My First Day in Bank of India – Part 5

G. Bhadani 1974

After the “despatch drama” was over, Mishra jee took me to the Accountant, Mr. Jain  and briefly narrated the story, most likely to malign Mr Rohatagi. But, Mr. Jain instead of listening to him fired him in Hindi, “Bakwash band, cash mein jao and apana kaam karo.” (Translation: Shut up your mouth, go to the cash department and do your work). Later on, I learnt that when Mr. Rohatagi has taken the voucher to the Agent, he has called Mr. Jain and had reprimanded him telling that he did not like such sort of mismanagement of bank’s affairs. Mishra jee went to Cash department but came back within minutes telling Mr. Jain that the Cash was still not balanced and as a good employee he did not want to waste time and suggested, “Naya Officer ko Supplementary  samjha doon, kya?” (Translation: Should I clear the concept of supplementary to the new officer). He was telling me new officer as he had probably forgotten my name or was unable to pronounce it correctly, “Gangadhar Bhadani” as my name was written in English on the Attendance Register. Anyway, Mr. Jain told. “OK”. He brought some cheques which I could recognize along with some yellow, white and pink slips of papers which I could not understand at first sight. He was also carrying a thick lengthy register with many pages and told that it was SB Supplementary – 1. He also volunteered that it had less vouchers (I could not comprehend fully the meaning of vouchers) as SB-1 supplementary ledgers had less operative accounts. I was really feeling desperate and started to doubt my abilities to understand English terms like “vouchers”, "supplementary”, “inoperative accounts”, etc. In the context of banking, I who was a distinction holder graduate in economics and auditing with a Bachelor of Commerce graduate degree was unable to “crack”. I really felt miserable. Thereafter, he used the words “debit” and “credit” side. My heart which was sinking fast regained composure, and flow of adrenaline became normal as I knew debit and credit. However, again I became highly puzzled as Mishra jee told me to write details of the vouchers on sides which were just opposite of what I had learnt in the college. But, I mechanically did as I was told.  This task was over within fifteen or twenty minutes and I had again become “unemployed”. 

In the meanwhile, Mr. D. S. Jain called me who was sitting hardly two or three meters away from the counter where I was just sitting without any work. He called for SB-2 supplementary and a ledger, and showed me the process of checking it. He told me to tick certain things written on vouchers, and then from vouchers, he told to check the supplementary; and thereafter from supplementary to the ledgers. He asked me to tick the entries, etc. with red pen or ball pen - one side blue and one side red. The double-side ball pen looked to me like a double edged sword, especially designed and manufactured to spoil my white shirts, as at that time and since last several years and for many subsequent years, I would use white shirts on most of the time. Being a commerce student, ledger was not a new term for me. However, the red coloured heavy ledgers looking like having returned from 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh looked really daunting. But, I fell in love with them - taking out and putting it again appeared to be a good exercise and I felt like hugging each ledger while pulling it towards me for checking and felt like bidding good night while putting it back in its allotted slot. "Flags” were put inside ledgers at pages where any transaction had taken place. This task of checking SB-2 Supplementary was also completed, the day’s battle was perhaps over and all flags have been lowered (I mean removed from the ledgers) and kept in a box designated for the same at the counter. Hari Singh jee, one of the three sepoys removed the ledgers and locked them securely in steel almirahs. By this time it was almost 5.30 or 6.00 in the evening. I had seen the branch timing twice while returning from the lunch, and it clearly stated working hours as 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. In the meanwhile, I found a puzzling feature – all the clerks and sub-staff except the elderly Sardar Nanak Singh jee and Mr. Jugal Mehra (Special Assistant) had left the branch while all the officers including the Agent were still in the branch. It was highly puzzling to me as in my father’s office as well as in all Government Offices, I had noticed that clerks and officers would rarely leave when the Head of the Office (in this case, the Agent) was still in the Office. Anyway, I did not ponder much over this matter and waited.

Noticing that my work was over, Mr. Jain called me, and told me to go to my hotel or to go outside to see Karolbagh market. However, as the Agent was still in the branch, I continued on the pretext that I had not read to-day’s newspapers, and he asked Sardar Nanak Singhjee to bring the newspapers from inside the chamber. I glanced at the headlines and read some advertisements, etc. to pass my time. In the meanwhile, the Agent came out of his chamber. I thought that all the works for the day were over. One person (whose name I had forgotten) from Khanna Security Services or something similar came and he was given keys of the branch. The security person was checking everything like doors, windows, etc.  including a trip to first floor as the branch has two floors. The Agent asked me which side I was leaving with an intent to give me a lift, and upon learning that my route and his route was different, he went away towards his car and drove away. The main entrance (grill gate & shutters) of the branch was locked. Mr. Jain checked the same, and kept the keys in his brief case. Mr. Jain also departed on his scooter along with Mr. Jugal Mehara. Both were residing in the same colony and this cleared the reason for Mr. Jugal Mehra staying late like an officer though he was a special assistant. Needless to add, the ritual of good nights was exchanged with the Agent and also among us. I had learnt another lesson, the the fifth lesson, from the Agent – a leader cares for his subordinate and would offer him small comforts like lift for few km in his vehicle, if feasible.

Sardar Nanak Singh escorted me to a corner of Karolbagh from where I took a bus to Delhi where the in which I was staying was located. 

The saga of about forty years of my life and time in Bank of India has just begun. In an interview, sometime in June 2007 or so, I was asked, “For those readers who may not know you, could you please introduce yourself?” My reply was, “I am Gangadhar Bhadani, in mid-50s, from Ranchi (Jharkhand state). I’ve been working with Bank of India, since February 1974 (starting at twenty-two and half years of age, with dreams in my eyes, see the picture attached !!!). Most people of my age know only one organization – job hopping was rare and generally not attempted those days !!! My employment with Bank of India has been really exciting and I have always enjoyed being a banker, contributing to customers’ delight and building relationships beyond banking. I have worked in a number of supervisory capacities and my employment has given me great opportunities to move to different parts of India. I have worked (including trainings) in 9 states of India at many locations – from Mumbai to Madras, from Patna to Pondicherry with sojourns in between in many places including Taljhari (a tribal village in Jharkhand) and Trivandrum.” 

In my next 2 or 3 posts, I will be speaking more about my stay (February-October 1974) in Delhi including training for about 6 weeks (in 2 phases) at Bank of India's in-house training facility at Bombay (now Mumbai) till my transfer to Ludhiana, a city in Punjab, India in the last week of Ocober 1974. 
 

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