My lighter moments in SBH

 My lighter Moments in SBH

Today SBHians are celebrating SBH day. My last term in the State Bank Group was with SBH from August 2014 to till the last date of my retirement, (31st March 2017), incidentally the last day of existence of Associate Banks, prior to their merger with the parent SBI. While I am proud to have been associated with the bank on some of its greater moments, I thought of sharing some of my lighter moments in the bank.

1. Knowing the person before hand:

a. Day one of joining the bank: I took the flight from Bengaluru on 1st August 2014 morning and reached Hyderabad Airport. The liaison officers Shri G.P. Mishra, Shri Patwari and Shri Pavan Kumar received me at the airport. On the way to head office, the car stopped before Shirdi Sai temple. I was pleasantly surprised, as I am a staunch Sai devotee. Later on, I learnt from my personal secretary (PS) Shri P.S. Sravankumar that the liaison at SBH had a chat with SBM, where I worked from 2011-14, to know my beliefs. Just a small example, how SBH officers were proactive!

2. Branch/Zonal Office visits at various places by road: I am a vegetarian and stopped taking food items, which had onion or garlick. I always found that my "food habits" were solicited from my PS, so that I get the food of my choice and my personal upsets did not prejudice my opinion, while reviewing the performance of the branch or zone. Incidentally in one place, the information on my food habits reached a 'bit late'. Still they managed to serve the 'onion sambar' removing every onion piece therein to make it appear as 'Jain Sambar'. They forgot that the smell will tell the story. I enjoyed their 'efforts' still in keeping me happy.

3. Inaugurating a branch/ATM/Regional Office: I travel by official car to any place which is 3-4 hours drive from Hyderabad. The GM/DGM will join me somewhere on the way. The controller will stand with his battalion at the start of his/her region and follow us. The BM/ staff concerned will meet us 2-3 kms prior to the site of inauguration. Their two wheelers will be the bodyguards (vehicle guards?) for the 3-4 cars filled with CGM/GM/DGM and their teams. My wife jokingly remarked that this reminded her of 'deities taken out from the temple in a palanquin, for a procession in the streets of the village with crowd following the deities'

4. Secret/Surprise visits never surprised BMs: In the beginning, when I made surprise visits to branches, I found the BMs were well prepared. This surprised me, as even my PS was not aware of where I intended to visit. The 'cat came out of the bag', when an over enthusiastic BM offered me, my favourite green tea and almonds, on my arrival to his branch. When confronted, he confessed that my driver Shri Narsimha, in his anxiety to get me - my preferred beverage and nuts - called the BM. (when I asked him to take me to the branch concerned a few kilometers away from the branch). I learnt a lesson, but even today, I enjoy the entreprneurship displayed by SBHians.

Of course, the tale is endless. There were my greater moments like (i) the farewell arranged by ABOA: Unit: SBH (Officers association), the welfare associations of SC/ST and OBC (ii) the farewell arranged by the staff under the banner of SBI on 3rd April 2017 (SBH merged with SBI on 31st March). 

Though I preferred to share the lighter moments in this edition, I must mention that the greatest momentl, which demonstrated their love and affection of SBHians for each other and the bank they serve, came when Shri Santanu Mukherjee, MD & CEO (2014-16) suddenly became critically ill in 2015. The entire Bank prayed for him and he took charge of the affairs once again, after four months.

Long live SBHians, wherever they are,.the admirable tradition they hold and their pure love and affection for their fellow human beings.

Regards 

V. Viswanathan 

5th April 2024.