Small Customers Are Daridra Narayana..

We treat all our customers equally. It's in our DNA. The small customers are the Daridra Narayana and we are the most happy to serve them.

O P Bhatt 

Chairman 

State Bank of India

Mangalore Air Tragedy and SBI's healing touch

A few days back there was an interesting forward of the activities of our SBI Mangalore Branch head C.M.Tallur. Please read the heart-touching and moving story of how SBI responded to the unfolding events after the Air India Air Crash tragedy at Mangalore. An apt lesson of Banking with senstivity and responsivess. It is likely that this story will be picked up by the SBI Citizen intervention programme.  Let us salute and try to emulate the likes of Tallur in the Bank. Incidentally, he has also been promoted as AGM and will also be deputed to America for 3 days to participate in the American Kannadigas Conference.  Who says good times have ceased for good and hardworking colleagues in our Bank? - Madhu Bhat

SBI HELPLINE - MANGALORE AIR CRASH

(An initiative resulting in Collective Fulfillment)

22 May 2010 is a Black Saturday in Indian Aviation history. “A plane has crashed in Bajpe! And it is an Air India plane from Gulf”. We received   shocking waves of News, which went screamingly into our ears. We as a TEAM at our Branch pooled ourselves together through an internal communication network and started dwelling on as to what could be of its impact and what we can do in this agony stricken situation. We knew that most of the passengers could be our customers, friends, or other acquaintances especially when our branch has 7000 NRIs with nearly 400 crores business held with us. Most of us in Mangalore branch have a habit of rushing to the branch and form a Think-Tank group to dwell on the subject matter and chalk out a possible road map whenever any such calamity or disaster emerges.

2. We started getting calls and were slowly getting into the grave situation of no come back. The members started collecting the names and addresses of customers and family members who were said to be affected. Even after waiting up to late noon, nothing more could be worked out, as all routes to Airport were closed. AGM who had excellent liaison with District Administration and Public Health could secure a list of ill fated passengers with their details of name,   Phone-numbers,   passport number and local residential address. As all the staff members of Mangalore branch had left by that time, the action was shifted to AGMs residence where his college going daughters took the responsibility of making a soft copy of the information received in a hard copy, which was segregated into specific areas and other logistics. The names of the bereaved family was re-arranged, area wise and attached to our branches located in these areas. While AGM and Manager(RM-NRI) went around places including Morgue, to enable the onlookers and general public to have a fair chance of identifying SBI in the crowd so that we could also reach to the needy.

3. The following day (Sunday) was reserved for drawing up a Holistic Plan to smoothen the after effects of the perils and sufferings of this national disaster. The Controller and GM (NW-1) were contacted seeking their guidance. The top leaders in Officer’s Association and Staff Union were contacted who pledged full support of their members. GM directed us that every help should be extended 24*7 to reach   to the bereaved families. While it was gathered that most of the bereaved families belong to Blue Collared Segment and in most of the cases, the bread winner had lost life; sanctioning of a temporary overdraft for sustenance covering the interim period was permitted as special case. The services of CM(NRI-Banking) at LHO were also romped in who took special interest in drawing up of the blue print of the total plan and securing necessary approvals. The Help Lines at Mangalore and Udupi branches were opened and suitable Press Releases were made to leading national and local dailies. Our aim was to reach out to every family and their kith and kin of those who are affected, irrespective of the fact that they were our existing customers or not.  VASUDHAIVA    KUTUMBAKAM was the mantra for us.

4.”Whom and How we will meet them?”, “How they would react?” , “What should I speak and with what information I should come back with?”- were some of the apprehensions of the staff    members at the identified branches. Most of us had never seen any of such disasters nor we had had done any such counseling to anyone in our career earlier. AGM took on himself to conduct “TEST VISITS” for two or three such families on Sunday. He came back with an idea of The Feed Back Form which    could be filled in by the visiting staff members which could be maintained as a master document here after. The next working day(Monday) saw RM to direct the branches under his control to reach out to the affected families along with feedback form. Grahaka Mitras were to invariably accompany the team leader. Within a couple of days most of the visits were over and the feedback forms/information started pouring in. The managers attached to Help Line started collecting the data and revisited some of the families. The SOS calls started coming from nooks and corners of Kerala state to Karwar in Karnataka. A constant touch was also maintained with the authorities at Air India who started directing us the people seeking help for their needs in Banking area. A firm of our empanelled Advocates volunteered to extend their professional service to the claimants for drafting Affidavits and Power of Attorneys to be executed for free of cost. Local TV channels commenced telecasting the information about our Help Line with telephone numbers at free of cost. AGM visited most of the Condolences Meeting of Air-crash victims not only to pay our respects but to reiterate our firm commitment of continuing the help-line, till all the problems of victims are averted. Needless to add that when the compensation amount was given nearly 90% of the families wanted to open accounts with only SBI.

4.1 We still remember that day, an elderly man poured six cheques of Rs.20Lakhs each on the table of the AGM, which he received as a compensation for 6 of his family members who had lost their life in the Air-crash. “Keep the money the way you want, as I have nothing to gain when 6 of my family members are no more. I still remember, vividly when one of you were in my house during dark and difficult times when none of our relatives or friends could be with us”, he said, with his eyes sunk in despair. 

4.2 We had a welcome surprise too, when a short looking man dismounted from an Ambulance Van and started walking into our branch with a cheque and copies of photographs in his hand. “Now I believe only in SBI and I want to open an account here”, he said with brimming confidence. Each one of us was eager to touch him and shake hands with him when we learnt that he is one of the lucky survivors. He seems to be sanguine that he wanted to bank with only SBI and no other bank could instill confidence in him. One of our staff members who shook hands with him quipped “Please pass on some percentage of your luck to me!”. Smilingly he hugged a few of us with affection. He and his confidence in us, is the future for us.

5. Now it is a time for us to revisit all these homes again to smile and say and also ensure “AAAL IZZ WEL”.  

- C M TALLUR
Asst. General Manager, 
STATE BANK OF INDIA, 
MANGALORE BRANCH - 575001
email: tallur.cm@sbi.co.in    Cell: 91-9448993308

Courtesy: SBI POs' 1988 Google Group via Jayant Majumdar 

THE SAINT AND THE SCORPION

Discourse: Swami Chidananda

One day a sadhu went to the river to bathe. There he noticed a scorpion struggling in the water. Scorpions cannot swim and the sadhu knew that if he did not save the scorpion, it would drown. Therefore, carefully picking up the scorpion, the monk rescued it from drowning and was just about to set it down gently on land when the scorpion stung his finger. In pain, the sadhu instinctively flung his hand and the scorpion went flying, back into the river. As soon as the sadhu regained his composure from the sting, he again lifted the scorpion out of the water. Again, before he could set the scorpion safely on land, the creature stung him. This drama went on for several minutes.

A hunter watched as the saint carefully and gingerly lifted the creature out of the water, only to fling it back in as he convulsed in pain from each fresh sting. Finally, the hunter said to the sadhu, “Forgive me for my frankness, but it is clear that the scorpion is simply going to continue to sting you each and every time you try to carry it to safety. Why don’t you give up and just let it drown?”

The sadhu replied: “My dear child, the scorpion is not stinging me out of malice or evil intent. Just as it is the water’s nature to make me wet, so it is the scorpion’s nature to sting. He doesn’t realise that i am carrying him to safety. That is a level of conscious comprehension greater than what his brain can achieve. But, just as it is the scorpion’s nature to sting, so it is my nature to save. Just as he is not leaving his nature, why should i leave my nature? My dharma is to help any creature of any kind – human or animal. Why should i let a small scorpion rob me of the divine nature which i have cultivated through years of sadhana?”

In our lives we encounter people who harm us, insult us, plot against us, whose actions seem calculated to thwart the successful achievement of our goals. Sometimes these are obvious acts, such as a co-worker who continually steals our ideas or speaks badly of us to our boss. Sometimes these acts are subtle – a friend, relative or colleague who unexpectedly betrays us or who we find has been surreptitiously speaking negatively about us behind our back.

Slowly we find that our own actions, words and thoughts become driven by anger and pain. We find ourselves engaged in cunning thoughts of revenge. Before we realise it, we are injuring ourselves by allowing negative emotions dominate us. They insulted us or plotted against us or sabotaged a well-deserved achievement at work. But we injure ourselves more deeply and more gravely by allowing our hearts and minds to darken. Our dharma is to be kind, pure, honest, giving, sharing and caring. Others, due to ignorance, lack of understanding or due to the way in which their own karmic drama is unfolding, may act with malice, deceit, selfishness and indifference. But we must not let their actions or their ignorance deprive us of fulfilling our dharma. We must not allow ourselves to be lowered by their ignorance, their habits or their greed. The darkness in their heart should not be allowed to penetrate into the lightness of our hearts.

Courtesy: TOI / The Speaking Tree

CITIZEN SBI INTERVENTION - II

Intervention I focused on Individual Fulfilment and Positive Contribution being the means to achieve Individual fulfilment.

Intervention – II focuses on Collective Fulfilment. Collective Fulfilment includes personal fulfilment and the joy of sharing, involving others in our state of fulfilment. Collective Fulfilment happens when individuals work in a spirit of team work and team energy. 

Intervention II is aimed at enabling us to recognise the practical applications of citizenship principles in day to day banking. Thus the goal of Intervention II is to consolidate the Citizenship Ideal in the minds of State Bankers. To achieve this, a three level approach is being adopted. 

1. At the first level in a unit, all staff members are enabled to recognise and make Contribution Handshakes with their customers and colleagues. A contribution handshake takes place when we meet a deeper goal of the customer/colleague beyond the functional task. There exists a Contribution Handshake opportunity in every customer interaction or interaction between colleagues and the staff recognise the uppermost concern or value sought by the customer or colleague in the interaction, and responds in a manner such that this concern is addressed. The programme offers Nine  handshakes viz.,  Reassurance, Reliability,  Visibility, Value for Time, Make it happen, Recognition, Ease of Use, Physical comfort, which individuals can adopt and practice easily.

2. The second level covers Contribution Projects.  These are short-term, energizing projects undertaken by small teams in every unit focused on superior engagement with the customers thus laying foundation for deeper relationships amongst customers/staff.

3. The Third level involves creating a Shared Contribution Vision.  At this level the unit head as a leader envisions a desired end state for the customers depending upon the profile of the branch and its clientele. The unit head and his team connect with the customers at a level of total relationship, and focus on contributions that support such relationships. Here each of the staff contribute individually and synthesize their contributions to create a whole, much like a symphony where each musician contributes, yet the whole is greater than the parts. Contribution Vision multiplies the power of individual contributions by tying them up to a larger vision for the unit as a whole.

    In addition to the above, a forum will be formed which will aim at a co-ordinated harmonious working at a inter unit level, particularly between branches and CPCs. This will be achieved through a mechanism called Regional Collective Fulfilment Team (RCFT). 

RCFT is Region-level forum comprising of unit heads and the AGM (Region) where:

• Inter-unit issues are raised and resolved, particularly issues related to post BPR units like CPCs and Sales Teams.

• The unit members learn from each other in the region and replicate successes in their units.

• Solve challenges at a region-level.

• Improve coordination between units.

Visioning

Visioning is not difficult. It is our thought of a desired state that generates energy and puts us in action to achieve the desired goal.

Let us think of our childhood experience when we were learning how to ride a bicycle. Many times we fell down, got bruises here and there. Did we give up riding bicycle? Rather, we tried with renewed vigor and energy. Why we did so? The vision that I was also riding the bicycle was vividly in my mind i.e. thought process. Nothing could derail me in my pursuit to learning the riding of a bicycle.

We behave as we feel. We feel as we think. May be revising the thought process is a bit difficult as status quo gives a feel of comfort. It is similar to “liking the old cheese”. But when I look back and I find that there had been umpteen number occasions where I had achieved something, there was visioning of the desired state or result behind such achievement.

Can we think of our CAIIB exam? It was not the monetary incentive alone. A State Banker who had completed both parts was treated as someone knowledgeable and dependable source of banking information. The visioning myself in such a state enthused me to keep on trying and passing out both parts.

So, there may be temporary phase of setbacks, resistances, but once vision is clear, ultimate is reaching to the desired state.

P. K. Banerjee

I am the least-paid Fortune 500 CEO: Om Prakash Bhatt

By Partha Sinha and Shubham Mukherjee

The State Bank of India broke into the Fortune 500 club during Om Prakash Bhatt's current five-year tenure as chairman — surely something to celebrate. And he is proud of the fact that not only did he get SBI there, but the bank has also been inching up a few notches with every passing year. However, there is something about that list which bothers him. He points out that he is the lowest-paid CEO on the Fortune 500 list. (The SBI chairman's compensation in the last financial year was Rs 27 lakh, while on an average a Fortune 500 CEO earns more than $10 million or Rs 47 crore a year). 

Maybe Bhatt has something to look forward to when he hangs up his boots as the top boss of the bank in March 2011. Being the head of the country's largest commercial bank, he would get a red carpet welcome from any financial services company in the private sector, which wants to fortify its position in the country and there would be a willing candidate in Bhatt. By his own admission, he cannot afford to retire on the pension of SBI. "I need to work to support my family," he says rather humbly over coffee in his rather spacious 18th floor office in Mumbai's central business district — Nariman Point. The building is like a fortress with two sets of checks and a barricade, designed to keep out a moving vehicle without credentials. And why not? It's the headquarters of the country's largest bank with a deposit base of over Rs 8 lakh crore and a turnover of Rs 86,000 crore. 

His room has a lovely view of the Arabian Sea and parts of Marine Drive and there are at least three sets of room ACs to keep the temperature, of a place where some of the hottest decisions of the banking sector are taken, a little low. A replica of Krishna and Arjun at the battlefield of Kurukshetra rests on a table, perhaps reminding him of the continuous battle to keep his place under the sun. There are innumerable trophies which line a cabinet on one side of the room from the various battles won. Besides, there is a hockey stick, which adorns one wall —signed by the Indian hockey team which won the Asia Cup a few years ago. 

Dressed in a black suit, looking every inch the proverbial banker, the 59-year-old from Dehradun, answers all the questions in a similar soft tone throughout the course of the two-hour-long chat. For a man, who brought in several changes to the public sector bank known to be slow but steady monolith, he was successful in hiding his tough and aggressive side. In fact, the tough banker appeared to be in a good mood as he is usually not known to be pinned down for such long chats. 

Bhatt is not averse to taking tough decisions if it's for the long-term benefit of the bank's customers. Soon after he took over as SBI chief, for 90 days, he had put the implementation of the core banking solutions being implemented by TCS on hold. Only after the solutions were rejigged to make them more user-friendly for the bank's employees and customers, did he put the process back on track. The depth and reach of the bank that Bhatt runs can be gauged by the fact that while on one hand, SBI has an average car loan size of around Rs 3 lakh, recently it financed — in one day — over 100 Mercs for a group of businessmen in Aurangabad. "We also a financed a Rolls Royce last month," he quipped. 

Similarly, while its average home loan is Rs 11 lakh, SBI has also financed homes which cost 10 times that amount. And due to its legacy, SBI treats all its customers equally. "It's in our DNA," Bhatt says in a matter of fact manner and for him, "the small customers are the Daridra Narayan and we are the most happy to serve them". His bosses in the Union finance ministry should be happy with the description as it fits in wonderfully with the government's larger goal of financial inclusion.

It's difficult not to notice the assortment of rings that adorn his fingers, perhaps keeping in balance all the planetary configurations of the time. And it sure appears to have paid off for Bhatt. Apart from transforming the largest bank in the country in less than five years, under him SBI won almost all the banking award in India. Clearly, Bhatt takes pride in his work. He showed us a video of a recent advertisement for the bank — twice — and took pains to explain its concept, at a time which was perhaps overlapping with his lunch break. 

Courtesy: The Times of India

It would have been difficult for him to achieve what he has, if it was not for his leadership skills. One has to understand that since SBI is a government company, he did not have the luxury of paying anyone anything extra, give a bonus or offer an out-of-turn promotion. So, he had the unenviable job of keeping the employees motivated and grow the bank without offering anything tangible, except the passion of it all. "I spend about 40% of my time on staff. I listen to them, I spend time with them, at times for days. I brought in a specially designed module called 'Parivartan' which has increased employee efficiency."

Eat your way to happiness

By Elizabeth Somer

You've heard the old adage 'You are what you eat.' Most of us realise the truth of that statement when it comes to our physical health... 

Literally,what you eat or don't eat for breakfast will affect how well you feel,how much energy you have and how clearly you think by midafternoon.What you have for lunch may well determine how sharp you are midafternoon or set the stage for whether you battle cravings at night for buttery popcorn or gallons of ice cream.It also might affect how well you sleep that night,which then affects how alert and energetic you are the next day.

Every atom,every molecule,every cell,tissue,organ and system in your body is made up of the ingredients in the foods you eat,the water you drink and the air you breathe.Cell membranes are made up of fats and proteins from foods like the pulses or nuts you had for lunch.The energy your brain uses to relay messages comes from the carbs in a bowl of cereal at breakfast,and the B vitamins that convert those carbs into cell energy came from the milk you poured over the cereal.So it just makes sense that you literally are exactly what you choose to eat.

Every sprig of broccoli,every leaf of spinach,every bite of tuna or egg or potato is converted into the living organism your friends call you.Give your body the right mix of the right nutrients at the right time,and your body hums along like a well-oiled,highly tuned,perfectly-timed machine.Feed it junk,and it's no surprise you feel horrible,gain weight and are likely to age before your time.

Citings / ET

Social Entrepreneur: Vegetable soup for the soul

By TAPASH TALUKDAR 

A vegetable vendor carrying an IIM-Ahmedabad MBA degree sounds like a spoof of some 1970s Hindi movie on unemolyment, but ask Kaushalendra, who has chosen to do the unthinkable, and he will give you an eye-opener: “No business is small, as long as it delivers a big mission.” 

Kaushalendra ventured into selling vegetables in Bihar after receiving MBA degree from India’s top B-school IIM-A. He topped the PGP-ABM batch in 2007 but declined offers from MNCs and boarded a train to Nalanda to work with his ‘own people’. The son of a farmer, who mostly studied under street lamps, always had an aim to revolutionise the lives of farmers. 

In 2008, he formed KNIDS Green in 2008, bringing together more than 3,000 farmers to deliver fresh vegetables in major districts of Bihar. This public-private partnership firm was set up with the support of Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), which supplies fresh vegetables in air-cooled push-carts. 

In the last two years, Kaushalendra has seen the emergence of a new Bihar where people have the freedom to invest on their consumption patterns. “I inherently sensed that administration in Bihar have provided people a new freedom,” says the 29-year-old entrepreneur, who sees his mission in making Bihar a “vegetable hub of the country”. Towards this purpose, says Kaushalenra, the challenge before KNIDS is to bridge the gap between growers and end-consumers through a systematic supply-chain technique and effective distribution network. 

KNIDS encourages farmers to produce organic vegetables and monitors the grading, sorting and packaging of the product before supplying it to its partnered vendors for immediate distribution to residential, commercial and market places. This integrated process has wiped out the commission of middle-men and raised the farmers’ income by more than 35%. Kaushalendra’s brand, Samriddhi has become a household name in Patna, Ara, Jahanabad and Nalanda districts of the state. Samriddhi’s designer push-carts offers vegetables at competitive prices to consumers, in some cases 15% lesser than the local vendor. 

“It is a volume-game,” he says. The current 50 push-carts help in increasing the shelf-life and reduce the wastage of agri-produce to a large extent,” says Kaushalendra. “Then, there are display ads on these fibre-frame carts, which the firm re-invests into strengthening the supply-chain, distribution processes and firmly adds number of farmers.” As a true marketer, Kaushalendra even makes free home deliveries for larger volumes and issue cash memos to maintain transparency. “In vegetable business, you should know how to sell fast,” he says, before adding, “Chances are that our vegetables might be reaching to chief minister Nitish Kumar’s residence too.” 

Two years in business, KNIDS has already done a trade of Rs 4 crore and is hoping to foray into Dubai markets for exotic vegetables. For which, Kaushalendra is setting up a poly-house to grow various varieties of bell peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower etc. Plans are afoot to raise Rs 50 crore through venture capital funding to expand the reach and cover the entire state. 

“It took me nine months to hire my first employee,” he reminisces. “The locals did not understand the concept of a start-up firm.” The Friends of Women World Banking provided him a loan of Rs 5 lakh to kick-start his venture. And Kaushalendra kept their faith in him. “Things are changing now,” he says. Out of his staff of 40, half of them have joined him leaving behind their urban postings. For a young-entrepreneur like him, who saw floods destroying villages over the last many years, providing regular incomes to farmers is an over-whelming feeling. But he is looking ahead instead of recounting his achievements, when he says, “The excitement has just begun.”

Courtesy: The Economic Times

"This is a programme which we'll carry forward to our branch and do something there.." - Syed Mudassar Ali

Contribution Projects Lab at SBLC, Indore

The first contribution projects lab has just concluded at SBLC, Indore. While all the participants are happily enjoying snacks and tea, one participant is standing slightly aside. I ask him why he is not joining others for tea. He tells me that he is observing Roza. 

He is Syed Mudassar Ali from Khirkiya branch.

He appears very cheerful and says - Usually we attend programmes and they begin and end at the SBLCs. This is a programme which we'll carry forward to our branch and do something there. We have learned about contribution handshakes and contribution projects. We'll go back and share the concepts with our entire team and try to do our best for the customers. I am sure we can do a lot for them after this programme.

It is already 6.20 pm and he has to go to the masjid nearby for iftaar. The energy and cheer radiating from him generates a lot of hope for the future of this programme..

Live from SBLC, Indore 

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE ARE NOT THINGS!

By Dr. Robert Rohm

The Stanford Research Institute, Harvard University, and the Carnegie Foundation once spent over one million dollars and five years of research studying why some people succeed. After the study was concluded, it was determined that 15% of the reason a person is able to get a job, keep a job, and move ahead in that job, is determined by his or her technical skills and knowledge, regardless of the profession. The other 85% of the reason a person is able to get a job, keep that job, and move ahead in that job, is directly related to people skills. It soon becomes apparent that working with people and managing people, starting with ourselves, must be a high priority if we are going to be successful.

Even though I have heard that statistic quoted many times, I am still amazed at how much of business and life is primarily dictated by the task at hand, rather than the people skills that are necessary to complete the job. It seems to me that because the task often overrides the relationship, we tend to get our eyes on the wrong thing. We frequently focus on accomplishing the task in front of us rather than realizing the value found in relationships.

Almost every marriage begins on a great note because two people set out to build a lasting relationship. However, it is not long until accomplishing tasks becomes the norm. Getting up, going to work, paying the bills, cutting the grass, house repairs, car maintenance, painting the fence…well, I think you get the idea. Can you see how the tasks scream at you and it is not long before it drowns out the relationship?

Anyone who has ever had children understands this as well. It starts with such a beautiful relationship when your own flesh and blood is born into the world. And quickly, the tasks begin - feeding, changing, and watching the baby. That infant quickly becomes a young child. Then, protecting them, raising them, educating them, training them, taking them to school and to all sorts of school activities…I think you get the idea again. See how the task constantly pulls against the relationship? Yet, according to the study that I quoted above, the most important aspect of success has to do with people skills and relationships while only 15% has to do with the tasks that seem to so easily consume us. I don’t know about you, but I find that simply remarkable.

The place I see this demonstrated best is in restaurants. Naturally, when you go into a restaurant, you are going there for the purpose of eating. Therefore, it is a task you are trying to accomplish. Yet, stop and think about it for a minute. The person who can either make or break the entire experience is usually the server who waits on you. If they have a positive, upbeat, friendly attitude when you place your order, almost everything goes well. But, if they seem to have a sour, bent-out-of-shape attitude, it immediately makes the experience unpleasant. It even causes the food you order not to taste as good! I would be willing to bet that the majority of the times when we go out to eat most of us have a good experience. However, we have all had a bad experience on occasion. It usually has very little to do with the food and almost everything to do with the relational connection which we call service. That is why the relationship, whether in sales or service, must be the deciding factor that carries the day.

Do you treat the people that you work with every day like they are important to you? What about the people you live with or your extended family? What about those that you hardly know, but whom you come in contact with on a fairly regular basis? One of the most valuable pieces of information that I possess is the knowledge that relationships are more important than things; that people are more important than tasks; and that success, by a large margin, is found in our people skills, not in our technical skills or knowledge.

This week, step back and make a concentrated effort to have a paradigm shift in your life. I am not suggesting in any way that you give up learning the technical skills you need in order to accomplish the tasks you want to see completed. But, put the horse in front of that cart and go out of your way to demonstrate positive, uplifting, encouraging, helpful people skills with those with whom you come in contact. You will see a major difference in your own personal attitude as well as in the success rate of all that you do.

Courtesy: Anup Sen's E-group

Life

Fear is the biggest obstacle in life. 


Mother Teresa

SMALL THINGS: Done with great love.

Remembering Mother Teresa on her centenary

SMALL THINGS: Done with great love.

CITIZENS FROM SOLAR CITY

Contribution Lab in progress at Agartala (Tripura) N.E. Circle. Shir H.K. Dhar, DGM & CDO, LHO, Guwahati seen interacting with participants.

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NORTH EAST

Contribution Lab in progress at Dimapur Centre.

ऐसे आये थे गाँधी जी ..

जब मेरी शाखा प्रबंधक के रूप में नारायणगंज (जिला -मंडला ) में पदस्थापना हुई तो अचानक मुझे याद आया कि बहुत पहले मैने कहीं किसी किताब में पढ़ा था कि वर्ष १९३३-१९३४ में महात्मा गाँधी नारायणगंज की हरिजन बस्ती में पकुआ के घर आये थे , वहां से उन्होंने छुआछुत की बीमारी दूर करने का प्रयोग किया था , ये बात नारायणगंज पहुचने के बाद लगातार याद आती रही और लगता रहा की वह स्थान देखने मिल जाता जहाँ पर महात्मा गाँधी ने पकुआ के हाथ से पानी पिया था और हरिजन बस्ती में छुआछूत पर भाषण दिया था

जबलपुर के स्वतंत्रता सेनानी व्योहार राजेंद्र सिंह की नारायणगंज में मालगुजारी थी वहां बियाबान जंगल के बीच में उनकी पुराने ज़माने की कोठी थी । जब महात्मा गांधी १९३३-३४ में जबलपुर आये थे तो व्योहार राजेंद्र सिंह के अनुरोध पर वे उनके मालगुजारी गाँव एवं जंगल घुमने उनके साथ ६ डिसेम्बर १९३३ को नारायणगंज में आराम करने के बाद हरिजन बस्ती में पकुआ के घर जाकर स्थानीय सवर्णों को पकुआ के हाथों से पानी पिला कर छुआछुत की प्रथा को समाप्त करने का प्रयोग किया था ।

मैने स्टेट बैंक नारायणगंज में २००५ में शाखा प्रबंधक के रूप में कार्यभार लिया तो गांधी जी याद आये और याद आया उनका नारायणगंज प्रवास , तब से हम व्याकुल रहते कि कहाँ है वह जगह जहाँ गांधी जी बैठे थे ? परन्तु नई पीढी के लोग यह मानने कोराजी ही नहीं थे कि महात्मा गांधी नारायणगंज आये थे । जिससे भी हम पूछ- ताछ करते सभी को ये बातें झूठी लगती , नयी पीढी के लोग मजाक बनाते कि बैंक में इस बार ऐसा मेनेजर आया है जो नारायणगंज में महात्मा गांधी और कोई पकुआ को खोज रहा है । बस्ती में तरह -तरह के लोगों से पूछते- पूछते हम हैरान हो गए थे , किसी को पता नहीं था न कोई बताने को राजी था ।

एक दिन शाखा में बहुत लोग एकत्रतित थे मैं हॉल खाचा खच भरा हुआ था , एक फटेहाल ९५ साल की बुढ़िया जिसकी कमर पुरी तरह से झुकी हुई थी मजबूर होकर मेरे केबिन की तरफ निरीह नजरों से देख रही थी , नजरें मिलते ही हमने तुरंत उसे केबिन में बुलाकर बैठाया , पानी पिलाया चाय पिलाई वह गद -गद से हो गई उसकी आँखों में गजब तरह की खुशी और संतोष के भाव दिखे , उसकी ४००/ की पेंशन भी वहीँ दे दी गई , फिर आचक गांधी जी और पकुआ याद आ गए , हमने तुरंत उस बुढ़िया से पकुआ के नाम का जिक्र किया तो वह घबरा से गई उसके चेहरे में विस्मय और आश्चर्य की आजीब छाया देखने को मिली , जब हमने पूछा कि इस गाँव में कोई पकुआ नाम का आदमी को जानती हो ?तो हमारे इस प्रश्न से वह अचकचा से गई और सहम से गई कि क्या पकुआ के नाम पर बैंक में कोई पुराना क़र्ज़ तो नहीं निकल आया है तो उसने थोड़ी अनभिज्ञता सिदिखाई परन्तु वह अपने चहरे के भावों को छुपा नहीं पाई , धोखे से उसने कह ही दिया कि वे तो सीधे - साधे आदमी थे उनके नाम पर क़र्ज़ तो हो ही नहीं सकता ! में उचल पढ़ा था ऐसा लगा जैसे अपनी खोज के लक्ष्य तक पहुच गया , मैने तुरंत फेमस रसगुल्ला बुलवा लिया था और उसे चाय से खाने को कहा था।

गरीब हरिजन परिवार की ९५ साल की बुढ़िया के संकोच और संतोष ने हमें घायल कर दिया था हमने कहा कि पकुआ के नाम पर क़र्ज़ तो हो ही नहीं सकता , हम सिर्फ यह जानना चाहते है कि इस्गओं में कोई पकुआ नाम का आदमी रहता था जिसके घर में ७५ साल पहले महत्मा गांधी जी आये थे , हम यह सुनकर आवक रह गए जब उसने बताया कि पकुआ उसके ससुर (फाठेर इन ला )होते है , उसने बताया कि उस ज़माने में जब पकुआ की ढपली बजती थी तो हर आदमी के रोंगटे खड़े हो जाते थे ,पकुआ हरिजन जरूर था पर उसे गाँव के सभी लोग प्यार करते थे ,गाँव में उसकी इज्जत होती थी बस ये बात जरूर थी कि छुआ-छुट का इतना ज्यदा प्रचलन था कि जहाँ से पकुआ ढपली बजाते हुए निकल जाता था वहां का रास्ता बाद में पानी से धोया जाता था , उस ज़माने में हरिजनों को गाँव के कुए से पानी भरने की इजाजत नहीं होती थी , जब मैने उस से पूछा कि ७५ साल पहले आपके घर कोई गांधी जी आये थे क्या ? तब उसने सर ढंकते हुए एवं बाल खुजाते हुए याद किया और कहा हाँ कोई महात्माजी तो जरोर आये थे पर वो महात्मा गांधी थे कि नहीं ये नहीं मालूम ! 

मैने पूछा कि क्या पहिन रखा था उनोने उस समय ? तब उसने बताया कि हाथ में लाठी लिए और सफेद धोती पहिने थे गोल गोल चस्मा लगाये थे , उस समय उस महात्मा ने गाँव में गजब तमाशा किया था कि पकुआ के हाथ से सभी सवर्णों को पानी पिलवा दिया था , सबने बिना मन के पानी पिया था और कुछ को तो उल्टी भी हो गई थी बाद में हम ही ने सफाई की थी , में दंग रह गया था मुझे ऐसा लगा मैने बहुत बड़ी जंग जीत ली है , साल भर से गली- गली गाँव भार में सभी लोगों से पूछता था तो सब मेरा मजाक उधाते थे , आज मैने उस किताब में लिखी बैटन को सही होते पाया , मैने उस दादी से सभी तरह की जानकारी ले डाली उसने बताया था कि ७५ साल से हमारा परिवार भुखमरी का जीवन जी रहा है हम सताए हुए लोग है आप को ये क्या हो गया जो हमारी इतनी आव-भगत कर रहे है आज तक किसी ने भी हमारी इतनी परवाह नहीं की न ही किसी ने हमे मदद की कल रत की रोटी का जुगाड़ हो पता है या नहीं ऐसी असंभव भरी जिन्दगी जीने के हम आदी हो गए है , लड़के बच्चे पैसे के आभाव में पढ़ नहीं पाए थोड़ी बहुत मजदूरी कर के गुजरा चलता रहा है एक होनहार नातिन जरूर है जो होशियार है अभी एक राज्य स्थर की खेल प्रतियोगिता में पैसे के आभाव में भाग नहीं ले सकी , राजधानी खेलने जाना था पर ,

अचानक मुझे यद् आया कि हमारे प्रिय चेयरमेन साहेब जी ने होनहार गरीब बच्चियों को गोद लेकर उनके हुनर को खोज कर उनके होसले बुलंद करने की एक योजना " गिर्ल्स अदाप्तेसिओं स्कीम " निकली है मैने तुरंत अपने स्टाफ को उस दादी के घर भेज कर उसकी नातिन नेहा ह्थाले को बुलाया , और तुरंत नियंत्रक से दूरभास पर बात कर के नेहा को इस योजना में शामिल कर लिया , उनके चेहरों में आयी खुशी को देख कर मुझे पहली बार महसूस हुआ कि वास्तव में खुशी का चेहरा कैसा होता है , मुझे गांधी जी और पकुआ लगातार याद आ रहे थे कोई स्थानीय पत्रकार को इसकी भनक लग गई और उसने यह समाचार शहर भेज दिया गांधी जी की रोती हुई तस्वीर के साथ पूरा समाचार फेमस अखवारों में छपा यह खबर पढ़ कर ई -टीवी वाले आ गए , ई -टीवी ने कव्रागे कर ह्य्द्राबाद खबर भेज दी ई- टीवी के न्यूज़ चेनेल ने सभी भाष्हों में इसे प्रसारित किया , सेन्ट्रल आफिस कि प्रयास पत्रिका ने भी इस खबर को छपा और चरों तरफ स्टेट बैंक की खूब प्रशंशा हुई कि जिस हरिजन परिवार में ७५ साल पाहिले गाँधी जी आये और जो परिवार ७५ साल से भुखमरी का जीवन जी रहा था उस परिवार की होनहार बेटी को सबसे पहले स्टेट बैंक ने मदद कर उसके प्रगति के द्वार खोले , तब मुझे पूर्ण विश्वास हुआ कि नारायणगंज में "ऐसे आये थे गांधी जी "..

-जय प्रकाश पाण्डेय
director, 
rural self employment training institute,
umariya (m.p.)
mob. 9425852221
jppandey121@gmail.com

Citizen team story from Kirandul

SHARED BY SHRI T.R.PADMAKARAM, CHIEF MANAGER, KIRANDUL BRANCH(2866)

The branch did not have the legacy of participating collectively in some organised group tasks in the past and there was an urgent need for uniting them to involve in some challenging task. To start with, a thought was made to involve the branch in some community development programme for the benefit of all the staff members including the bank guards as well as the local community in general.

Strategy Adopted:

A meeting was organised and the entire staff was involved to identify an issue which has been troubling the society in general and the environment in particular. Finally it was pinned down to make a demonstration   to the society on the hazards of increased usage of polythene in the daily routine.

In order to exhibit homogeneity in the group it was decided to have some commonality in the attire to carry out this task.  It was therefore decided to prepare aprons uniformly for all the staff members including ladies with catchy slogans  and  the Bank’s Symbol.

It was collectively decided to carry out door to door campaign in small groups to educate the people of Kirandul the intricacies of this menace. The following information was shared with them along with some catchy slogans in Hindi to reach the common mass by way of handouts prepared for this occasion.

Message: What are the hazards of polythene?

Polythene is not biodegradable

• Polyethene threatens the life in the water bodies. The polyethene articles (e.g. six pack rings) affects the survival of animals the aquatic and marine eco systems.
• Polyethene is also likely to clog the drains causing problems in the water flow of the pipes. The pipe blockages would cause flooding and the free flow of water is disturbed.
• Polyethene is harmful for animals if swallowed. It can accumulate in the bowels which ultimately becomes lethal to the animal.
• In most households poly bags are used to preserve food items. Re-used bag may be contaminated by materials harmful to human health.
• They also provide breeding ground for mosquitoes that spread diseases likes dengue, malaria and others vector ailments. 
• Polythene bags are amongst major contributor to environmental pollution and related hazards. Ironically, residents did not due play their role to prevent usage of these bags.

Since NMDC works on Sundays we had chosen a national holiday i.e Republic day to carry out this project. On the previous day we displayed some posters/ hoardings at all the vital points in the town  to draw the attention of the people specially prepared for this event to depict some facts of the growing menace in this area.

Before start of the event immediately after the flag hoist we jointly resolved to discard usage of polyethylene and make increased usage of jute/ cotton bags for procurement of our daily needs from the market. Jute bags were distributed amongst the staff members to symbolise the moment in-house first.

Six small teams were prepared and localities  were designated to each team to be covered in coordination with other teams making use of mobiles to review the progress from time to time. Every staff member took this programme as a challenge and exhibited their traits to spread this common message. Almost every house in Kirandul was visited and the message spread to the residents. The movement took a final shape by meeting the General Manager of NMDC Kirandul project at his residence to give a wrap-up of the day’s event. The GM was extremely elated to know how such a great movement could be thought of and take a shape which NMDC could not think of till date. The event was highlighted in their house magazine “Baila News”. The initiative was acknowledged well by the society in general. Using this opportunity as a tool to propagate our recent initiatives especially in the alternate channels we highlighted the features of Internet Banking/ Mobile Banking/ ATM Channels etc. in the same handout for the benefit of the public in general.

The success was finally celebrated jointly by all the staff members uniting at one spot with snacks and soft drinks before bidding goodbye. Our success story was also published in the news media in almost all the local news papers.

The motive of uniting the staff members under a common banner to establish the fact that any thing is possible if the task is performed unitedly was demonstrated amidst the staff members. Apart from getting good mileage to the Bank the staff also got energised by this movement. It was a success story of this unit.

Courtesy: K Natarajn, Citizen Facilitator, SBLC, Raipur