This photo was taken on a Sunday, in the year 1975, when we, the staff of Indian Bank, Richmond circle branch, went for a picnic to Bannerghatta National Park. I was working as a clerk at that time.
The photograph has among others, Joseph, the then branch manager; Mohankumar, the accountant and Nagaraj, the cashier. It was after completing BA that I started looking out for a job. There was an advertisement in the newspaper inviting applications for the recruitment of a clerical post in Indian Bank. Within a month of applying for the job, I was asked to take the Bank’s written test. I got through the test and the very next day I attended my interview as well. To my surprise, I received the appointment order within 20 days of the interview. The salary was Rs.380/- per month!
My wife and I had just started living together in one of the 18 tiny houses of a vatara(settlement) in Palace Guttahalli at that time. The advance paid for the house was Rs.100/- and the rent was Rs.30/-.
Our vatara was like mini-India. People from different states, who spoke different languages, lived there-Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali.
To reach Richmond Circle from Guttahalli, I had to take a bus to Townhall; the ticket fare was 15 paise. Then I had to take another bus from Townhall to Richmond Circle, but I usually walked the distance to the bank to save the other 15 paise. Walking was easy as the air was so clean. Those days, the city buses didn’t run regularly. If I missed a particular bus, I had to wait minimum 30 minutes to get the next one. The auto fare was 40 paise minimum but I hardly travelled in them. We had to uphold the bank’s reputation by being punctual. Hence, we made it a point to be in our seats before any customer came in for a transaction.
On two or three occasions, I missed the bus and came late to work by a few minutes. One day, when I came late, the manager (branch manager- native of Chennai- in the year 1974; I am not able to remember his name) summoned me into his cabin and asked the reason for coming late. When I told him the reason, he sent me to my place without saying anything. That got me really worried as I was still in the probationary period. Just when I was getting ready to leave home after the day’s work, the manager summoned me again; I was so nervous. He took out a key from his drawer and gave it to me. I was confused and asked “what is this, sir?” He pointed to a brand new cycle parked outside the Bank and told me "that bicycle is yours from this day". I was bemused that the manager would go to such lengths to make sure his employees reached on time, and also happy that he bought me the bicycle. But my main worry was how to pay for the cycle. I didn't have that much money and told him that. He smiled and assured me that I need not pay upfront, that I could pay monthly installments of Rs.30 or whatever amount possible. A loan without tax! I wonder in today’s world if such managers exist.
After a year, my wife and I shifted to a new house in Coxtown, Jeevanahalli. I used to go by bicycle from Jeevanahalli passing CoxTown, Sindhi colony, Kamaraj Road and then take right turn at M.G.Road through St.Marks Road, turn at Cash pharmacy and reach Richmond circle.
The second building from the circle was our Bank. There was not much traffic and I used to have a jolly bicycle ride. Hardly five or six cars used to be parked at M.G.Road in those days.
M.G.Road was bustling with number of movie talkies and night clubs. Two-wheelers were very rare those days. If one wanted to buy a scooter, they had to book for it and get the scooter after seven years!
My working hours was from 8am to 12 pm and 4pm to 8pm. There was only one lady colleague by the name Kanakalatha working with us and she was allowed to go home by 7 in the evening, keeping in mind her safety. One of the sub-staff used to accompany her till she got her bus at the nearby bus-stop.
They say one’s first job and colleagues always have a special place and mine is no exception. Joseph, the manager, Ravanaih, Prabhakar Singh and Kanakalatha are no more now.
The rest of the staff have retired from service. Most of the clerical staff had become managers at other branches at the time of their retirement. After serving five branches in different places in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, I took voluntary retirement in 2001 while serving as manager in Ulsoor branch.
Parashivamurthy MS
