma. I will not trouble her. I can live anywhere in the world” I cried more. She retains her composure even today.

 

Once after my daughter left, my wife was taking bath when my son and daughter were sleeping . My son woke up, not finding his mother cried and closed the door of bathroom. It was in the second floor. Luckily my wife stood on a reversed bucket, found some ladies and informed them what happened. They came rushing, informed the accountant of our landlord who lost no time to break the main door open and saved my daughter weaking up and falling down. The landlord repaired the door with his funds. Such was the respect I was commanding.

 

Days passed off without any more events there. In 1982, my brother informed me that he was selected in a bank as officer and posted outside Hyderabad and asked me who would take care of my mother and younger sister. The same day I applied for a transfer to Hyderabad without consulting my wife. I got orders immediately and when I informed her she was furious. I convinced her saying that our elder daughter should be admitted in school and I did not want her to study Kannada. She never opposed my decisions and we got ready for the next assignment in Hyderabad main branch.

 

More about it in Chapter 16