METRO TO RURAL POSTING OF BANKER---LEARNINGS ON BRINJAL AND TOMATO

                                       THIS IS THE BRINJAL PLANT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH

How do you know? This was the question of my colleague with additional surprise. I didn't know what to answer as brinjal plants are less than two feet in height is no great general knowledge. 

This officer on rural transfer from Mumbai and knowing Gujarati was made a manager in a godforsaken rural branch in South Gujarat. ‘Manager Saheb’ as address, respectful greetings across the village, hospitality with overflowing fruits and milk and lot of discretionary power and obedient staff in office were quite in contrast to his two decades life in cramped flat of the metro and drudgery of office life. Though different life, he didn't feel out of place. 

He hardly understood his job role but was feeling comfortable with polite and respectful customers. One such customer needing additional loan forcibly took him in his motorcycle and went on harping on the genuineness of his sister's documents that were collateral. Duty bound to visit the farm he tolerated though he hardly understood the nuances of credit more so of rural credit. It was all greenery all the way unlike Mumbai and he enjoyed the ride till the gate of the farm. 

THE TYPICAL FARM WHERE BRINJALS GROW

As the farm gate was opened the borrower went into description of produce and made the manager walk through rough Agri land and talking things he hardly understood.  Reaching his home, the customer handed over list of items grown in his farm with acreage of each. The manager vaguely remembered banana trees and could surmise some others as mango guava and chicoo but was left wondering on brinjal and tomato. 

THE BRINJAL TREE AS IMAGINED BY THE MANAGER

 

The customer desperate for additional loan tolerated the request of the manager for a revisit to the farm. Manager was disconcerted to see huge brinjals and tomatoes in plants that are less than two feet in height quite in contrast to his imagination of six-footer trees of wide branches with brinjals hanging from all sides.  But he suppressed his ignorance and cleared the loan of the borrower.

I was left wondering on the life of a banker who has to learn nuances of jute ,bamboo and tea industry to sugar, textile and fishing and also about engineering, automobile and construction as they grant loans correctly and also achieve targets and grow in the hierarchy as a successful banker. It is four decades since this happened and I still wonder whether the life of a banker is same.

Mercifully I was a HR officer throughout my career. 

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