Former MD SS attains Sadgati

 Former MD Shri S.SRINIVASAN; My Memories

Shri S.Srinivasan, affectionately called “SS” by everyone in State Bank of Travancore (SBT) in the 1970s and 1980s, is no more. He was the Managing Director, State Bank of Indore, when he retired from the services of the bank, in 2001. He belong to the first batch of probationary officers of the erstwhile SBT (please see photograph  in the end), who joined the bank in 1963. He was known as people’s man in SBT and was so simple that anyone in the bank, irrespective of his cadre or number of years of experience, can meet him in his chambers or talk to him in any public function. In a lighter vein, his popularity among staff made the union and association leaders jealous of him and they were relieved that he was not a threat since he was going higher up in the management side only. I never worked with him, but had interaction with him in the early part of my career. Thought I will share a few interesting incidents.

I joined SBT in 1980. In 1985, I got selected in the exam and interview held for recruiting Probationary Officers in Associate Banks of SBI and was fortunate enough to be allotted to SBT. In those days, one had to give a notice period of one month, before resigning from the bank. The ‘rebel in me’ made me to write a letter to head office that the notice period be waived off for two reasons. 1. Alternate arrangements of posting a clerk can be initiated as SBT knows that I should resign for taking up the PO position and 2. I am going to join SBT only. After a few days of having sent this letter, I met ‘SS’ (he was the General Manager at that time) in a marriage function of a staff in Chennai. When I was introduced to him, he immediately said ‘you are already popular in head office for writing that letter. People were unhappy that you try to teach them for relieving you without notice period.  But I saw merit in your letter and told them that this should be permitted’. I felt so happy that a top executive could visualise things, without bothering oneself about formalities/protocol to be followed, and decide the issue on merits.  In my 1985 batch of POs, five of us were working with SBT as clerks, prior to joining the same bank as POs.  So the benefit of ‘notice period waiver’ was extended to all.

He addressed our batch at least on three occasions, when we were in head office as part of training schedule.  It is an understatement if I say that he impressed every one of us. I used to quote him frequently, whenever I addressed a new batch of Probationary Officers in the later part of my career. One famous quote from him is “You are all ‘freshers’ and are unbiased with the system (rules and procedures).  Please continue your original ideas and test them with the organisation. Point out if anything is wrong with the system, before you are overpowered by the system to make you believe that after all, system is right”. Truly inspiring words to remind you that you need to retain originality and also that ‘out of the box’ thinking is vital for the growth and sustainability of any organisation.

In 1990, debates within the bank and interbank debates were common. Two persons selected in the bank’s debate should represent the bank in the interbank debate. One such debate was on ‘Challenges in Agriculture’. Shri SS was heading the panel to select the winners.  I was the last speaker in a list of ten, each of whom was given three minutes to make their point. I started speaking and felt that not even half of what I wanted to convey was finished, when the first warning bell was pressed by SS to close my speech. In my anxiety that I should be fully heard, I turned to him and said “I need two more minutes to complete my speech”.  Without waiting for his approval, I continued and completed my speech. There was a round of applause for my speech. But the panel members, visibly, were taken aback, by the way I behaved (I was a JMGS I officer at that time). However SS was democratic and declared me as one of the two winners, though he did mention that the way I snatched time was not appreciated. I lost in the interbank debate subsequently and the other winner from SBT won an award in the interbank final is a different issue. The point is SS recognised merit, ‘in whatever form’ he could see it.

I sincerely offer my heartfelt condolences to his family. A noble soul attains sadgati, when it relinquishes the body. Having helped so many in SBT and the other banks he served, SS fully described what makes one to be a noble soul in his life time. Om Shanti.

V.Viswanathan

3^rd April 2022.

Photo Courtesy – Book Titled ‘Tradition of Trust – The saga of State Bank of Travancore'