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This is how media played with the life of a bank employee for doing his job

September 25, 2020
The Commune

On September 21, The New Indian Express (TNIE) had reported that a ’76 year old’ doctor was refused a loan by the branch manager of a public sector bank ‘allegedly’ for not knowing Hindi.

The ‘76 year old’ C. Balasubramanian, a retired employee of Jayankondam Government Hospital was quoted saying in the report that he had gone to the bank branch at Gangaikondacholapuram 10 days ago to seek loan for building a commercial complex on a piece of land that he owned and had met with the bank manager hailing from Maharashtra. The bank manager had supposedly asked Balasubramanian if he knew Hindi to which the latter had replied that he knew only Tamil and English, Balasubramaniam was quoted saying in the TNIE report. He added that the bank manager had refused to check the land documents saying that it was in Tamil. This had apparently resulted in a heated argument between the two, TNIE reported and quoted Balasubramanian saying that he was refused loan due to the language issue.

Following this, Balasubramanian had sent a legal notice to the bank’s manager that sought ₹1 lakh as compensation for undergoing ‘mental torture’ and that if the amount was not paid, he would be moving the Ariyalur district consumer court.

The report conveniently made the story one-sided by quoting the bank manager as saying that he was not allowed to talk to the media about the issue. Without much accounts to back and citing ‘local residents’, the report said that the incident was not an isolated one.

This news was carried in several other news outlets like The News Minute, Deccan Herald, etc and was sensationalized further by Tamil news channels trying to create a rhetoric of ‘Hindi imposition’. Only the Times of India had quoted the senior bank officials of the branch saying that the loan was denied because of the applicant’s age.

Sensing the opportunity to stoke language sentiments keeping the upcoming elections in mind, DMK chief MK Stalin pounced on the issue and put out a tweet the next day (September 22) saying that the bank officer had shown arrogance.

In his tweet, Stalin also threatened to incite violence and create unrest by saying “if you play with Tamil feelings, small sparks will catch fire. Be warned!”

PMK’s Dr. S. Ramadoss too jumped the bandwagon condemning the bank manager.

As the issue gained traction, the bank decided to transfer the bank manager immediately to Trichy to quell the issue. He has apparently been given a posting where he would not be required to directly communicate with customers.

While nobody is privy to the conversation between the branch manager and the said customer except for the person (Thambuswami, a civil engineer) who had reportedly accompanied Balasubramaniam, all the claims about the rejection of a loan allegedly due to ‘not knowing Hindi’ seem to be exaggerated half-truths. None of these media have delved into the basis of which loans are sanctioned.

It is to be noted that the said customer/account holder is 76 years old and a retired doctor which in itself acts as a double disadvantage to get loans and that too this being a business loan, any bank would take necessary precautions before lending. They would ask for collaterals and the assigning of a legal heir to secure the loan so that it does not become a non-performing asset. However, this ineligibility to get loan has been twisted and sensationalized into a language issue in order create north-south schisms.  None of the media has questioned or even highlighted these factors of not being eligible for the loan. One wonders what has stopped them from highlighting these. Is it the case that they are unaware or is it because it would make for a good story only when the bank official is targeted?

After this incident, the Chief Minister’s Cell has taken the matter to cognizance after which a police inquiry was done and a report has been submitted. Had it really been a serious matter, the manager would have been taken to task and not given another posting at some other branch in Tamil Nadu itself.

Now, imagine the plight of this manager. According to reports, this person who hails from Maharashtra has put up his family at Kumbakonam with both his children enrolled in a school in the temple town. In his around 2.5 years of service in the Gangaikondacholapuram branch, he does not have a single complaint levelled against him. Even the TNIE report had stated that the bank manager rarely interacted with the customers and that it was the assistant manager who handled most of them. This innocent bank manager has now been demonized by these media outlets and politicians. He still has years of service ahead and has been transferred to Trichy which is a 100 kms from Kumbakonam.

Those asking why are people from the north working in banks in rural areas don’t realize that recruitment to the post of officers in public sector banks happens on an all-India basis and there are enough number of candidates from the south placed in rural branches in states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, etc. As the southern states like Karnataka, Andhra, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu are found to be a more attractive for educational and other facilities many from the north are open about moving to southern states while those from Tamil Nadu due to their apprehension about Hindi mostly choose any one of the southern states.

There is a saying in Tamil that goes “Vandhaarai Vaazha Vaikkum Tamil Nadu”, meaning, “Tamil Nadu, the place that welcomes people and gives them livelihood”. Let us not make those arriving here for want of opportunities and better life to regret about their decision.