Deathly of Latha Mangeshkar.

A tribute a singing legend called - "LATHA " 

Lata Mangeshkar breathed MANGESHKAR last after a brief illness. She is no more. But her voice remains till human existence lasts on tho8is Planet. Perhaps no other singer on this earth has touched the hearts of millions of people as she did. She was gifted naturally with such a sweet voice and she used to this voice with absolute perfection, viz scale, shruthi, pitch, range etc that no other singer could match her versatility and range. She had such a sweet  voice so mellifluous and mellowed that she could lull any disturbed mind into a trance. In toto she has mesmerised millions across the globe and has etched a permanent place in their hearts. She dedicated her entire life to the cause of music. She virtually eat, sleep and breathe d music. No wonder she became Bharatha Ratna. 8

She has made us all so indebted to her by her rendition of timeless gems. She has entrenched herself in the hearts of her music fans so firmly and inerasable. As time passes, her melody becomes even more mellowed. 

She strode the  bollywood filmdom  like a colossus for over six decades. She is unparalleled,  scaled  pinnacle of her glory and remained the unchallenged Queen of the hindi film music  throughout.

I bow my head in all reverence and respect to this departed soul.

May her soul rest in peace.

K. N. Krishnan  06.02.2022

Why marriages are breaking?

The marriages I am referring to in this article pertain to recent generation. Broken marriages, broken families and divorces are becoming too frequent and familiar. Divorce is no more a taboo or a thing which is criticised or condemned but has been accepted as a new normal by the parties to the marriage as well as society at large. It is no more sending any shock waves as it was hitherto in the past.

Why this new trendin2g which is not in good taste nor healthy to any society?  The reasons are not far to seek. They are obvious for a discerning mind. Some of the causes have their roots in parenting. I nonchalantly use the phrase bad parenting. Parents give overriding importance to the financial independence of the child especially the girl child.The recent generation's girl parent's constant obsession that their daughter should be able to sustain for herself in any eventuality in post marital life is in itself sets a wrong direction in parenting. May be they try to insulate her daughter from the examples of harassment as nd in some cases torture that has occurred in the past when patriarchal form of society was ruling the roost. Now in an attempt and in anxiety to protect themselves from such excesses, the reverse excesses are being practised or employed on the boy. I believe it is a case of overdoing what they perceived to be the possible danger. In the process they are throwing the baby with the bathwater. 

The disintegration of joint family and the increasing number of nuclear families has made the marriage even more vulnerable. Added to this, the constant interference from the parents especially the mother of the girl is another principal reason for the marriages to break. Once the girl is married off, the parents should bless her from a distance, instead they quite often meddle, interfere and in some cases dictate. We are in a transition phase. 

No doubt we have got to adapt to the changing environment, but the question is to what degree and at what cost. The change is so violent and disrupting that it often gives cultural shock. The way the recent generation children dress, their mannerisms, their absence of etiquette are too perverse and repulsive. Does modernism mean disrespect to elders, ignoring their wise advice as outdated sermon. They have to realise that the thinking - that only material things can bring the comfort that is much needed in the fast paced life is false and illusory. It is a well knit and organised family with harmonious and bonhomie climate that can provide lasting solace and succour in a family. This can only make - "Namma samsara ananda sagara". The moment the couple enter into the game of one-upmanship, may be it is financial, intellectual or societal, that is the beginning of the end of peace in the family.

To sum up, the culprits that are throwing spanner into the works-(marriage) 

1.Bad parenting. 

2. Financial independence of both the partners. This is a great inhibitor for compromise and reconciliation. 

3. Education bereft of moral values or ethics. 

4. Unlike in olden days, because of increasing mobility, education & seeking employment in far off places marriages are happening between two completely strange, unknown and incompatible people. This, after marriage leads to cleavage. 

5. Wrong definition of success & peace in life. 

6. Generational gap and therefore the friction between the young couple and old parents. 

7. Being in rat race for things even that can be easily ignored or let go of.

8. Both partners entering job for whatever reasons. 

Mahatma Gandhi has said - "Life is a compromise". 

More so a marriage. Marriage is a continuous process of compromise and a spirit of give and take should prevail throughout & the bedrock of this is mutual understanding. 

Mutual understanding is the strong foundation on which the edifice of marriage can stay strong & unwavering. 

KN Krishnan 

24.12.2021

The lessons from the chapter - Corona

Now it is 3.30. pm in the evening. I am peeping through the window of my bedroom. The whole world it appears has gone into deep slumber. The chirping of birds from a tree near and distant is clearly audible. The chatter of the squirrel is as clear and loud. Even the caw of the crow is heard. All these sounds are pushing me to those nostalgic childhood days when I used to play without bounds, scream, jump and fall in a carefree manner in the lap of nature. 

These animal/creature's sound made me reminiscent of my childhood in my village. All these indicate that man in those days was living on the lap of the nature coexisting with other flora and fauna. 

In this age, all these sounds were absent and only the rattling noise of the vehicles, the nonstop honking and the hustle and bustle of the modern day life was evident to our eyes and ears. Modern day man has drifted away and far from the lap of the nature. 

Today traffic on the roads is so minimal that it gives an impression that vehicles are just being invented.

The roads are so silent, calm and pleasant that they are attracting the much harassed two wheelers so much that they want to enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity ride to the full satisfaction of their mind.

What a turnaround, what a comeback and what an irony. Have we come a full circle. No. This is only a temporary truce. Perhaps a warning bell for man to behave, respect the environment and the animal kingdom. A warning to rejig his his approach towards other living organisms. A message to live coexistentially with other living things and not to conquer, not to encroach, not to poach their habitats.

After we come out of Corona, will the man make a new beginning. Rejig and reorient his attitude towards neighbourhood. We should stop destruction of forests. At the same time we have to intensify afforestation Felling of trees in the name of development should be stopped. Cities have become concrete jungles. Constant awareness should be created through TV channels and other media and all available communication channels about preservation of nature, conservation of water. 

We have a duty and obligation to handover this planet to the posterity in the same way as we have received it from our forefathers. Otherwise the well being of our posterity will be in real jeopardy. 

Nature may not give another opportunity.

KN Krishnan.     31.03.2020

The Corona the challenges and the options.

The Corona virus has engulfed the entire globe at an alarming pace. It has sent the administration and governments to their kneels. And the governments are grappling and gasping with the enormity of the situation. The situation is so collosal and humongous that it makes the people who are fighting it clueless and blank. It is natural. The worst example is before us. Italy - one of the most advanced country in the world has given up. Ours is not so much infrastructurally equipped and added to this is one of the most populous countries in the world. So the problem here at home is himalayan. The situation is extraordinary and there is emergency. So facing extraordinary situation with mundane and normal methods is like taking a knife to a gunfight.  It requires extraordinary methods, innovative strategies and out of box thinking. 

Keeping this in mind, Indian government would do well, will be in a better position to fight the war against Corona should it adopt the following measures.

1. Make a war room at central government level consisting of

A. Social scientists (Sociologists) 

B. Eminent doctors

C. Scientists 

D. Planners

E. Administrators 

F. Health administrators

G.Economists

H. Police

This Committee should discuss, deliberate and devise the appropriate measures and swing into action swiftly without loss of precious time. 

This Committee should not hesitate to approach and seek guidance and help from the countries who have successfully tackled the virus.

This Committee should be vested with absolute discretionary powers to take the decisions it deem fit and the government should implement it in all seriousness.

Why this committee is because as I have already noted the usual administrative composition may not have the required competency, technological edge and above all a single command ( a single window type) is very convenient and effective at this juncture. Multiple departments giving multiple directons will only add to the confusion.

Other possible options in addition to the already announced CARES program, government may consider are

A. Introducing tax amnesty scheme to generate the funds. 

B. Let political parties also contribute from their party fund as they are sitting on huge pile of funds. 

C. Let the ruling party set an example as it has collected huge party fund.

D. Let the funds lying with world's richest Gods like Tirupati, Ananthapadmanabha, Shirdi Saibaba, Ayyappaswamy, Mathura, Ayodhya Udupi etc. to name a few be confiscated and used for this emergency.

E. Various religious maths also have huge unaccounted black money. Explore how it can be channelized.

F. Tax amnesty at this time can be 

simplified and limited. For example government can straightaway provide tax amnesty to whoever donates to CARES.

These are all my thoughts. They may sound outlandish but definitely doable. What it requires a will of iron and nerves of steel. And none other than Modiji fits the bill well. He is capable of pulling the rabbit out of the hat.

All the best Modiji in your efforts. The whole nation is with you in this hour of crisis. 

KN Krishnan. 29.03.2020

The Corona calamity

The Corona virus ie COVID-19 has engaged the attention of the entire world. It has created havoc on human lives. The most advanced countries have lost human lives in thousands. Their medical infrastructure is much more sophisticated and well equipped to handle the crisis than ours. When such is the case they could not contain the virus the way they wanted. And it took the lives in thousands. Italy has just given up conceding defeat in the war against Covid. The super power ie America is struggling in its fight against the virus. China is one country which is able to contain Corona in quick time of course after taking a heavy toll of human lives. The dangerous dimension to this pandemic is that there is no vaccine that can contain or cure the infection. We are way behind as far as our medical preparedness is concerned. On top of it we are the populous country with poor governmental health infrastructure. 

When such is the case, our response should be quick and decisive. The State should act with great alacrity and on a war footing. The government has clamped 21 day lockdown effective from midnight of 24th on entire country followed by a single day janata curfew on Sunday. This is the first and most important step in the war against the pandemic. This assumes importance against the fact that there is no vaccine available to fight the menace and prevention is the only tool available for us till now. We have an advantage too. Corona is a late entrant to India. We have the advantage of hindsight. We have the experience of other countries before us. We should therefore not fritter away the lead time we have. Urgent, effective and tough decisions have to be taken without resorting to wait and watch mode. We don't have that luxury. 

Therefore the compliance of the citizens to the advisories of the state in this regard is of utmost importance and an absolute and paramount necessity. When such is the case, the  sporadic incidents of citizens rebelling against the police while enforcing lockdown is most unpardonable and unthinkable. This resistance to law should be dealt with a heavy hand. It should be curbed immediately. It should be nipped in the bud. Zero tolerance to such anti social attitude should be the aim of the government.

Government should not hesitate to declare a state of emergency if the situation doesn't come under control in quick time. People should understand that the fight against the Corona pandemic is not only a national challenge and a national emergency but a global emergency too. It is not only a health emergency but has a serious global economic implications. It has crippled many a strong economies including America. It has set the global economy into recession India not excluding. India already reeling under low GDP growth, job losses, and serious crises in financial sector is in for another big jolt in the form of Corona. It is a double whammy for India. 

What is required urgently is Education followed by Action. Government has to explain to the public in a very clear and lucid manner in a layman's language step by step - of how it spreads, how it can be controlled, what precautions one has to take in the direction etc. For this, government has to appoint a single window governmental agency to disseminate the information. Government has to stop the TV channels from broadcasting anything of their own. Because umpteen no of channels each giving its own account of the story will confuse the public and the public tend to ignore an otherwise important message. These channels, of late have lost credibility. They make noise instead of news. Therefore, governmental agency should periodically air the information along with the latest updates in all the channels. This will be taken seriously by the public. 

Regarding action, government has already announced some measures in the form of package. This will be an ongoing process. Government should rope in corporates, industrial houses, NGOs and tap all possible sources of assistance and help. Especially the corporate hospitals should come forward to join hands with the government by providing their services, infrastructure etc. Opposition parties should also come on board in this hour of national crisis. One redeeming news is that Sonia gandhi has extended her support to the government in all its endeavours in the fight against Corona. Rahul gandhi has donated 5 crores to PM relief fund. Others should follow suit. I only hope and wish that Corona provide an opportunity for the government and the opposition to work in tandem as their relationship is strained and bruised by vendetta politics persued the Modi government. (Of course, where is the opposition? It has been decimated. That is an altogether different subject.) 

Let us all join together in this national task setting aside our affiliations, caste, colour creed religion etc., in the fight against this deadly menace. It is a threat to humanity itself transcending all barriers. 

Let us all give a big salute to all those warriors the Police, the Doctors, the paramedics, the bankers, the municipality workers, the delivery boys, the drivers and all those who are out there to keep the supply of essentials unhindered to make our lives comfortable when we are indoors. 

K. N. Krishnan           26.03.2020

The suicide of Anilkumar and its takeaway.

The suicide of Anilkumar, Branch manager of Jog falls branch on 19.10.2019 is the most tragic one. Most tragic because he is just 29years and has a small kid and wife who is young and just started the married life. What a heartbreaking, calamitous, unwarranted and stupid act by this young officer whatever may be the compelling circumstances. Life is most precious and it cannot be traded for anything else in this world.

The reason for Anil kumar to take that extreme step is according to various newspaper reports quoting his devastated wife is ubiquitous unbearable work pressure. His wife screaming under agonizing pain, thumping her chest in devastation and extreme shock was seen shouting that her husband has succumbed to unbearable work pressure in the bank. The severity of the shock she has undergone, the mental trauma she has suffered can be gauged from her refusal to believe that her husband is dead.

This Suicide is not an isolated incident in the bank. We are hearing such news from across the country with alarming frequency.

What is the takeaway for the bank as well as for the staff from this from these kind of incidents? He should not have resorted this extreme step no doubt. What thoughts could have passed through his mind just before the suicide? Probably the overwhelmingness of work and no hope of help or guidance would have driven him to this act. Psychologists say that it is invariably the HOPE that keeps a person going. When one does not see hope and the problem is too overwhelming and insurmountable, and there being no help from any quarter a person resorts to this kind of act. Here point to be noted is, it is a single man branch. 

There are many such hope less persons/staff in the bank. There may be many Anilkumars in the making. It is high time Bank has to sit up and take notice of the problem. 

Single man branch is a bane and a curse in SBI. We serve the multitudes unlike our counterparts in other PSBs or in private banks. We end up in doing mass banking. Added to this is the all pervasive pressure of cross selling which has spread like a cancer. The greed of incentives of cross selling has put enormous pressure on the operatives. This greed has robbed the humane element in all the transactions /interaction of the controllers with the branch level operatives. This greed has made them monstrous and mad. It is time that they realize the harm they are causing to the beleaguered and vulnerable staff.

A SUGGESTION TO RELEASE / FIND SOME TIME FOR THE STAFF:

Close the cash transaction by 2.00pm. When we are moving to alternate channels and digital banking in such a big way, keeping cash counters till 4.30pm is not required. This will release some time for the staff which they can use more gainfully like attending to compliance issues, NPA recovery, scouting new advances etc. I had suggested this long ago in one of my articles in the blog. 

APPEAL TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES :

Life is precious, divine and is created by God. No one has any right to cut short it even if it is his own. Please don't do it. If you come to a conclusion that it is difficult to continue anymore in the bank, please leave the bank not this world. If there is no job in SBI that is not the end of the world. There are umpteen number of avenues available elsewhere. Be bold, be realistic, be sensible. You have no right to put your family in destitution for no fault of theirs.

K N Krishnan. 

A lot can happen over a cup of coffee.

When VG Siddharth founder of Cafe Coffee Day (CCD), designed this tag line - A LOT CAN HAPPEN OVER A CUP OF COFFEE, perhaps nobody has  envisaged that this (his tragic death) could also happen.

When N T RamaRao died in the year 1996, Deccan Chronicle a daily from Hyderabad wrote an editorial on his death which was not so natural. There, the editor had mentioned a quote from - F Scott Fitzgerald, an American fiction writer. His quote was - Show me an hero, I will write a tragedy for him. This quote of Fitzgerald perhaps applies in case of VG Siddharth's death too.

Siddharth was a quiet, unassuming and self-effacing entrepreneur who shunned limelight and publicity. Many don't know the size of the business empire he has built. Only after his death that the world is aware of the scale and size of his operations.

His main grouse in his death note is against the Income Tax authorities. He says in that that IT authorities have harassed him and the raids on his business has caused him enormous damage to his business prospects from which he could not resuscitate himself and finally gave in to the stress in the form of his suicide. There may be other reasons too which at this stage cannot be deciphered. Only thorough investigation can throw some light on  the entire episode. It is said that the simultaneous raids on his premises across twenty two locations has sent the share prices plummeting to new lows thus causing large scale erosion of his asset value. Ever since he was missing and found dead in Nethravathi river there was a hue and cry over the high handedness of IT authorities and many termed it as Tax terrorism unleashed by the ruling dispensation. Also the IT authorities have clarified that they have proceeded as per law. This difference in perception of the issue between IT and rest of world is always debatable, but the fact remains that it has caused irreparable loss to the business, reputational as well as monetary.

This particular charge against IT brings to the surface another most important damage. The raids spree by IT authorities will be a serious jolt to the spirit of entrepreneurship in general. This negative sentiment will make the prospective entrepreneurs not to stick their neck out, there by people not only lose the existing jobs but also creation of new jobs becomes almost impossible because no Entrepreneur/Industrialist will ever come forward to venture into any new business. A negative business sentiment will pervade all through the capitalists who would otherwise have invested. Modi's favorite slogan of - ease of doing business will remain a mere slogan.

Siddharth, despite whatever may be the challenges, difficulties and obstacles should not have resorted to this kind of act. Because according to his own averment, the value of his assets is much more than the loans owed to the creditors. He could have been tenacious and persistent for some more time for the liquidity crunch to get over. He has failed to face the adversity with aplomb. This is most probably due to the fact that he all along kept these things to himself without discussing / sharing atleast with his friends and well wishers who could have given some guidance or shown the way. Life is too precious to be frittered away in the way he did.

The successful person therefore is not the one who is successful but the one who faces adversities, challenge the challenges and still hold his head high when chips are down and hope is distant. 

That's why there is a pressing need for all of us to discuss our failures essentially with our kids so that they should be mentally prepared to accept failures in their lives someday in future if they come across them. We should not make the mistake of always talking about success stories. Because success and failures are the two sides of our lives.

I pray God to give strength to the family of the bereaved and thousands of his staff to bear the loss. May his soul rest in peace.

Has Rahul Gandhi written the - epitaph for the Congress?

The much awaited results of the 2019 Loksabha election are out. The BJP has recorded a resounding victory. It has even bettered its own record of 2014. The enormity of the victory is such that it has dumbfounded even its own conservative analysts /poll pundits.

The moot point to be discussed here is more of opposition's failure rather than Modi's performance. The disparate and splintered opposition parties could not convince the voter of their commitment to come together and carry on the business of governance. This was very crucial simply because Congress's revival was considered a task of a tall order. Also congress failed to see the writing on the wall. It was in a wishful thinking that Modi's non keeping of his poll promises and his misdemeanor of demonetiization, GST etc would sail them through. What it also failed to appreciate is the fact that Modi provided a scandal free regime unlike them. The opposition, the
congress included really failed to match the fire power, the lung power and the muscle power of the BJP. They were clearly a distant second. And in organizational preparedness they were no match to the well oiled BJPs party cadres. One of the plus points that BJP had, was the RSS, its mentor, guide and philosopher. It had always guided, corrected and channelised the enormous resources of BJP - men, material and money to optimum levels. The opposition at no point of time sat up and took notice of how destructive the Modi and Shah combination could be to their survival. They couldn't do because they were in complete disarray and spent time in wishful thinking. Rahul Gandhi though he made some noices here and there, was drowned in the crescendo of the Modi and his ever ready brigade of enthusiast party cadres.

What many including the opposition could not really saw is the subtle undercurrent of a pro hindutva desire that was in hibernating status. The Pulwama and Balakot incidents were the real trigger for this undercurrent to manifest to the mainstream. This is the watershed moment in the entire election campaign which was vicious, vitriolic and without discussing the real issues confronting the common man. Many times it degenerated to personal and derogatory.

This victory has enhanced the responsibility of the government to be more responsible, fair and judicious to all sections of the society.

Perhaps Rahul Gandhi would have now realized that Modi as a rival is too intimidating and overwhelming for him. Probably this is the reason why he has reportedly offered to step down. Congress lost the game long ago when they sent Pranab Mukherjee to the Raisina hills. Instead they would have done well by projecting him as the Prime ministerial candidate. This would have atleast increased its longevity. Hoisting a novice on the grand old party, a party full of seniors and most experienced politicians and not looking outside the Gandhi family for leadership, congress committed a blunder and it is too late to undo the damage.

The Loan waiver & the Loan recovery.

Loan waiver and loan recovery are two polar opposites. They don't have a meeting point. They cannot converge as they are divergent. The bankers' task now is, how to achieve these both ends meet. The obnoxious and oft-repeated press statements by the Chief Minister instructing police authorities to arrest the bank officers if they issue the notice of recovery of loan has set the cat among the pigeons. This is a grave and extraordinary situation in the state which is unprecedented. This has devastated their morale. The loan waiver is spereheaded by the head of the government with all the pomp and public gaze where as the recovery has to be made by a poor official at the branch level without any support or protection from his superiors. Will he be left to fend for himself, is my fear. The poor fellow has a daunting task on hand.

Loan waiver is fraught with long term implications which will breed the culture of non repayment. It is a very negative and dangerous indulgence. No Economist hitherto has advocated waiver as a remedy for the farmers'distress. Government /economists /planners can think of alternative ways of ameliorating the hardship of the farmers. Unfortunately for the political class, farm loan waiver is a low hanging fruit in vote bank politics. Indian farmer is frequently affected by the vagaries of the monsoon and uncertain market conditions. When such is the case, waiver is not the panacea. It is rubbing salt to the wound for the banks which are already saddled with unacceptable level of bad loans. At a time when banks are struggling to bring down the NPAs, the announcement of loan waiver is a big jolt to their efforts.

The top executives are also in a great dilemma. Neither they can issue any written instructions to the branch functionaries not to issue the notices to the farmers nor have the gumption to say to the Chief Minister not to issue statements like the way he is doing. If the bankers do not issue the notices, they are liable to be made accountable by the Bank for the lapse and if they issue, the situation is any body's guess. The officials are in such an unenviable position that they are damned if they do, damned if they not. Whatever may be the constraints of the management, time has come to sit up and take notice of creation of a very negative and hostile atmosphere for the grassroot level officials of the bank.

There is an urgent need to educate the the Chief Minister of the immense damage his statements cause to the safety and morale of the bankers and the long term negative impact it will have on the entire farm credit dispensation. Loan waiver is a double edged sword, it cuts both ways. While on one side, it incentivise the defaulter on the other it demotivates the honest borrower and makes him become a wilful defaulter. In short, it vitiates the repayment culture of the borrowers and make life difficult for the banker.

State Level Bankers Committee's (SLBC) role now assumes importance. It has its task cut out if at all it is serious of the situation. The present situation demands lot of education, persuation and perseverance on the part of all the stake holders - the bankers, the government and the farmers. It is just not the waiver per say that is involved in the issue but the whole perception and attitudes has to be corrected.

What can be done?

1. All the heads of the banks affected by this should meet the Chief Minister and protest his remarks in the media. Loan waiver is one thing and giving dangerous and irresponsible statements is another. (But will anybody bell the cat is a million dollar question).

2. Explain him the negative impact it is creating on the credit discipline and the potential it has to breed a culture of non repayment.

3. Arrange a discussion in the electronic media by a panel consisting of RBI representatives, bankers and raitha sangha leaders and explain the intricacies of the issue and the advantages/benefits for prompt repayer. This should be done periodically for certain periods of time.

4. Publicize in daily local vernacular press the Rinn samaadhan (OTS) its details and benefits in bold captions and in front pages.

5. Conduct townhall meeting type of gathering in Agri intensive areas and play a suitably designed / tailored videos mounted on mobile vans that inspire and instill repayment.

6. These mobile vans should tour the Agri intensive pockets.

And in all these, the ghosts of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, the Essars, the Videocons etc will definitely haunt the bankers. The thousands of crores of Corporate loans written off will stare in the face of the bankers. This is something that will weigh on the spirit and drive of the banker in this marathon.

K N Krishnan,           94496 12446
Vice President, SEWA, Bangalore.

Shades of customer service.

Just a few days ago my mother in law expired after a prolonged illness. She was terminally ill for over six months.

To complete the process of cremation an undertaker in a crematorium was identified and was entrusted the job. Entire task was entrusted to him. Our job is just to take the body to crematorium.

At the appointed time we took the body to the crematorium. He received us at the gate and directed us to place the body on a particular platform that was meant to perform the last rituals before the body was offered to funeral pyre. The moment the body was unmounted, he took over the proceedings and was in full control of the things. He had by then ensured that all the items required are in place. He was directing us to perform the rituals in a particular order. He has become an expert in the matter. He is unkempt, not shaven but appeared a little drunken ( perhaps it is quintessential to do that kind of job). While he was directing the things, another two bodies arrived. He was simultaneously directing those bodies to the other vacant platforms and asked them to be in preparedness to perform the rituals.

As soon as we finished the rituals, he asked us to lift the body to the final stage where a bed of firewood was already stacked. After the body was placed on the bed of firewood, he started stacking up another layer of firewood on the body. In the meanwhile another body arrived. He was directing them to another platform. Finally he asked each one of us to place a stick on the body. He asked the person from our family who had been identified to perform the last rites to lit the funeral pyre.

By then I took a count of the bodies already on fire. It was 13. Another three are waiting. There is also lot of rush (customers) for him. But he was managing so ably at least we had not any occasion to be in grumbling against that ugly undertaker. He gave us service which is our money's worth.

The purpose of me narrating this was just to bring out the commitment, the sincerity and the (customer) service he provided for us. (Sorry for speaking the language of banking even in the graveyard. Afterall that is the disease  we are suffering from of late and I may not be an exception). He has no threat of competition what so ever for his profession, he is the one and only destination. On top of it a continuous stream of bodies were arriving (customers rush), he had to manage the crowd. He could have been arrogant, audacious and negligent. But he was not. All along I was observing the way he handled the job. He did it ably. Never I found him perfunctory. He was cool calm and focused. He is illiterate, uneducated and people may call him uncivilized. But he executed an uncivilized job in a civilized manner. But still I found a spark of customer service in the lowliest of the profession one could imagine on the earth.

Can we juxtapose this with the circumstances in the Bank? This comparison might appear to be outlandish and outrageous but somehow it caught my attention and I am so sorry for being so uncivilized to talk something in a graveyard and a Bank simultaneously. Afterall, I am a Banker too.

Sometimes - The greatest truths are the simplest.

Amendment to anti corruption law.

In the aftermath of unearthing of the PNB scam, I wrote an article in my blog titled - "The PNB fiasco and the credibility of the bankers". This is still available in the blog which is dated 9th February 2018.

After reading this article, one of the top executives of our Bank at Corporate center what's apped me a short story which went something like this. It may not be the exact verbatim but the message is not lost.

Quote : A Buffalo was found running helter skelter and in great consternation. It was accosted by another Buffalo. The second Buffalo asked the first as to why it is running. The first replied, the government has ordered the arrest of all the cows and therefore I am running away. But you are not the cow. True, said the first one, but if I am arrested it takes 20 years to prove that I am not a cow. On hearing this the second Buffalo also ran away along with the first one.

Unquote : I didn't understand why he send this story nor did I appreciate the import of the message inherent in the story at that point of time. When the backdrop of the recent amendment to anti corruption law was discussed, I could appreciate and relate the morale of the story. It was argued that the indiscriminate arrest of the bankers by the investigative agencies whenever a loan turned bad has a debilitating effect on the ability of the banker to take a commercial decision to lend. This fear psychosis among the bankers has slowed down the credit off take and has an adverse effect on the growth of the economy. The IBA too had expressed its concern and in fact had taken up the matter with the government. The credit for amending the law should go to the finance minister Arun Jaitely without whose initiative, the amendment would not have seen the light of the day. He being the lawyer cum finance minister could understand the need for an amendment to the act and also succeeded in getting the amendment passed in parliament. The amendment to the law now requires permission from the appropriate higher authority to arrest an officer / banker. To that extent a safeguard clause has been inserted into the law. Whether this alone will suffice to allay the fears of the lenders has to be seen with the passage of time.

Now that, the concern of the bankers and IBA has been addressed by the government, it is expected that lending business will kickstart. The amendment to the anti corruption law may not be the  panacea for the poor credit off take. The problem requires a holistic treatment of the other enabling stimulators like quick disposal of cases before NCLT and NACLT etc.

The disenchantment

A few months back, I got an anonymous call. The person at the other end enquired me about how much salary a four years senior clerk in your Bank would draw. I asked why?  He told me that a marriage proposal has come from a boy who is working in your Bank. When I gave the information he wanted, he exclaimed! Sir, only that much? I thought it must be much more.

I just would like to juxtapose this with the statistics thrown out by the recently held clerical examination held in Bangalore. The attendance at the exam tells the story better than the words. The attendance for the first stage of examination is 40%. This is woefully low. This perhaps is the lowest so far in the history of banking recruitment. What could be the the reason / reasons for this abysmally low turnout? Is it on account of abundant job opportunities outside banking? I don't think so. The job opportunitiy outside also is not rosy either. Notwithstanding not a robust  job opportunity outside, the poor response to our banking examination is a pointer to the grim realities in the banking businesses.

Banking industry is in the news constantly for all the wrong reasons. Issues like, huge NPAs, frauds and resultant losses would have taken the sheen off from banking job. While this is the story for outsiders, the story for the insiders (staff) is no better either. The bank is grappling with acute shortage of staff. Post merger, it was thought that the problem would ease. But unfortunately it has aggravated further putting the staff under tremendous pressure. As if adding salt to the wound is frequent transfers. On top of this is not so attractive salary package viz., the other PSU counterparts. Even the state government employees draw better emoluments in similar positions, let alone PSU counterparts. All these factors would have adversely affected the psyche of the prospective candidates to take up the banking recruitment test. The poor turnout for the examination is perhaps reflective of the DISENCHANTMENT of the people about bank job which is not a positive sign. If concrete and concerted efforts are not put in place to reverse this negative perception about Bank jobs, it will be dissastrous. After all, the all important assets of a financial institution is its live assets called its employees. If these live assets are demotivated and frustrated, then the handling of dead stock assets by this human assets will not be appropriate. The result of this is left to one's imagination. Because, it is the employees who carry forward any organization.

K N Krishnan.

NPAs and Frauds - the double whammy for Banks

A couple of days back, a what's app message and a video clip was going viral among the employees of banks. It is reportedly of an assault by the son of a woman borrower on the bank official when he visited the borrower for recovery of loan which has become NPA. It is reported that he was assaulted with iron rods. The fact that the General Manager of the network was briefing the press about the incident confirms the occurrence of the incident.

It is not a one-off incident. Such incidents happen across the length and breadth of the country but many go unnoticed or unreported. Even in Karnataka there are incidents of farmers threatening with dire consequences if the bank officials venture into their villages for recovery of loans. And there are examples of manhandling also.

What does all this indicate? Where from these borrowers get that audacity and arrogance. These are the moot questions that needs to be answered. But those who needs to be answered are burying their heads in the sand. May be it is banks top hierarchy, or the police or the political class or all who refuses to acknowledge that there is an elephant in the room.

This looking at the other way by these functionaries when they are suppose to take punitive action has emboldened the borrowers to take law into their hands. There is one more factor which has given these borrowers some semblance of moral legitimacy to their illegitimate behavior. What is that? This is what I have mentioned in my caption. The proverbial NPAs and the recent and all too sudden spurt in frauds. This is dangerous; has far reaching and widespread implications on the banks ability to lend and recover. The frauds have become a commonplace in the newspaper and is being reported with such an alarming regularity as if they are reporting weather conditions. The inability of the Banks or its supervisor the RBI or their master i.e, the government to take any action when lakhs of cores are classified as NPAs and thousands of cores are swindled through frauds, as I have already mentioned has lent some degree of acceptance of their hooliganism and outrageous acts. The worst fallout of this inability to bring to books, these economic offenders, is the growing resistance of the general and otherwise well meaning borrowers to repay the loans quoting these NPAs and Frauds. When the bank's officials go for recovery, even a man in the remotest area taunts - why you have not recovered from Vijay Mallya. And the latest addition to this is Nirav Modi. And the banker's conscience is really hurt and his morale is lowered though he may pretend otherwise. The urgent need therefore is to take punitive action on these large corporate willful defaulters and fraudsters which should be strong and demonstrative. Then only the last man in the last mile too behave. Otherwise, if it turns into a kind of movement by some ill-advised elements in the society not to pay the loans till the government recovers from the big defaulters, it will be disastrous for the banking system. Though this idea may be farfetched, but it has a distant possibility.

K N Krishnan.
Vice president, SEWA, Bangalore.

Political scenario post UP by elections.

The by elections in UP recently held have set in motion an interesting trend. The allies of BJP have found sudden reasons to be dissatisfied with the main partner. Perhaps they were enduring with some degree of uneasiness hitherto and waiting for some honorable exit point. The result of UP by pools came in handy for them to do what they were waiting for. For Chandrababu Naidu it is a God sent opportunity. With elections round the corner in some time in the future, he was feeling uncomfortable with BJP as there is a large chunk of Muslim vote base in his state. By continuing with BJP he would have been perceived as one who is "Running with the hare and hunting with the Hounds". This contradiction he always wanted to clear himself off much before the state assembly elections.

Nitish kumar in Bihar has started to make some noise which is discomforting to BJP. When he deserted Lallo in Mahaghatbandhan arrangement on a flimsy reason of corruption and joined BJP, he thought that BJP was a rising star and decided to sail with it. When series of setbacks started to haunt BJP in the by pools, he is realizing that BJP is now a sinking ship and some how wanted to desert that sinking ship. He has started making some noise probably an indication of the next step he may take. His whatever reasoning will warm nobody's hearts. He has already lost the credibility he once enjoyed before joining BJP. The vitriolic Shivsena as usual is blowing hot and cold and continuously criticizing BJP. LokJanShakti leader Ram Vilas Pawan is bold enough to sermonise BJP to have change in perception towards dalits. KCR has reached out to Mamata Banerjee and already dreaming of a third front.

Congress not able to do anything is rubbing hands in glee at the developments. Its position is so pathetic that after losing deposits in the two by pools, it is celebrating the victory of SP as its own.

All these developments on the horizon only suggest that the opposition parties are in great hurry to encash the anti Modi sentiment. In the process they have forgotten that Modi and Shah can bounce back with renewed vigour, learning from the mistakes and insulating the party from such mistakes in 2019. Though, no doubt, that Modi's aura of invincibility has suffered to an extent, he is only down but definitely not out. Opposition has to handle/face him with lot of foresight, careful planning and precise execution which the opposition is not familiar with or known for. Moreover the basics/fundamentals of alliance if at all they are going to stitch are to be drawn with great circumspection, caution, accommodation, and maturity. The preparation of agree all program is the toughest part and first right step in this direction. Congress even if it has bigger number of seats than other opposition parties in 2019, it will be reduced to a level of regional party as for as bargaining power is concerned. It will be regional parties that may hold the sway. Opposition has equally daunting task or even more difficult task than BJP in 2019.

K N Krishnan.      94496 12446

By elections in UP & Bihar: Whether BJP is ambushed?

The results of by pools in UP and Bihar have thrown up interesting food for thought and enough material for media to discuss. There is some ray of hope for non BJP parties where as there is every reason for BJP to worry about. BJP ceded two of its strong bastions, Gorakhpur and Phulpur Parliamentary constituencies to SP. Gorakhpur was the bastion of the incumbent Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who held this constituency for five consecutive terms. The loss of this constituency is a clear loss of face for the Chief Minister. The situation in Phulpur is also no different. It was held by the incumbent Deputy Chief Minister. No body is talking of Congress's loss of deposits in both the places probably because it is not even worthy of mention. It is effaced from UP and it was only expected and therefore no excitement about this. Its position is so pathetic that it feels the victory of SP as if its own. The degeneration of the grand old party is so abysmal.

The position in Bihar too was not any comforting for BJP. The RJD won the seat Araria. This is the first Parliamentary election held after Nitish Kumar broke away from the grand alliance with Lallu's RJD and joined BJP. Also it is the first election after Lallu Prasad Yadav was sent to jail in the fodder scam. Nithish kumar too, like Yogi Adityanath suffered a severe loss of face in Bihar. Simultaneously it is thumbs up for Lallu in the jail. His charisma and mass appeal has not diminished and in fact it has improved. What does all these indicate for BJP?

One of the leaders of BJP while reacting to the results beautifully phrased it as "we were ambushed by SP and BSP coming together". It was unexpected and we were not prepared for this surprise. He is true and candid. But the outcome of the election has much more to offer beyond the SP and BSP alliance. The margin with which BJP has won the two Loksabha seats in 2014 was huge- more than 3 lakhs. This is something that should send BJP the sleepless nights than the actual defeat. There is a steep erosion in its vote share and a high percentage voter shift. Out of the 15 Parliamentary by polls held across various states since 2014, BJP could win only 2 seats. This should worry the BJP the most. The aura of invincibility built around Modi is slowly giving way and the master strategist Amit Shah can also be outsmarted. These are the two most important takeaways from the results.

More over, if the coming together of SP and BSP graduates into a well meaning alliance in UP for 2019, BJP will have tough time safeguarding the numbers it has achieved in 2014. BJP  presently wishing it away as a one off affair. But anything is possible in politics. Politics is an art of the possible. One may call it opportunistic or whatever. After all, all political parties are opportunistic. Best example is Kashmir. More so the increasing pan India spread of BJP may bring all the worried non BJP opposition parties together. Survival instinct will be a strong bond than any ideology or philosophy.

Modi has to invent some new slogans for 2019 as all the existing stuff in his armoury appears to be a spent force. His rhetoric like Gujarat model, Development (sab ka sath sab ka vikas), Achhe din , Job creation, Black money, Corruption etc., may not carry the day for him in 2019. Hoping to win 2019 with just rhetoric and sloganeering without delivery of promises made will be of very tall order and wishful. Demonetiization, GST, Digitisation, Aadhar etc., alone may not be sufficient to bring him back to his second term. Something (programmes) that really touches the lives of the common man is the best immunity from defeat.

K N Krishnan.

What is ailing the Indian banking system?

The Indian Banks and for that matter the entire banking system is continuously in the news for all the wrong reasons. Banks have become so susceptible and vulnerable to the frauds that frauds have become a commonplace. The alarming regularity and the monumental amount involved in the act is the cause for great concern. What is even more disturbing is the fact that defrauding a Bank no more requires any extraordinary adroitness. It is being perpetrated as if it is such a normal thing. This raises questions about the security of the transactions done in the banking system and the laxity in following the laid down systems and procedures. Well, now comes the crucial question of finding the culprits (or scapegoats, if I may say so). Here two things are very important for consideration. Firstly, the length of the period for which this fraudulent transactions are performed and secondly the astronomical amount involved in it. These two factors are very vital in arriving at the conclusions and nailing the culprits. No single individual can imagine the scale of the fraud that has happened let alone committing it. There is something more than that meets the eye. The entire narrative, discussion and the focus is mainly on how it has happened. Only the small fish so far has been caught. The sharks are still at large and are having a free run in the safe heavens overseas without having any compunction or remorse. The larger question of bringing the fraudsters to book is not given the urgency and the importance it deserves. This is something unusual and bizarre and gives rise to questions of honesty of intentions on the part of the establishment.

The other serious malady afflicting the banking is the poor performance of the economy. Banking performance is always inexorably linked to the economic growth. When the economy is not in good health, naturally banking cannot be robust. This point is invariably missed out by the self declared judges and the commentators in the media. The performance of banking cannot be measured in isolation and various contributory factors have to be factored in for its objective evaluation.

The other most important factor that is contributing to PSBs NPA kitty most liberally is their vast exposure to the infrastructure, power and telecom sectors where there is a long gestation period. Any changes in the laws, changes in the economic environment during this gestation period will throw out of gear all the assumptions on which the loan proposal is processed and will affect the performance of these sectors thus impacting the banks which has taken exposure. The mind-boggling figures of NPA are a serious threat to the very existence of many banks themselves. It is only the onerous responsibility of the PSBs to engage in the nation building activities /schemes /programs of the government where the scope for profit making is either absent or abysmally low. And the private sector and foreign banks doesn't have this exposure/risk and to that extent their loan books are safe and precisely for this reason their performance cannot be and should not be compared with that of PSBs. It is simply unjust and atrocious to do that.

As if this is not enough, the public nature of the banking has its concomitant baggage. PSBs are misused and abused for all things that are simply not banking. They are often used as government offices to discharge the tasks that fall strictly in the domain of government departments.

Adding salt to wound is the new malaise of cross selling which has become contagious in the Public sector banks. There seems to be no stoppage of this in the near future despite the occasional noise made by the TUs. Their voice is just ignored and not taken cognizance of. Their meek, weak and inaudible noise has remained a cry in the wilderness. And the show is going on unnerved. This cross selling or misselling whatever one calls has derailed banking and banking has lost its direction.

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY

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Death of Sridevi and lessons to be learnt

The death of Sridevi just before she was to have attended a marriage function in Dubai was shocking. The photos in the media showed that she had dressed up for the function and waiting to go. What happened afterwards is not known but the sad news of her untimely death we received. It is reported that she died of cardiac arrest.

She was a glamorous and charming actress who not only acted in the South Indian languages but conquered the Hindi Bollywood filmdom too. She was a finest actress. She was acting with such an effortless ease and playfulness. In her untimely death the film industry has lost an outstanding artist.

May her soul rest in peace. May God give strength to the bereaved two beautiful daughters and family members to bear the loss of the most celebrity member of the family.

I now turn philosophical. Perhaps the sudden and unexpected death of Sridevi would drive home the point which I wanted to make. Many of us during our lifetime wished to do certain things and somehow defer doing them thinking that we can do them later since there is no urgency to do them NOW. Some of the things are so dear to our heart that we don't want to miss them but still postpone them thinking that we will do it ONE DAY. What we don't realize is that ONE DAY, we may miss it eternally and it may not come again. Imagine Sridevi. She would have planned so many good things to do long ago but somehow she would have not done for various reasons. She would have postponed for a future date. Alas! that date never came in her life. Because life ended abruptly.

So, friends, it is HERE AND NOW that we have to finish all the good things we always contemplated to do but not able to do, may be for reasons of lack of time or you would have planned for some day in future. According to me, it is lack of firm will to do that keeps one postponing. Many times we would have wished that we can do. It remained just a hit and run thought. If you have a strong will and conviction and most importantly the realization that life is uncertain, we may take up the things in right earnest.

Just imagine/assume that you live, say, only for a month, a year or for a few days etc.,. Think of the rush of thoughts that flood your mind. You would have so many things you always wanted to do but didn't do. And now you are in a virtually chaotic condition. Instead of reaching this point, let us finish off the good things first especially paying back to society, because we have taken so much from it. Innumerable people would have contributed for our comfortable living. A scavenger, a construction worker, a carpenter, a Mason, a Labourer who works to lay the road, a maid servant, a milk man and most importantly the farmer who toils in the farm without whose sweat we would have died of hunger. We take things and people for granted. It is most appropriate here to recall the words of - Mark Twain who said - Twenty years hence, you will repent for the things you didn't do than for the things you did.

Let us do the good things first and postpone the bad and harmful ones.

K N Krishnan - 9449612446

The PNB fiasco and the credibility of the bankers.

I don't want to get into the the nitty-gritty of the PNB episode. That is for the banking pandits, Supervisor such as RBI, CVC, Finance ministry etc to do the post mortem (what else they can do). Every thing is now water under the bridge.

What is more damaging and disturbing than the loss of the money which is involved in the fraud is the loss of credibility, the trust and the integrity of the bankers. The money can be retrieved but the loss of image in the eyes of the public is very hard to regain. The kind of cartoons, the kind of jokes that are flying thick and fast in social media makes a banker crestfallen, sullied and apologetic. Today's newspaper reports indicting the bank's officials of connivance with the perpetrators of the fraud for a paltry commission is an indication of the levels to which the integrity of a banker has slid, the surveillance weak and the vigilance slack.

This raises doubts if there is any nexus  between the top brass of the bank and the fraudster who has connections to the who is who of the politicians in power. At present and untill now they have found a scapegoat in a lowest grade officer. The amount involved is so astronomical that it can wipeout the institution itself if not recovered in good time. With what the Mallya saga, the huge NPA's story hitting the headlines regularly and people after taking huge loans leaving the county for safe heavens thus leaving the lenders high and dry and to fend for themselves, the banking environment has become increasingly hazarduous and repulsive. Citizens who used to respect the bankers have started to suspect.

We are in such an unenviable profession that - "We are damned if we don't give, we are damned if we give"
The esteem of the banking profession has taken a severe dent. All our contributions in nation building exercise, economic growth of the country and gigantic efforts at social inclusiveness have gone for a toss. Only the negative vibes created by a few unscrupulous bankers will remain in the memory of the public - after all human mind is wired to attract negative things fast.

K N Krishnan.

Technology and the frauds in Banking.

The incident which I am narrating dates back to nearly three decades when I was working as a clerk in a semi urban branch. Those were the days of manual ledgers. The best technological tool that was available was an instrument called TI banker which was used for balancing the ledgers. The other tool was a calculator.

A wrong credit of Rs. 15000 was given to an account with almost similar account no. The person has withdrawan the money and was not willing to pay back despite our repeated requests. A memo was served to me. After a few days a person from Regional office descended on the branch for enquiry. As usual I was manning the counters consisting of SB, CA, CC, ACC, ATL ledgers. I was moving from one end to the other like a tennis player who runs from one end of the court to the other. The man who has come for enquiry was observing my heroics sitting in the BMs chamber. After some time he came to me and introduced himself and asked me as to how I gave wrong credit. I was bit panicky and nervous. I was trying to explain that I was manning these many ledgers and it was a salary day and lot of rush was there etc. etc.

The man who had come for enquiry,  patting on my back, said - don't be worried. It is only the person who does work commits mistake. And I have seen you in action for myself. I am very much impressed by your hard work. Afterwards, I don't know what report he submitted and subsequently the amount was recovered and the incident was forgotten.

Look at the present scenario. The credits can come from anywhere. Internet banking, mobile gadgets using digital apps, NEFT, RTGS etc and he can draw from any corner of the country. It's all invisible unlike in the manual scenario. Everything happens in the thin air like a magic. Technology has enabled turning out mind-boggling volumes of transactions, the reach, the speed and has removed the barriers of timings making it a 24x7 and a 365 day affair. Technology has brought with it an equal amount of risk. A risk if not detected quickly may prove to be too costly. The mind boggling volumes we handle often tends to complete the work somehow and makes the level of vigilance required of the transactions difficult to exercise. This has made the job of perpetrators of frauds easier. The fraudsters are usually ingenious and clever enough to circumvent the safeguards and camouflage their trail. This demands presence of mind, knowledge of systems and procedures, a high level of alertness and alacrity on the part of the employee/officer in the frontline.

Prevention of frauds is a joint responsibility of the bank and the staff. For the bank , it is not enough if they just issue SOP, circular, instructions or guidelines. The job of the bank does not end there. There is no lead time to read, understand and seek clarification. Everything comes in quick succession and with immediate effect leaving the staff gaping at the happenings.

The frontline staff should be at least imparted specific training in fraud prone transaction areas. We  the Association, Union and SEWA too should sensitize /educate our members continuously of the need to be vigilant. The proverbial staff shortage, single officer /clerk scenario, and frequent deputations- an adhoc approach to staff shortage are some of the impediments. There is an urgent need to staff the branches reasonably and impart training in these vulnerable areas. Prevention is better than cure. The cyber crimes are a threat to the security of the bank. Thanks to technology. The climate of banking is risky and is becoming hazarduous.

K N Krishnan