Transfer Trauma

They announced my Transfer.

This time as Branch Manager, Palai Branch, 21 km from Kottayam.  That will be the last branch in my career in SBT.

 The first branch after promotion to Officer’s cadre was Puthiyangadi- Madayi, 25 km from Kannur.  And then began the Transfer Trauma. 

After hearing my transferto Pala, my wife is literally broke down.  She feels that it was because I did not give a transfer preference. She is talking to different persons, friends and bosses, leaders hoping against hope.  She forces me to ask – I talked to my DGM.  Some days back, Chinnasamy went and requested DGM for my retention in zonal Office (I did not ask him to do so).  He wanted me to be with him as a catalyst for growth of SIB segment.  We went to MSME Institute, participated in three Cluster meetings.  We met the Director of Tribal Welfare, Govt of Tamil Nadu.

I am weak in this area. Managing  a Transfer.. I hold my head bowed down..

The History: 

Even before my marriage, I went to Mr.S.S ( who was my boss at Credit department HO, where I joined SBT as a clerk typist) for a posting for my would-be wife in Trivandrum City in vain.  All other lady clerks were posted in the city and only she was posted in Poovar. I felt ashamed.  Being in SBT, I could not manage a proper and legitimate posting for my wife.  But after two years, she met Mr.Ananda her controller and explained her difficulties as a pregnant lady and got a transfer to city.

My promotion was in 1984.  On the day of promotion results, the leader of Officers Assn Mr M N Thampi came to our Branch (sanghumughom branch) but did not see me or request me to join the Assn.        AIBOA Office bearer Mr Jaleel, (I know him earlier) came but I demanded that if my wife is given a transfer to City branch, I will join and he never came back to me thereafter.                           

I was posted to Madayi in Kannur.   I chose to stay in Payyannur, 18 km  away from Madayi.  I still remember the day I left for Kannur – a sad day.  I understood that only three people were transferred to such a distance from Trivandrum – Mr.Kumara Pillai to Tirurangadi, Myself to Madayi and Mr.Sudhir to Kasaragod.  Thereafter, they learned the technique of managing transfers.  But I never learnt the art of managing transfers.

Before, going ahead some incidents of transfers is passing through my mind.

Once Mrs.P.Pillai, Manager in some nearby branch came to me while I was at Tripunithura branch. I told he my transfer stories. She became vociferous.  She then began to complain. This PAD is like this, they transferred my from Kollam to north India, when she was pregnant..and some other transfers in her career also…I felt sad and enquired how she managed at those places and to which she replied..”Will I go ?  My friends in Trivandrum helped me cancel these transfers…( I felt that except me everyone can manage to cancel  or manage their transfers)

In the year 1985, Rajendran was posted to Kannur Main branch from Trivandrum.  He was my friend, and so I went to visit him and he took me to his staying place ( a portion of a house).  The house owner was the father of Mr.A.R. Parameswaran ( SBT Officer). Parameswaran’s parents liked me. His mother used to give me good Dosa and I even now cherish those days when I visited their house.  Parameswaran’s father had a guilt.  His son was very close to Mr.Nanda kumar then DGM and Mr.Nandakumar gave instructions to PAD that this Parameswaran, a native of Kannur, be posted to Kannur. Then I landed in Madayi.. (Then Parameswaran AR, was very powerful in SBT.  His uncle was Retd. General Manager and Director of SBT. His sister Balambal was for a very long time PA to Nedungadi. So Parameswaran’s father took pity on me and introduced me to Sri N S Srinivasan, Director SBT and retd GM, when he visited his house.  He went and told  Sri S.Srinivasan, GM. It was almost two years then.

Within a few days, my branch received an order of my posting as, Acctt, Chathanoor branch.  I was happy, though the branch was near to Kollam than Trivandrum.

During those days, there were some bad days in my Madayi branch. Some unholy relationship between our lady HC and the BM. I was unable to sleep. Stories of frauds done in some branches in cash and gold came to my mind and during my frequent  deputations and leave, I had to take charge of gold and cash from this person. I too immature to handle such situations combined with the imagined frauds and old stories worsened the situation and one day I invited the BM’s wife and told the story and asked her to intervene and help herself and her family.  She very maturely, told me that earlier also he had such relationships and had come out of those situations…

I became a bad boy.. The four staff members divided into two groups – one for me and another against me.  But the BM was mature enough and he never was angry with me.  The transfer came as a good news for me.  I was giving a small party to the branch for my relief.. but at about 4 pm, a telephone came asking for me..and my branch manager was about to give the phone to me when the caller identified himself as AO ZO Calicut. At this small place called madayi, the telephone was good only for local calls. For even calls to Payyannur and Kannur, we will have to wait for hours, and better not to say of calls booked for Trivandrum and Calicut.. The AO asked my name only to confirm that I am not yet relieved. He immediately instructed BM to stop the relief as my order of transfer was kept in abeyance..(better word for cancelled).  I did not know the reason.. I was devastated..I went to Trivandrum to know of my transfer.  The Regional Office does not know of my transfer being deferred.  They changed  it two times to different branches.. The play is played at Kozhikode, because of many factors..

I was in a different association; The other major association wanted two other officers to be included in the transfer list. The leader ( who later rose upto the Director’s post) purposefully kept my transfer order under the desk and finally got it deferred.

I lost six kilos in my weight (not an exaggeration or imagination). Finally I got a transfer order to Papanamcode branch after about four or five months.

At this branch, I was Officer in charge of Extn counter.  As the OIC post is only for six months ( because some fraud happened in Changanacherry extn counter)… and I was already for more than six months, I was in the transfer list. My BM told me that he will try for my posting as Field Officer at Papanamcode branch if I joined the major Officers Assn. and I immediately agreed because .. I did not join that assn out of any particular affinity to any party or so…and I wanted to be the FO of this branch so that I can go up in my career..(Poor boy!!).  and I got the posting..After two years, I was again in the transfer list because of completion of three years.  But my friend became the new BM and he wanted me to continue for one more year ( which later grew into an allegation that it was I who managed the posting and had a four year stint..).  The  BM wrote to RO for my retention in a beautifully worded letter. A copy was endorsed to Assn. He personally took me to the leader of the Assn and requested to retain me.

The next year, I felt that I should work in a branch where I had lesser amount of work as in Pappanamcode branch, I had to look after Advance, and also the Foreign exchange of RRL and I was unable to look after my family.

When the postings came, I was posted to Parassala branch as Acctt. My earning accolades as FO at the difficult Pappancode branch was of no help. At Parassala branch, no book was balanced for more than 2 years. It was also a chest branch. Nobody was ready to go there. I did not have any God father in the Assn. So, when my RM posted my for Vakkom branch, Assn. objected and my posting was in Parassala branch. Again I went to RM who again changed to some other branch near Vakkom but after discussion with Assn it was again Parassala.  I called a known Assn leader who was behind it and asked him for which he told a lie that I was picked by zonal manager.(later on when I went to this Zonal Manager he did not know me or my posting and the lie was confirmed. But I had to go to Parassala and my career and health was spoiled..

After one year as Acctt and two years as FO, I got a promotion as Dy. Mgr.  The happiness of promotion nor the happiness for good NPA retrieval or tallying of accounts came for help in my posting when I was transferred to Kozhikode Palayam branch and SIB in charge.  The Office bearer who assured me of posting in Kottayam zone (there was a rule that one should be posted to a zone where one has not worked earlier) did not fructify (This leader was active only for his postings.  Once he got his promotions on time he was not seen in the limelight.)

I thought that this time I would take a house on rent and live a happy life.  I took a house also. But unfortunately for me, my mother passed away and my entire family was devastated and disturbed by the sudden death of my mother.

I requested for a transfer to somewhere near Alapuzha so that I could go home twice in a week. I met the top leader of Assn alongwith one of his friend and ‘glass mate’.  I was asked to represent along with a Medical certificate and was assured of a transfer to Trivandrum ( I did not have any hope). I enclosed the Medical certificate from a leading doctor – I was treated by him for my disc prolapse.

Yes! I got a transfer from Palayam branch to Kozhikode zonal office.  Immediately on my transfer to Region II, ZO, KKD, a new Region was formed and DGM issued an order to transfer one Officer and a clerk from each region. The Regions were very happy as they could now get rid of their unwanted clerk/Officer.  I was also transferred to the newly formed Region.

After two years, it happened that I had to be hospitalized for a missing heart beat.  I got a transfer to HO (through Laila – she knows lot of people) When I missed a promotion, the reason was I got a transfer from controlling office to controlling office..

On completion of 3 years, I got a transfer to Palode branch ( through an association leader), though I was earlier tipped for Dhanuvachapuram branch.

The new MD saw through list of rejected appeals for promotion and was sad, many who got selected in the appeal had fared bad and many who were out of the list had fared well. So, the list was scrapped and about 20 were shortlisted for a special interview with the Reviewing authority and out of them 8 got promoted.  I happened to be lucky this time. Again a transfer within a year.

I was posted as Manager (P&SB) at our Tripunithura branch.  Cheers all over. But when I went to join, I was shifted to an unwanted post in the same branch  - Manager (C&I). C&I at the branch was only one account – KEL a sick unit. The person who occupied my post was a Neta and I have no voice against him or another choice. (But later it proved that there was much growth in the SIB segment which was attached to C&I and one big C&I account could lift the otherwise stagnant branch to great heights..The branch could achieve 95 cr business from 40 cr ,when we left.

After the three year period, I was transferred to Cherthala branch as Manager (P&SB). A difficult branch because of the attitude of Chief Managers, because of 60 lakhs NPA in Sahaya Varsha given earlier (who got their promotion), because of the implementing CORE Banking..because I met with two accidents etc etc..

After one year I requested for a transfer to Trivandrum to join family.(They said it is Bank's Policy I was only one year in that br) The second year also I requested and begged to all. My AGM/DGM agreed and one day DGM called me and asked me to be ready for a transfer to Ambalapuzha branch as BM ( a sudden vacancy). But Assn put a spike and posted another person. In a second amendment, I was posted as BM, Ramankary branch. (As such my request for transfer to Trivandrum was not considered).

My first year saw very good growth. Second year was going on well till suddenly,  my AO found out that the borrowers I gave Traders special, had borrowed from some other branches as well. Combined with the infighting in the Traders assn. I was made scape goat and my new RM got suspicious of me.  All my hardwork went waste.. I was painted black.. Harassments, not giving promotions  etc etc..

But I somehow got a transfer to HO.  I could not be posted to any branch. The first day, Mr.Damodaran, GM (Vigilance and Inspection) told me that he had a different view on me..perhaps he was mentioning on the Controller’s view point). The very same DGM who reduced 51 marks and downgraded my branch audit rating began to feel that it was a wrong decision. The branch did not figure in the closely monitoring list.

At inspection dept HO, I got accolades for my handling the RBI, SBI audits, handling meetings etc..(though I did not get through the interviews. )

After three years, my neighbor applied for continuation and I requested for a transfer to Chennai (to be with my wife who got a transfer to Chennai).  The dept did not favour of my neighbours posting to my desk. So I was asked to request for continuation for one more year and which was considered. (somebody quoted this for my transfer in SMIV)

The next year  I got a favourable posting in Chennai zo (due to the interference of a DGM )

I appeared for SM IV for which I dreamt for many years. I got it at my 58^th year of age.  My DGM told me that I will get somewhere near ( I did not give a request for retention as I did not like it and I also thought that I will be filled in any of the 4 or 5 retirement vacancies in zo. ( the present retirees got such a posting ).

I was posted to Palai as BM. My wife got posting to Coimbatore. Later on amendment I was posted to Bangalore and my wife to Mt.Road br.

My requests for somewhere in Chennai was not considered.

I blamed my gods….

Transfer stories I have heard…

NVS..He managed to get into transfer list for the third time with the help of his friends and his father’s friends without knowledge of Mr.N..the powerful. The order was received at the branch..they have packed their things with the fervent hope that Mr.N won’t play the same joke this time..But this time also the same old story. The last minute cancellation..Mr.N did not like NVS’s father..So NVS took a decision.. His wife resigned.. But thereafter, he learnt the art of transfer management..

It was in ‘70s.  One of my relative in SBT wanted a transfer from Mavelikkara to Pathirapally as her husband was working there. After trying a lot in vain, she asked me, being in HO, to look into this.  I went and talked to the clerk who was looking after this. He told me that the note was ready and said that it will move only if there is a nod from the union. I told this to her.  She then told an old story.  She did not pay the amount demanded by AIBEA for building fund and her name was in the list of defaulters.  Now it was cleared by paying the amount. She got the transfer.

Some manage to get transfers to distant places. One Mrs Elizebath was promoted and transferred to a branch near Mavelikkara. I felt sorry and told her that it will be difficult for her. But she was laughing at me. She was going to her husband’s house at Mavelikkara. Some get transfers to Madras or Bangalore..and I found that it was for their children’s education.  Now many get manage transfers to Chennai and Bangalore and I find that they had their children employed in IT sector..

I wanted to tell PAD that poem by Jon donne slightly altered..

Death be not proud, for thou live in illness…

PAD be not proud for thou live in Postings..

When I don’t get my transfers /promotions properly, I began to think differently.  Why this happens.. (My wife still feels that I don’t have the communication skill – the power of asking ) But I beg to differ..

I analysed various transfers.. While on the train I used to talk to people next seated and could gather that transfers happen to State govt employees also..Some village officers had posting to interior villages..But they manage by taking leave, or a transfer within a year or even by working arrangements.. Some persons I talked to were not able to take their family because they had land and cows etc or even aged parents to look after.. For some, the transfer was due to change in Government..He is an LDF man when the Congress govt came to power. For some ego clashes with bosses..

So why cant all the people could not manage transfers.. I slowly shifted to Astrology..I found out that the changes in stellar confluences is affected..When I am eligible for a transfer to Trivandrum as per rules, the astrologer told that I will not get the favoured transfer and I got Ramankary instead of either ambalapuzha or Trivandrum.

Now after this transfer was announced, I happened to read this year’s general predictions for Meena Rasi.. it read that in April, there will be a transfer for some.

Then the predictions for Guru Peyarchi.. predicted that there will be transfer for some in Meena Rasi..

Again the transfer will be indicated if one had bed room in Vayu Kona as per Vastu..

Sometimes it happens that even if some one wants to help you, but there would be ‘thadasams’(hindrances).  On my getting MMII, I was transferred to Kozhikode Palayam branch and the next year to Zonal Office where I met Mr.Sainath, Personnel Officer. He said that he had wanted to post me in some Palakkad branch but I represented through my earlier manager to be posted in some city rather than in places like Madayi which happened earlier. So I was posted to Calicut Palayam,  whereas had I been posted to somewhere near Palakkad, I could visit my sister who lived in a village in Palakkad district.

Inspite of the difficulty, I thought it is my attitude that made my life difficult. I would rent a good house on  lease and have a TV and gas connection and would cook or at least learn to cook.  I took an old house on rent But my mother suddenly passed away and left me shattered.. The cleaning of this old house was extremely difficult and my wife refused to stay even a day when she visited me once. I found difficulty in getting a proper person to clean the house.  Added to the woes, the entire highway traffic was diverted through the narrow road in front of my house and the house was full of black dust.

When I was in Tripunithura, my wife got promotion (as it was rather easy to get postings if both were Officers). I later came to know that even without my request to her,  Mrs Mayadevi, our Controller posted my wife to the nearest branch (the infamous thiruvankulam branch), where it turned out that the Head Cashier was doing fraud in Agri Gold loan for the past 5 years. Above all, the Branch Manager did not give proper assistance for the Accountant to verify the agri gold loans and in between there was confusion as he had requested to be a Field Officer. He began taking leave very often and it turned out that on the day of detecting the huge fraud, the number of days my wife temporarily occupied the Accountant’s seat was more by a few days than the permanent accountant ( who had verified Gold Loan and wanted time and assistance for verifying agl.). The Case was referred to CBI and we were unnecessarily involved in the fraud case, though the solace was that HO people at Vigilance openly supported us and stood against the Cashier. (though my wife was not the accountant, she had to forego the increments.. Our appeal was rejected on the ground that we were harping on the weak links of the management)

I am afraid to ask for a transfer for I don’t know whether it is for good or bad.

I tried to enjoy my postings. I try to see the difficult postings of other people  and I try to visit the temples around..

While I was posted to Madayi..I stayed at a lodge in Payyannur on monthly rent. I had two persons as my neighbours.  One person was an Officer and the other a clerk in Syndicate Bank. They came from Mumbai. The Officer was from Tirunelveli and he was posted because of his promotion. But the clerk was posted because they told that there was no vacancy in Palakkad where he hails from.

There was another neighbor who resigned as a A grade Officer in Delhi Sectt just because he became crazy to write books and thereby became penniless and was slowly building up.

We all visited Gokarnam, Mookambika , Dharmasthala etc.  Another friend took me to his house to see “Theyyam”.

I have also visited the Anatapuram temple ( the origin of the tale of Sri Padmanabhaswamy) and the famous Madhur temple and the nagaraj temple of Manjeswar.

At my posting at Ramankary, I was able to associate myself with the Moncompu temple.  I also visited many temples and Utsavs in Kuttanad. I was able to visit the Edathua Church. I also was able to visit the Moncompu temple near Pala which is supposed to be the origin of the Moncompu temple at Kuttanad ( which even many in Kuttanad have not visited)

If you don’t get a favorable transfer, you can  be happy with the theory of pre determinism…

Or  you can lose your enjoyable moments by wanting to revenge that man in PAD or so and so…

But in the end, it is all against you. Nobody appreciates you for your rural postings..

One question in my interview was “ Why was all your postings in rural”..? any answer..?

Again postings have become a symbol of your sociability (internal PR)  in the Bank..your nearness to power.. Nearness to power inside the Association..

The first question by the Branch Manager when I went to join Madayi branch

Q..”Where do you come from?” 

A. Trivandrum

Q. So you did not go to see anyone?

A (surprised and belittled) Why sir ..

BM: because nobody comes this end from Trivandrum.. Maximum they will come up to Trissur..

Many comments is that I have got a very good posting..Better than the hot climate of Chennai..Right..

I had sometimes thought of Voluntary Retirement because of the fear of Transfer. It is a Transfer Trauma.

I was supposed to have strong hold in Top Management when I got a transfer as Manager (Planning) at ZO Chennai, which collapsed when in the first I figured in Transfer List and even badly seen because I was posted to Palai branch far away from Chennai ( when everybody thought and which was earlier being done, that I will be shifted to one of the many retirement vacancies in ZO itself and also because I had only less than 2 years for retirement.)

As earlier said I would like to believe in “Guru Peyarchi” rather than wail that I had not approached somebody.

Again my mind confuses, whether to live in a house lonely (neighbours call you a bachelor even at this age) or in a lodge or in a shared house…( I am afraid of my health as cholesterol has gone beyond 250 and sugar tends to break the barrier)

The last Transfer Trauma..

(I do not have the patience to go through this once again and hence mistakes may have crept in..Anyhow it was random thoughts on transfer)