Its 8 in the morning. Sundari chellamma is ready. Maharaja Chithira thirunal is arriving for the daily temple visit. The raja's humility is a "must see". Even in his plymouth car, he looks at you with folded hands. The royal look with a green velvet cap and the green stone mala shining on his chest and the diamond studded sword, he walks with all humility from Sree Padmanabha swamy temple to Sanghumughom on the Arat day. Everyone of us will love to be related to him.
It is this great man our Sundari Chellamma is waiting. She sometimes jump before the car. All she wants is a look at that most handsome face, because she has assumed herself to be the Rani.
She at her 50's still look good with the 'neriyathu' tied up in kerala style. Glass Bangles in her hand "kai niraya vala", eye brows in shape by nature (there were no beauty parlours ) The eyes are beautified by "kan mashi" (Kan mazhi when prepared from the carbon of the lamp lighted by gingelly oil adds to the health of the eyes). The jewellery is sure to be duplicate or else she would have been killed by this time.
We dont know where she sleeps, or eats.. but we see her around the Temple premises. She carries a "banda kettu" and in it is the photo of the young Chitira Tirunal. Though some miscreants shouts "Sundari Chellamma" which she reacts in a befitting language, the public see her with empathy. She carried a cane to drive away bad people.
She was as ordinary woman as any other lady, having dreams till that day Sri Chitira tirunal accidentally happened to touch her hand while distributing some prizes at a function in the school where she was teaching.
she became hysteric.
people who were in Trivandrum inside Fort area may remember her.
This was just one of the characters in my childhood days in this area.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
diwali
Friday was diwali. Diwali in Trivandrum is an ejoyment mainly with the tamil community. The brahmins, though have lived in this land for generations, also enjoy this festival sans the richness. Of late thanks to the IT boom, some of the youngsters in this community have tasted money and spend some bucks for crackers. In some houses, they also spend for new dresses. I am not so happy with diwali, probably because i am afraid of 'vedi". I have seen sleeping crackers bursting when i go near it for lighting another one. The deafening sound creates butterflies in the stomach. So i always stop with some "mathappu" or with the "snake balls" which will send out thick black smoke but finally we can see carbon rolls form like a snake. The children around our houses burst cracker from their hands. For me its wasting lots of old news paper for lighting these crackers "lakshmi crackers make great sound". I light the newspaper and keep one or two "Lakshmi vedi" at the other end and run to the farthest corner with hands over the ears and wait for the bursting. Sometimes, the crackers may cheat you, it would send some "buzz sounds".
The oala padakkam (something like mukku vedi) is the cheapest. Though it is not dangerous i cannot light it without a piece of paper. There will be some rockets and the used bottles will be filled in with sand and used as launch pad.The rockets are dangerous ones as they are not guided ones, the bottles may fall down and the rockets may travel straight towards the watching crowds. Some may travel towards the neighbours thatched house. Once it went and hit on a coconut tree and it caught fire and fire engine came and flushed water all over.
We children waited for the "padakka pothi" over and above our father's purchase. We had three uncles and each brought their share of packets. Altogether there will be crackers for three times - One hour in the evening before the Diwali, the morning and the remaining for the ensuing "karthikai".
Because, we were staying in a compound owned by an Annachi (a businessman having their roots in tamilnadu). They are rich and earn by the 7 small houses rented. The children of Annachi's house will be bursting lots of crackers and most of the time we clapp and shout 'hai'.
At last after all is over, we small chilren will clean and make a bonfire wherein the unburnt, uncracked items suddenly get fired - some make sound and some only light.
in between we would go out to look into the streets (agraharams where lot of people live and hence lot of diwali) The pookutti and the beautiful children in the light of mathappu are all a sight to be seen
The diwali day begins like this. We dont exactly remember when we heard the fading sound of bursting somewhere and we slept. But we woke up hearing the cracker and the time is 5 in the morning. My mother would be ready with hot water ( there is no geyser) and 2 sets of cracker packets, new dresses are ketp before the God's pictures and a wooden palaka where we should sit after brushing teeth, and she would pour gingelly oil over the head and then all over the body. An old Murphy radio is switched on for "nadaswaram" from AIR (all india radio) When we come after bathing, she would give us inji lehyam(ginger), the very first item for diwali. We children would eat sweets from all houses and this is a precaution lest we may upset our stomach.
As we grow up, we get farther from this mother's touch and slowly our rituals are not followed and if we scold our children, they will retort that diwali will be good even if it is not followed.
This diwali, some children in our flat hung a huge malapadakkam. It was very near to the building and i objected to it but some child lighted. I got angry and poured some water over it and it did not burst.
Afterwards i felt sorry, i poured water over their enthusiasm. We could be ready with buckets of water and use it in case there is danger. Now i hate diwali.. The streets are full of cars and the crackers are lit in very near these cars (unthinking of the danger). These streets have less and less open space..I pity these children and also i feel spending on crackers and sweets when there are many under privileged children without diwali..
The oala padakkam (something like mukku vedi) is the cheapest. Though it is not dangerous i cannot light it without a piece of paper. There will be some rockets and the used bottles will be filled in with sand and used as launch pad.The rockets are dangerous ones as they are not guided ones, the bottles may fall down and the rockets may travel straight towards the watching crowds. Some may travel towards the neighbours thatched house. Once it went and hit on a coconut tree and it caught fire and fire engine came and flushed water all over.
We children waited for the "padakka pothi" over and above our father's purchase. We had three uncles and each brought their share of packets. Altogether there will be crackers for three times - One hour in the evening before the Diwali, the morning and the remaining for the ensuing "karthikai".
Because, we were staying in a compound owned by an Annachi (a businessman having their roots in tamilnadu). They are rich and earn by the 7 small houses rented. The children of Annachi's house will be bursting lots of crackers and most of the time we clapp and shout 'hai'.
At last after all is over, we small chilren will clean and make a bonfire wherein the unburnt, uncracked items suddenly get fired - some make sound and some only light.
in between we would go out to look into the streets (agraharams where lot of people live and hence lot of diwali) The pookutti and the beautiful children in the light of mathappu are all a sight to be seen
The diwali day begins like this. We dont exactly remember when we heard the fading sound of bursting somewhere and we slept. But we woke up hearing the cracker and the time is 5 in the morning. My mother would be ready with hot water ( there is no geyser) and 2 sets of cracker packets, new dresses are ketp before the God's pictures and a wooden palaka where we should sit after brushing teeth, and she would pour gingelly oil over the head and then all over the body. An old Murphy radio is switched on for "nadaswaram" from AIR (all india radio) When we come after bathing, she would give us inji lehyam(ginger), the very first item for diwali. We children would eat sweets from all houses and this is a precaution lest we may upset our stomach.
As we grow up, we get farther from this mother's touch and slowly our rituals are not followed and if we scold our children, they will retort that diwali will be good even if it is not followed.
This diwali, some children in our flat hung a huge malapadakkam. It was very near to the building and i objected to it but some child lighted. I got angry and poured some water over it and it did not burst.
Afterwards i felt sorry, i poured water over their enthusiasm. We could be ready with buckets of water and use it in case there is danger. Now i hate diwali.. The streets are full of cars and the crackers are lit in very near these cars (unthinking of the danger). These streets have less and less open space..I pity these children and also i feel spending on crackers and sweets when there are many under privileged children without diwali..
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
promotion contd..2
..3
I joined the Bank after resigning the job from federal Bank. Mr madhav kumar who joined on the same day in FBL, is now regionalManager. Whe i resigned i had in my mind..
to complete my ICWA studies in trivandrum, i had a fear that fbl was havng Christian lobby and SBT gave the appointment in my home town and i can go up if i work sincerely along with completing CAIIB. thAT WAS IN 1976.
After 34 years, see i did not go up the ladder..though i completed my MCom and CAIIB.
My CR was many a time in between blotted by unnecessary remarks and ow marks. The first one by Mr Sasidharan nair (he gave me only Good) next was Mr Sankaran my own batch mate He wrote Good and also "He is a brilliant officer but at times he should not be trusted in finishing jobs.." the next was Mr S John Controller ( he simply said that the excellent given by Mr Ravichandran BM, he did not agree for me. Then at Kozhikode, Mr KT Surendran gave me a blank remark column in CR. In tripunithura, mr shenoy did not give excellent. At Cherthala, also no excellent. in Ramankary, Mr kishore babu gave me less marks and painted me black..
I now feel that i could have been in Federal Bank, there it was not this bad.. or i could have gone to Indus Bank, alongwith mr joseph manimuri who did have good opinion of me and recommended me but i kept back because Mr bhoothalingam whom i accidentally met said that it was bad time for me to quit.
I now feel continuing in SBT was wrong... But some say..because it was SBT, i am still in service..
who knows who is correct..
I joined the Bank after resigning the job from federal Bank. Mr madhav kumar who joined on the same day in FBL, is now regionalManager. Whe i resigned i had in my mind..
to complete my ICWA studies in trivandrum, i had a fear that fbl was havng Christian lobby and SBT gave the appointment in my home town and i can go up if i work sincerely along with completing CAIIB. thAT WAS IN 1976.
After 34 years, see i did not go up the ladder..though i completed my MCom and CAIIB.
My CR was many a time in between blotted by unnecessary remarks and ow marks. The first one by Mr Sasidharan nair (he gave me only Good) next was Mr Sankaran my own batch mate He wrote Good and also "He is a brilliant officer but at times he should not be trusted in finishing jobs.." the next was Mr S John Controller ( he simply said that the excellent given by Mr Ravichandran BM, he did not agree for me. Then at Kozhikode, Mr KT Surendran gave me a blank remark column in CR. In tripunithura, mr shenoy did not give excellent. At Cherthala, also no excellent. in Ramankary, Mr kishore babu gave me less marks and painted me black..
I now feel that i could have been in Federal Bank, there it was not this bad.. or i could have gone to Indus Bank, alongwith mr joseph manimuri who did have good opinion of me and recommended me but i kept back because Mr bhoothalingam whom i accidentally met said that it was bad time for me to quit.
I now feel continuing in SBT was wrong... But some say..because it was SBT, i am still in service..
who knows who is correct..
promotion contd..
Mr ashraf of alapuzha absconded. His loan was collateraly secured. But it was closed by his family and the deeds were reelased. But he had taken money from six others who availed the loans and this is now NPA.
SBT had about 700 crores of NPA under this scheme. But Mr Kishore Babu charge sheeted only me. Mrs shanta of Pazhaveedu branch also had done lot of irregularities including clearing a housing loan cheque drawn fvg her son in law through her own account and the housing loan was availed from her branch. Mr kishore babu gave her clean chit and 99 marks in her CR.
So my enquiry is going on and orders have not yet been given. In between due to the good marks given by Mr Viswanathan i was in the zone of selection (320 persons).
How should i feel like? If i am selected it will be kept in a sealed cover. and if i am punished they will just tear off this cover..GMO who has to take the decision is in the Board..
CGM and GM knows me because of my AFI and SBI audit liaising and arranging ACE/ACB meetings.
Had i not been in the enquiry i had a fair chance of promotion. But now ...
This is where i dont know why God is not coming in..Some quote the Geetha..that all is for the good. Some feel sorry for my fate..Again some say that these are the action of Poorvikars (the souls).
Then i have to be happy..Mr.George Thomas, the first candidate and the senior most III, was not given promotion becuase, he was involved in a CBI case ( abil discounting case where he was a BM and not a party to it) which is running for more than 15 years and Bank could not give promotion and he can be placed in a higher post if exonerated by CBI.
and even when i did not have any memo i was not selected in earlier years..Because, the controller did not give 90 marks..
poor parameswaran or poor padmaja who wanted me to go high in career..or poorer children who cannot say my father is ....in a high post..
SBT had about 700 crores of NPA under this scheme. But Mr Kishore Babu charge sheeted only me. Mrs shanta of Pazhaveedu branch also had done lot of irregularities including clearing a housing loan cheque drawn fvg her son in law through her own account and the housing loan was availed from her branch. Mr kishore babu gave her clean chit and 99 marks in her CR.
So my enquiry is going on and orders have not yet been given. In between due to the good marks given by Mr Viswanathan i was in the zone of selection (320 persons).
How should i feel like? If i am selected it will be kept in a sealed cover. and if i am punished they will just tear off this cover..GMO who has to take the decision is in the Board..
CGM and GM knows me because of my AFI and SBI audit liaising and arranging ACE/ACB meetings.
Had i not been in the enquiry i had a fair chance of promotion. But now ...
This is where i dont know why God is not coming in..Some quote the Geetha..that all is for the good. Some feel sorry for my fate..Again some say that these are the action of Poorvikars (the souls).
Then i have to be happy..Mr.George Thomas, the first candidate and the senior most III, was not given promotion becuase, he was involved in a CBI case ( abil discounting case where he was a BM and not a party to it) which is running for more than 15 years and Bank could not give promotion and he can be placed in a higher post if exonerated by CBI.
and even when i did not have any memo i was not selected in earlier years..Because, the controller did not give 90 marks..
poor parameswaran or poor padmaja who wanted me to go high in career..or poorer children who cannot say my father is ....in a high post..
promotion
Today was my interview. I was the 5th candidate. we were asked to sit in the Board room and then one by one we were sent inside the Chairman's room where the interview is done. For 81 vacancies 320 candidates. The Board includes CGM - chairman, GM(O) and DGM (Credit). Just when i was sitting outside the room, two or three persons including the MDs peon asked me why i did not wear shoes. Suddenly Nandan of PA dept who manages the interview took out his shoes and gave me and i went inside wearing shoes. I thanked him for it.
This is the first interview i attended without inserting shirt or wearing shoes. One reason may be Padmaja was not well so she could not pull me out for shopping and the next was a story...
When all the traders special in the bank was taken lightly, Mr Kishore Babu sought to book me. He was after my blood. He gave me the first memo for late coming ( a branch cannot come late to branch without RMs permission ?? - the whole world knows ) then i was charge sheeted for a housing loan (i disbursed about 100 Housing loans and one became NPA and that house did not have proper road access. The borrower closed the account and i was warned.
The next charge sheet was for three loans mentioned in Audit. The mistakes were rectified and one or two loans were closed and hence it ended in warning. Then he has charge sheeted me for three Traders Special.
He says Edathua was 15 kms away. But i said it was only 9 kms. Enquiry was over and many charges were proved or partly proved. ie the guarantor did not sign on sanction letter, the Balance sheet was not properly processed, the recommendation letter was not dated.. But it all began with the Traders special loan given to persons in Alapuzha. M/s Soorya of Edathua was a fraud person. But he was the neta for CPM. Later it came out that he is a professinal defaulter defaulting in other banks also.
....2
This is the first interview i attended without inserting shirt or wearing shoes. One reason may be Padmaja was not well so she could not pull me out for shopping and the next was a story...
When all the traders special in the bank was taken lightly, Mr Kishore Babu sought to book me. He was after my blood. He gave me the first memo for late coming ( a branch cannot come late to branch without RMs permission ?? - the whole world knows ) then i was charge sheeted for a housing loan (i disbursed about 100 Housing loans and one became NPA and that house did not have proper road access. The borrower closed the account and i was warned.
The next charge sheet was for three loans mentioned in Audit. The mistakes were rectified and one or two loans were closed and hence it ended in warning. Then he has charge sheeted me for three Traders Special.
He says Edathua was 15 kms away. But i said it was only 9 kms. Enquiry was over and many charges were proved or partly proved. ie the guarantor did not sign on sanction letter, the Balance sheet was not properly processed, the recommendation letter was not dated.. But it all began with the Traders special loan given to persons in Alapuzha. M/s Soorya of Edathua was a fraud person. But he was the neta for CPM. Later it came out that he is a professinal defaulter defaulting in other banks also.
....2
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