The Baroda Banks
The Baroda Banks have a Maroon Radish colour and are my favorite colours from the year 1975-1976 when I was a sub editor of YOUWARANG magazine devoted to Nagpur University Students Council. And then I started giving Motivation Talks to the Central & State govt. including various banks. But of all, the bank of Baroda was my most loved one because of its colour which was my school pant colour. In those days I had only two school pants in my possession. So the choice was not of its colour but of which one looks new if I want to wear it for a function. And because of it, I used to be recognized by my friends from a mile away because of its unique colour.
I visited almost all banks of Baroda Branches in Maharashtra including RM now AGM offices at New Delhi, Goa, Rajasthan & Orisa. Mumbai, Pune and its branches at Solapur, Amravati, Akola, Nasik was one of the news for me if something goes in a Branch. The CGM office now at Bandra Kurla Complex is not new to me. From the year 1986, I know it when its CGM office was at Ballard Estate, and CGM Mr. Shah was its CMD at that time in Mumbai. Mr. Patil, his executive director, was my friend when he used to get information about his native place Jalgaon through me. He used to sit there in the next room.
The other day I went to the Bank of Baroda, Narendra Nagar Branch. And astonished to see a young man in the chair of Srn. Branch Manager. I was surprised by his looks, so I asked him. Are you the same man I knew sir, I made a question ! And the answer reflected back at me with nervousness. You are not that officer, I continue … that way I am a customer of your Branch from its beginning and I know all your predecessors. But you as a younger one of all as Srn. Manager here. Sir I know the Branch upgraded and in bygone days they sent the Branch Manager from here to AGM office. Because the Narendra Nagar Branch upgraded very quickly in a year or two, I know.
After all, no smile, no positive reply, no courtesy at all to a customer came. And in frustration I looked around Gandhi’s photo in the cabine to tell the officer that “Customer is the most important person in the premises.” I asked the name of Manager while I stepped out of the branch. And I am told that he is Mr. NEMA.
What’s … it must be NEEMA, from Rajastan, I replied, little shoutly. Sir, he is Rajastani that much I know, the staff said. But this type of NEMA, I met for the first time, I said. That way NEEMA community has got their shares in govt. Jobs at the time of INDIRA GANDHI. And from there this community has their names in all big posts including IAS. The last Regional Labour Commissioner (C) was my friend and he told me about the life of the NEEMA community of Rajasthan. Mr. Rajesh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Labour was also NEEMA before madam Shrimkati Singal at Mantralaya, I kknow. . And in my young age I came across one NEEMA through one of my friends & neighbour Mr. Bijay Kumar Mahto, who took his postings at Nagpur after passing out their IRS training from Nagpur itself. NEEMA name was near to me as one of my relative so I met Mr. NEEMA, the President of Rajasthan Press in Corona Time, without a reason but affection for his surname when I happened to be at Rajasthan for two days.
This young Srn. Manager named NEMA of BoB, Narendra Nagar must be NEEMA. He must have changed his name or otherwise he would not have been on such a post too early. Who doesn’t know ABCD of RITI- RIWAJ I concluded. But I conclude now, I am wrong here, he is NEMA correctly.
__SHARAD BORKAR
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