APPENDIX THAT IMPLODED

Omana is an employee of the retail giant ‘Butterflies’.  She is an assistant storekeeper  at the Butterflies Hyper Market at  Thembamood.  Butterflies has outlets all over the state and the one at Thembamood has been outperforming the rest for several years.

Omana had been experiencing severe abdominal pain for almost a year. She had tried Abhaya Arishtam – an Ayurvedic medicine – for a while. The pain did not subside. Her periods became an ordeal. She consulted Dr. Sarala Sasidharan, Gynaecologist at the Vembanad Hospital at Thembamood. Dr. Sarala had been tending her patients efficiently.  After a number of tests and considerable expenditure Dr. Sarala advised Omana that her  uterus had four fibroids. However it did not require intervention. The abdominal pain she was encountering had nothing to do with the presence of fibroids. Dr. Sarala concluded that there was nothing wrong with the patient.  Though Omana went home happily the abdominal pain survived the investigation and treatment vehemently.

The persisting illness had made her life miserable and Omana had no other option than to report at the Jawahar Medical College Hospital at Thembamood.  Thembamood happened to be the capital of the state and had the finest medical facilities one could ever imagine. There was a rider. Though the hospital was equipped with most modern equipments and a state of the art laboratory nothing ever worked. The doctors were adamant that they considered reports from their own facilities quite unreliable. Most of the doctors insisted that the patients outsource the reports from private institutions operating on the periphery.  The doctors maintained that they could rely on such outsourced reports alone. A wag had once commented that there was the 30 percent factor.  Naturally the scarce resources the family could lay their hands upon had evaporated within no time.

Omana went through all the tests once again.  The doctors found nothing wrong except for the discovery of a spot on her small intestine which according to them was insignificant. As Omana was experiencing acute pain they referred her to the Deen Dayal Institute for Cancer at Thembamood. The doctors at the institute refused to even examine her because according to them Omana was suffering from an ailment that could be treated at the Jawahar Medical College Hospital itself. It was back to square one.

The brother in law of Omana was a well respected politician and he managed to invoke the intervention of the Health Minister of the State on Omana’s behalf. It worked wonders. Suddenly the facilities at the hospital started working without any hick up.  The doctors and the staff were extra courteous. The Deen Dayal Institute had no hesitation in examining Omana.  The institute referred her back to Jawahar Medical College Hospital as there was no evidence of cancer.

Omana was assigned a room adjacent to the post operative ward where the doctors and nurses could monitor her 24/7. They sympathized when she endured pain constantly. But no one could discover the cause.  Initially she had been admitted in the general ward. But the constant attention   she was given had antagonized the rest of the patients and their bystanders. It was essential to probe the cause of her disability. Fearing a political back lash the authorities had decided to shift her.

Exasperated the doctors suggested an option.  As the tests and the reports could not identify the causative factor, they suggested invasive surgery. They proposed to open the abdomen and probe. The patient had to be admitted to the Deen Dayal Institute. There was a condition. The patient and her relatives had to give them consent to operate and remove internal organs or the intestines if warranted. They could not hold the doctors and the hospital responsible for any unfortunate event. It was like signing a death warrant.  Omana and her relatives had no other option. The doctors at the Deen Dayal Institute had put forth yet another condition. They would operate on the patient if only the doctors from the Jawahar Medical College Hospital were associated with the surgery.

The politician knew the ropes very well.  He visited the anesthetist and presented a fat packet a day prior to the surgery.  There had been several instances in the state where the patients’ fortunes had nosedived when the anesthetist was not properly taken care of.  The anesthetist refused to accept it as he knew that the patient had the backing of the Health Minister.

When the surgery was performed the doctors were horrified to discover that Omana had a burst appendix that had gone unnoticed.  It had occurred months ago.  The intestines were glued with particles from the appendix and they surmised that the acute pain Omana had endured was due to the presence of the alien particles in the intestines. The surgeons did a thorough scavenging job on her.

Omana was discharged after convalescence. She was requested to report for review after one month. The review saw Omana in excellent health. The doctors remarked  she could consider herself lucky that it was not cancer she had been afflicted with and that it was the almighty Lord who had saved her.

Omana has rejoined duty and the immediate concern of the family is the huge debt that has piled up. They know the good Lord will never abandon them.

GALAXY BANK

I am sharing my experience at two branches of Galaxy Bank on 26092014

I had at one point of time worked for Galaxy Bank.  Galaxy Bank is the premier bank in the Indian Ocean island, Galaxy. Its capital is Galaxy. The island has a population of seventy lacs. Galaxy is a highly advanced nation where poverty has been extinguished through the power of people. The people are highly educated, industrious and motivated. Factories and industrial establishments churn out products that are in high demand all over the world. Its agriculture base is a model to the whole world.

I maintain an account with the Town Hall branch of Galaxy Bank.  My son maintains his account with its Air Port Branch.

I had visited the Town Hall Branch  on 26092014. I had required clarification from four desks. They were all courtesy personified. They had no hesitation in answering my queries. The Relationship Manager had displayed a caption in front of her to mobilise Deposits. It was indeed imaginative. I told her that I really had liked it. She immediately asked me whether I would like to open another account. I said I was a bit tight, but would do it later.

I came out of the branch with a smile.

A few days ago my son had received a letter from the Air Port Branch that required him to submit certain documents – ID proof – for updation.  The letter was not signed. Since my son was a little busy these days  I had taken the copies of his passport, driving licence and PR card to the branch for submission on his behalf. The staff at the desk at first refused to accept the documents unless it was accompanied by a printed form that was signed by my son. I requested him to accept the documents I had brought and assured that  I would submit the form later as it was difficult to submit it at once.

An official who was standing behind joined in and initially said the documents could not be accepted without the signed form. When I pointed out that in that case the bank ought to have sent the form along with the letter the official directed the staff to accept the documents.  He asked me to fill up the form. Since no chair was there I filled up the form standing. It was difficult as the counter was low. As I was filling it up the staff told me that I could do it sitting. Then he observed that he was sorry there was no chair. I said it was OK as I had been sitting for quite some time.

When I was submitting the form I asked whether I should fill up the nomination details. The official said I could not do it if the form was not signed by the account holder.  I submitted the form to the staff and requested him to hand over another form that I could submit at a later date duly signed by the account holder.

As I was about to leave I said I had worked for the bank at one point of time. The official remarked that he had recognised me the moment  I had stepped in and he was surprised I did not remember him.

At that point the Vice President came in to speak to the staff for some official matter. The staff advised I could leave as my business was finished. I introduced myself and told the Vice President that  there was some confusion over acceptance of ID documents. I heard him advise that the documents may be accepted for ID updation without insisting for  the accompanying signed format.

There was no smile as I had stepped out.

CHETTIAR’S TRAVAILS

Chettiar is a mason’s help. He came to work for Balu,  a mason who had worked for us at one point of time. Once Balu had finished the work assigned to him we did not see  Chettiar for a long time.

We faced a problem. Our compound was littered with dry leaves. It was dirty. It needed a thorough clean up. We were concerned since a dirty compound was an open invitation to rats, snakes and mosquitos. Dengue, Chickun Guniea and leptospirosis could any day erupt. We had already lost Jimmy, our pet dog, due to a Cobra’s venom.

I went out in search of a  worker who would do the job. The practice at our area was that the workers looking for work would converge in front of the local tea shop. If the terms are agreeable they would consent to come and work for you. Kerala has become so rich today that wokers for odd jobs have become an endangererd species. While we were young the workers used to hunt for work. It is the other way now. The employers hunt for workers. They relent to work for you at their own terms.

I found Chettiar loitering in front of the tea shop. I requested him to do the clean up operation in our compound. Chettiar expressed his inability to work for us because he was Balu’s man as far as we were concerned. If he came to work for us without Balu’s consent Balu would be annoyed. Balu would never employ him again. What Balu was doing was that out of the Rupees Five Hundred we were paying Balu for Chettiar’s work Balu would be keeping Rupees Fifty for himself and pay Chettiar Rupees Four hundred and Fifty only. Chettiar was going along with this as he did not like loitering in front of the tea shop every day. The loss of Rupees Fifty had meant that Chettiar had a steady employment all through the year. Recently Balu had taken up an assignment at Kottarakkara. As Chettiar was not prepared to leave Trivandrum he had to be unemployed for a while. Chettiar told me that I found him at the tea shop as  his family would starve if he did not work. But he followed his own ethics in the selection of his employer.

After much pleading and an assurance that Balu would be kept unaware the employment of Chettiar by us Chettiar agreed to work for us for four days.

Chettiar was unhesitating in doing the clean up. He would start at 8.00 Am and leave at 5.00 PM. He would stop in between for tea, lunch and rest when the Siren went off. The municipality had installed the Siren to let the workers take their time off in accordance with labour laws that prevailed in the State.  We were pretty happy that our compound at last sported a habitable look.

Chettiar on the third day had told us that he had to visit the Post Office at 9.00 AM. He explained that he was getting a Pension from the Labour Welfare Fund through the Post office in the form of Money Order. The Postman had left word that he had to collect it at 9.00 AM that day.

When we enquired further we learned the following. I am quoting Chettiar.

“ I am getting Rs.1537.00 as pension. The monthly pension is Rs.90.00. The Postman would never give me the fraction that is Rupees Seven telling me that he had no change. I would pay him Rupees fifty out of the Rupees One thousand five hundred thirty handed over to me. I do that because everyone is doing it. This was what had happened during last onam. It would be a repeat this time as well.

 The money is sent to me in two instalments during the year. As Onam Festival is approaching I am receiving the first instalment. The second instalment would come towards the end of the financial year. I had been remiiting Rs.10.00 per month from my fortieth year of age to the Welfare Fund. The Fund had been constituted for masons and masonry labourers. I had joined it as a masonry labourer. My brother in law was remitting the amount for me at Venganoor which is my wife’s place. Later the contribution was raised to Rs.20.00. My brother in law after a while asked me to make the remittances myself.

Though I had paid a few instalments at Venganoor, I had found it difficult since I had to stay off work to make the remittance every month. When I had requested for permission to remit the amount at Pettah the authorities had initially asked me to do it at Ambalathara. Later I was permitted to do it at Pettah.

I became eligible for pension when I had turned Sixty years of age. I receive the pension twice  an year. I have to furnish a life certificate to the Post office once in an year. Usually the daughter in law of the retired teacher across the road was signing the life certificate for me. Once the girl told me that she could not do it that time as she was on leave and her seal (stamp) was at  the office. Since I had to submit the life certificate that day itself I went to an office nearby. The peon took the papers inside. I was called in after an hour. The official had asked me how much money I had with me. I said I had a Hundred Rupee with me. The official told me the days of Hundred Rupees are all past. The papers were given back without signature. They ask for money because they have to do some work in the process. I do agree to what you are saying that all they have to do is to write my name at the appointed place and affix their signature, name, place, date and stamp of the office.

I walked three Kms to the local Primary Health Centre. The Lady Doctor there told me the she was on looty (Duty) and asked to wait till she went off duty. She called me in at 1.30 PM and signed the papers. She did not take any money from me.

The postman had handed over the money I had stated once the life certificate was handed over to him.”

FINANCIAL TSUNAMI

Non Performing Assets have hit the Indian Banking scene like an epidemic. Faced with mounting NPAs  almost all the banks in India are battling for survival. Profitability has been badly mauled.  The equity market keeps on punishing banking stocks.

How did such a scenario come about?

There was a time when banks adhered to time tested norms in granting loans and advances. Loans and advances were granted only after careful evaluation. Populism of successive governments diluted the norms for scrutiny of the loan applications without any concern on the recovery aspect. It was evident that a time bomb was ticking to explode without any warning. Though brilliant critics have analyzed threadbare what has gone wrong, here is a modest attempt to view it from a different angle.

The biggest joke is the Cash Credit granted by the banks. Though it has been stated in the agreement that the account will be brought to credit at least once in a year, it never happens in most of the cases. Overdrafts are no different. Ultimately the borrower keeps on asking for enhancement every now and then. Since a large quantum of bank’s resources is tied up with the borrower the limits are raised temporarily with or without the concurrence of the controllers. Such temporary enhancements may or may not be supported with documentation. When everything goes well the branch manager is hailed for his brilliance in his achievements of targets. The branch head and the controllers are showered with accelerated promotions. The flouting of the norms is met with Nelson’s eye.

While the depositor entrusts his funds with banks in trust as long term fixed deposits, many banks have ended up tying up their funds as long term deposits in the form of loans advances with the borrowers. The interest on the advances is accounted as profits. But how much has been realized is a matter for debate.

The populist policies of the government in power made disbursal of DIR, IRDP, PMRY, Education Loans, Vehicle Loans, Personal Loans, Housing Loans and several other schemes mandatory for banks. Though these schemes ensured that money reached the poor, the middle class and the new generation rich the disbursal had never given a thought to the recovery aspect.  Loans were disbursed very often violating the time tested safety features. Branch heads were forced to disburse the loans the moment an applicant had stepped into the bank. If there had been a slight delay for making even a cursory scrutiny, the controllers encouraged the applicant to file complaints against the branch head. And if the cursory scrutiny had revealed the motives of the applicant suspect, the branch head had been taken to task for carrying out the cursory scrutiny. The controllers went on punishing the upright and rewarding those who had merrily granted the loans without any thought on the recovery.

No doubt many of the DIR, IRDP, PMRY, Vehicle Loans, Personal Loans and Education Loans, Housing Loans have ended up irrecoverable. Add these to the burgeoning Cash Credits and overdrafts where the limits are enhanced gaily, the NPAs mount threatening the banking system.

When financial discipline is given the go by, financial tsunami would envelop and destroy us.

God forbid such an eventuality. 

TAKING CARE OF OUR BRETHREN

Late Rev. Dr. K. K . Koshy  passed away on 13.03.2014. It was an accident. Just as he had stepped on to a stationery bus at Peroorkada , Thiruvananathapuram the driver had put the vehicle into motion. The hapless Achen was thrown off. A severe head injury made Achen breathe his last in two hours.

Though the Government can make doors mandatory for buses, the vehicles ply on the roads without doors. Nobody is interested in the welfare of poor passengers throughout the State. The tragedy will occur again and again.

Late Rev. Dr. K. K . Koshy had reveled in helping people in need. Roy Daniel must have been one of the beneficiaries. Roy is the Gardener at the Church where Koshy Achen had led the worship for decades.

Achen’s funeral was on 18.03.2014. The Church had never witnessed such a huge crowd of mourners before.

Roy Daniel had attended the funeral though he was unwell. He had fallen off from atop the common vault while on a cleaning assignment a couple of days earlier. It was a dangerous fall. It had incapacitated him. He could not attend to his duties. It was with great difficulty he had presented himself at the Church to attend the funeral of Koshy Achen. He simply could not walk.

A member of the Church had dropped Roy at his residence. The condition of the house was appalling. The house stands on a two cent’s property with life interest of his mother who had earlier worked for Karali Nursery School. Roy, his wife, their daughter and his mother reside there. The house has a small open verandha or portico, one room and a kitchen. A kutcha toilet is located outside the building. There is no bathroom. They bathe in the open near a well in the adjacent property. The property belongs to Roy’s married sister who is employed abroad. When he was queried as to what they would do if his sister alienated the property that would prohibit them from using the well Roy was very positive. He said they would find some other way to carry on with their lives.

The house is in need of demolition. It has to be rebuilt with basic amenities. It is sad that an employee of the Church that provides assistance over a broad spectrum of the needy resides in such grueling and appalling conditions.

Roy’s wife is a diabetic. She had discontinued her education when she had failed in her twelfth standard or plus two examination. The child is smart. Roy educates her in the local Seventh day Adventists school. According to him he is no position to send her to a good school.

Christian fellowship includes visiting the needy. It is not certain if anyone from the Church had ever visited Roy’s place. If a few have done it, it is well and good. If not, it is high time the Church evolves a policy whereby a visit to the residences of the employees of the Church by the officials or representatives of the Church at least once a year is made mandatory. 

What Roy Daniel needs:-

1.       The expenses – medical – has to be taken care of by the Church. The accident occurred while on duty.

2.       The education of the girl child has to be taken care of.

3.       Roy’s wife – a smart young woman – has to be encouraged to develop her skills to find employment.

4.       The house has to be rebuilt.

Striving for financial and emotional inclusion that accomplishes upliftment of the downtrodden is the mission of the Church. Jesus Christ had come into the world to show the way. It is for the Church to follow in His footsteps.

Roy’s resolve to pay last respect to Koshy Achen has brought his plight to the members of the Church. 

Late Rev.Dr.K.K.Koshy lives on  with missionary zeal.

JUSTICE WINS

Advocate Thomas Mannanalan practices law at Kottayam. He radiates dynamism. He sticks to ethics. He abhors injustice. He is the voice of the voiceless. He had no hesitation in fighting for the cause of a student who had nowhere to turn to. 

The student had been selected for admission to a self financing institution. The institution had conducted written test, group discussion and interview for admission earlier than institutions in the Government / University sector. He was offered admission after the interview and was asked to remit Rs.100000.00 to secure the admission. As he was not certain he would be selected for admission in institutions where the fee structure conformed to Government regulations he had remitted the amount that was demanded. He was asked to deposit his certificates with the institution.

Soon after the amount was remitted he was offered admission by an institution under the Government / University sector. As the fee demanded was much lower and since the institution had a good reputation he decided to take admission there.

His problems began at that point.

The self financing institution did not consent to let him leave. They refused to part with the certificates. He was advised that the certificates had already been dispatched to the University. But it was a fact that they had not completed the admission process. It was  also a fact that the certificates of all the students would be forwarded to the University only after the admission process was completed. When point was raised he was advised to call at the office the next day. It meant 150 KMs of unnecessary travel up and down. The certificates were returned the next day.  But the institution refused to return Rs. 100000.00, the amount that had been remitted.

The predicament was difficult. The amount was remitted by availing an Education Loan from a bank for higher studies at the institution. The bank had demanded repayment of the loan as the student was not studying at the institution. The student pleaded with the management for the return of Rs.100000.00 as the bank was after him. The management after an interval of time issued a cheque for Rs.75000.00. They had firmly refused to return the balance - Rs.25000.00 -despite repeated requests.

The student understood that legal intervention was necessary if he were to get back Rs. 25000.00.  He met Advocate Thomas Mannanalan and requested him to intervene. As there was no other option a suit was filed. The suit was decreed in favour of the Plaintiff.  The management went in appeal. The  appeal was disallowed.  The advocate fled the EP (Execution Petition) and on the orders of the honorable court, the defendant had remitted the decreed amount at the designated office for transmission to the student.

Advocate Thomas Mannanalan firmly believes in the maxim ‘The law is supreme’. He believes that justice should never be denied. He is focused when he fights injustice. It is people like him who make our country a better place to live.

MUNNAR

                       

I grew up in Munnar. Pappa was an executive in KDHPCo Ltd. Mummy was a homemaker. The Company had provided free furnished accommodation to Pappa. It was the Company’s policy to extend the facility to all its officials.  The labourers were provided free accommodation. I am not certain whether it had been furnished. The officials were staying in single houses or tantum – twin- houses. The labourers stayed in coolie lines that were known as liams. Most of the labourers were Tamils whereas the officials were Malayalis and Tamilians. The Company had permitted all the employees to cultivate the land adjacent to their dwellings. They grew vegetables there. It was a riot of quality vegetables like Cabbage, Cauliflower, Beans, Peas, Carat, Tomato, Potato, Garlic, Corn and fruits like Plantain fruits, Peach, Mulberry, Gua, Orange. The list is endless. They could sell the produce to merchants and supplement their income. The produce of Munnar found its way to markets in the plains.  The employees were encouraged to raise Cows for milk. The Company provided assistance in the form of Cow sheds and labourers for taking the Cows for grazing. Milk was available in plenty.

Munnar Town was owned by the Company. They had a Town Department to take care of it. I am now settled in Thiruvananthapuram. As I move around the roads that had been recently rebuilt, I can see the employees of the Road Authority cleaning up the roads. The roads have reflectors to enable vehicles to move within the lanes during night. All these came in the past few years. I was born in 1950. What is wonderful is that whatever I have mentioned that happen around me today had been happening in Munnar in the 1950s and 1960s. The roads in Munnar were all kept very clean. The drains were kept free of obstruction.

We were staying in a house two miles from Munnar that was in between the roads to Mattuppetty and Grahamsland, There were very few vehicles on the roads. A bus would leave for Mattuppetty in the morning and return in the evening. There was a Van service for Grahamsland and estates beyond in the morning that too would return in the evening. All one could do most of the time was walk, walk and walk no matter whether it was heavy rains or biting cold. Munnar Town has an elevation of 5000 feet above sea level. The Yellappetty and Gundumalai estates were beyond 7000 feet.

Opposite to the mountain where our house was located there was another mountain. The tributary of the river Periar flowed in between in all its majesty to meet the tributary form Nullathanni. The rivers met at Munnar at the point where the Head Quarters of the Company was situated. Legend says that the Railway in Munnar once operated from there.

The road across the mountain took one to Devikulam where the powers of the Government were seated. The General Manager of the Company had his Bungalow- Ladbrook – at Cigarette Point. I still do not know how that name came about. Perhaps the British in the earlier days must have stopped there while they were riding their horses to their work stations or on their return – before the advent of vehicles – for a smoke to beat the cold.