Kursela Days 20 – All Good Things Come To An End!

By April 1989 I had been completed nearly one and a quarter years of my posting at Kursela and was looking forward to completing the rest of my rural assignment and getting a posting at a better centre. By this time, I had got quite used to my way of life. Wearing hand-washed, unironed, khadi kurta-pyjama and hawai-chappals to office, not shaving or having a haircut for more than a year, and generally being a pain (you can surmise where) for the Branch Manager. Though, my relations with the rest of the staff and customers was excellent. The Branch Manager could not decide whether to like me or hate me. On the one hand, the internal operations of the branch was in excellent condition. On the other, I was everything that his sense of propriety screamed against. I was servile neither to the State Government officials we regularly came into contact with, nor with the officials who came visiting from the controlling office (the Regional Office at Purnea). My methods of handling situations was also absolutely different.

                                                                  Days of Glory!

Matters came to a head between us when the Bank’s internal auditors came for inspection. The BM, promptly handed charge of the branch to me under the excuse that he would be free to “manage” the inspectors, while I was to get the inspection done. I suppose, dear reader, would understand what “managing” a bank branch inspector means. For the uninitiated, it means wining and dining, and giving gifts etc. Thankfully, the branch inspector was a very sincere and straightforward person. I worked hard and with his guidance was able to clean up portions of the branch functioning which I was not aware of. After the inspection was over, the BM wanted to take all credit for the Branch rating but I had other ideas in my mind. As the officiating BM, I had to hand over charge to him. I refused to do so, just simply refused. The situation was extremely silly but the permanent BM did not know what to do. He went to Purnea and complained to our seniors. I was informally called to Purnea on a Sunday and my point of view was taken and I was counseled that I had made my point and should now hand over the charge of the branch to the permanent branch manager, which I readily agreed to.

I had also been making it difficult for the BM to collect his pickings from the loans that we used to make. The loans & advances work had strictly nothing to do with me, but was handled by the BM and the Field Officer. But since I was involved in all other aspects of the branch functioning there was no way these two gentlemen could collect their share of the loot without involving me, and they also knew that their life would become extremely difficult if I then reported these activities to the higher ups.

One fine day, the BM came back from Purnea and told me that I had been transferred to the Regional Office in Purnea. There was no way I wanted to go back without completing my rural assignment since I was aware that not completing it might have adverse affect on my career later. And moreover, I was quite settled to life and work there. But the BM would not listen to anything and handed over my relieving letter that evening. To some extent, I also decided that it was high time I came in from the cold and moved to Purnea.

I returned to Kursela again about a week later for collecting my personal affects and to attend a grand farewell my branch staff had arranged for me. I have been wanting to make another visit to that dear place, but somehow it has not fructified as yet. Tomorrow is another day.

 All Good Things Come To An End!